List of Reality TV Programs
Reality TV is a loosely defined genre that can be traced all the way back to the debut of Allen Funt's "Candid Camera" in August 1948. The term began to work its way into the language around the turn of the 21st century, as low-cost, unscripted shows such as "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and "Survivor" came out of nowhere to become instant cultural sensations as well as hugely profitable properties.
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"Cops"
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Fox Broadcasting Company already had a long-running hit with "Cops" by the dawn of the reality-TV boom in the early 2000s. The half-hour show premiered on March 11, 1989 as a low-budget documentary of a day in the life of a police officer. Creator John Langley had been pitching the idea unsuccessfully for several years, when Fox bought the unscripted show to air during a Writers Guild of America strike. The show continues to air on Fox regularly. Reruns have become a staple of broadcast syndication and two cable networks. "Cops" is among the most-watched shows on Internet streaming sites. The show has appeared on DVD in several themed collections.
"The Real World"
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Collect a diverse group of total strangers, have them live together with cameras watching 24 hours a day and watch as relationships form, battle lines are drawn, and all sorts of drama and wackiness ensue--that was a fresh concept when MTV introduced "The Real World" in 1992. "The Real World" wasn't the first to do it. Dutch TV introduced the concept a year earlier with "Nummer 28." But the MTV show introduced the idea to a young, hip, global audience and was the first to turn ordinary Joes (and Janes) into reality-TV stars. "The Real World" was a 30-minute show until 2008, when it was expanded to an hour. The show's 23rd season premiered Dec. 30, 2009. MTV has announced that "The Real World" will continue at least through its 26th season. The complete first season was released on DVD in 2002, but most of the show's home-video appearances have been through collections of outtakes and themed clips.
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"Survivor"
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"Survivor" took those total strangers and the cameras out to a deserted tropical island in early 2000. Producer Mark Burnett cut off 16 people from everyday comforts such as food and shelter and a warm place to sit, telling them to find and make their own while competing for $1 million. And he created a cultural phenomenon in the process. Gay corporate trainer Richard Hatch and 72-year-old Navy SEAL veteran Rudy Boesch formed the most unlikely of alliances and became media superstars overnight. "The tribe has spoken" became an enduring catchphrase, and the show and its cast became front-page news almost daily. "Survivor," an adaptation of the Swedish TV series "Expedition Robinson," completed its 19th season on Dec. 20, 2009--CBS usually airs two seasons each calendar year. The 20th season is to be an all-star edition premiering in February 2010. The first two seasons were edited down to highlight clips for DVD release. A half-dozen seasons, including the first, have been released in complete form.
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