Kriti Mehrotra
As a Netflix original, ‘Swap Shop’ can only be described as a light-hearted and quirky series that breaks all bounds when it comes to its bingeability. After all, it revolves around a specific group of people as they keep their ears open to uncover unique products with the help of a local radio show. Because it covers all kinds of industries, there’s something new and exciting at each turn, meaning that the production is close to an ideal watch for everyone. With that, we can’t help but analyze how much of the show is actually genuine. So, here’s what we discerned.
Is Swap Shop Real or Scripted?
Produced by Hit+Run Creative, ‘Swap Shop’ is billed as a reality series, and until now, we have found no reason to suspect that it’s not as close to authenticity as possible. In other words, none of the situations, emotions, or dialogues are penned down by professionals and then handed to the cast members to be executed in front of the cameras. Yes, because a lot of time and resources are utilized to bring such an entertaining show together, producers likely have a say in how things should proceed during the filming and post-production process, but that doesn’t make it fake.
One of the primary examples for this is that each trade made between the buyers and sellers is only amid them, yet there are evident time jumps, and the cameras always seem to be on the right people at the right time. From what we can tell, that’s due to the editing process and the fact that producers might even ask the cast members to re-enact what happened in reality if they, by chance, miss something important. It’s plausible that their every move is documented, but it’s also possible that particular scenes are coordinated and scheduled to take place at specific times.
Whatever the case may be, the post-production process guarantees that we only see the most appealing aspects. Again, that doesn’t make ‘Swap Shop’ scripted or fake; it only means that there’s a bit of calculated and necessary manipulation involved, which is present in every reality series. We can confidently say that this show is real because the cast members have revealed that they were contacted by the producers beforehand and asked if they’d be okay with sharing their daily workings with the world. After all, each of them does make a living this way; they are not actors.
Another feature here is reputation. Hit+Run, the participants, and the streamer risk a lot when it comes to such a series that reaches a global audience. Hence, they won’t ever knowingly mislead viewers to such an extent that if the truth ever comes out, it could hurt them more than it ever benefitted them. Because let’s be honest, although bad publicity may improve brand interaction for a little while, it’s never good in the long run. In short, ‘Swap Shop’ seems to be a show that follows actual people as they go about their genuine ventures.
Read More: Where is Swap Shop Filmed?
