The Dichotomy Scripted Versus Non-scripted Entertainment for Global Audiences

The New Hollywood’s global competitive advantages were explicated in the previous chapter, and they pertain mainly in the “scripted” entertainment landscape, which is media content that follows a script (feature length motion pictures, TV series, etc.). The larger media landscape however has been enriched, in particular in the last two decades, by different forms of media content which do not follow scripts and have been defined as “non-scripted” entertainment, such as reality TV shows, quiz shows, and sporting events. More recently, new forms of non-scripted entertainment have also risen globally in the digital landscape, while the old ones remain very popular. New forms include social media entertainment, interactive media and video games, AI media applications, Slow TV among others. This chapter analyzes the evolving galaxy of non-scripted entertainment, the major players including the FAANG/MAMAA companies, and their competitive advantages compared to scripted entertainment, illustrating the dichotomy between these two categories.