The Block began as a renovation show. The premise was that everyday Australians were given the chance to win a large sum of money by winning the proceeds of their hard work (over a reserve) once the completed properties are auctioned. Teams are always made up of two - usually a couple.
The contestants are given a budget. They are not necessarily skilled in any area of construction or building, and the teams are required to assemble a team of labourers or that team is provided to the contestants by the program.
The time frame has always been unrealistic - less than three months to renovate a home, one week at a time. How exactly the contestants achieve this is dubious - contestants hardly sleep, and the camera follows them around during the project.
That's the format The Block began with, and that's the format the audience enjoyed.
The Block is not that show anymore.
Presently, there is a distinct lack of renovation on this renovation show.
Sadly, someone thought it was a stroke of genius to favour contestants who are able to create as much drama as possible. If it doesn't exist, it will be manufactured. That's their reality.
The Block favours cruel, nasty, and bitter behaviour. There have been several "cheating scandals," but no contestant is ever held accountable or responsible for said cheating. Episodes are dragged out
by useless plot exaggeration, completely irrelevant to the purpose of the show.
What you see now are contestants being bullied. You see contestants being gaslit, psychologically manipulated, and treated poorly and unfairly by other contestants. It's not entertaining. Basically, contestants can be as cruel, nasty, and as inappropriate as they wish, for their own twisted amusement, with impunity. The show fails to offer help, support, or intervention on behalf of the contestant(s) on the receiving end.
Thr Block is no longer a show about renovating and design ideas. In fact, it really isn't a renovation show anymore. It has jumped the shark and has willingly become a highly exaggerated, implausible, and toxic program, which is incapable of calling out their own cast on their appalling, mean, vicious, nasty, and cruel behaviour. As far as they are concerned, nobody should be accountable.
If you're after a "reality" program that:
Doesn't meet their own brief
Cannot define the type of program they wish to be
Is in complete denial about what their audience wants to see and their own integrity
Is toxic
Doesn't enforce their own "rules" of the competition
Rejects any form of criticism, feedback, or accountability, then claims it's a "conspiracy theory" against their show
Gabbles on tediously and repetitively over unrelated topics until it puts its audience to sleep
Constantly cross promotes and has insufferable product placements
Is a cacophony of backstabbing, jealousy, infintile behaviour, school yard bullying, and nastiness
Fails to use its "prime time" status as a teachable, instructive tool of how people should not be treated
Refuses to identify and prevent their "employees" from abuse (both mental and emotional), bullying, and intimidation
Deliberately and willingingly risks the health and safety of their contestants
Fails to identify themselves as part of the problem, not the solution
Is void of any acumen and still has the hubris to call itself, "Australia's favourite TV show"
This one might be for you!
