If you watch any amount of television, no doubt you are aware of the Reality TV craze in America. Reality TV has become amazingly popular throughout the country, with millions tuning in to their favorite reality show. With new shows being added to the reality list each year, this is a television phenomenon that is here to stay. While you may not have realized it, Reality TV has been around some time and has developed into the amazing craze that we know of today.



The History

Reality TV has now been around almost fifteen years, starting back in 1992 with the show, "The Real World", which was done on MTV. This was the very beginning of reality TV and it has progressed since then to become what we know of today. "The Real World" was basically a show that had several people from a variety of different backgrounds live together, and their interactions among one another were filmed for people to watch on television. In 2002, Reality TV was brought to new levels with the hit show "Survivor", which was aired by CBS. Since the success of "Survivor", other networks have begun airing reality shows, until now primetime television is actually dominated by shows of this kind.

Why People Love It

There are many reasons that people have fallen in love with Reality TV, and one of those reasons is the money. Where else on TV do regular people find the opportunities to win great sums of money. Shows that offer large sums of money are instant attention grabbers, since people love to watch other normal people win large amounts of money, and by the same token, many times they get to watch them lose large sums of money as well.

Another reason that Reality TV has become such a big hit is because of the promise of instant fame. Many people dream of what it would be like to be on television and to be famous, and most people do not get that opportunity in their lives. Reality TV allows normal people to live out their dream of fame, without having to make it big in Hollywood. Lastly, people also enjoy this type of television so much because they have the pleasure of watching people fail and succeed. Many people get a thrill out of watching others fail, and others love to see their favorite contestant win, so it becomes the type of show that they never want to miss.

Popular Reality TV Shows

While there are a variety of Reality TV shows that are available for you to watch, there are some that are far more popular than others. The following are brief overviews of some of the most popular Reality TV shows ever.

American Idol

One of the most popular Reality TV shows to ever be aired is American Idol. This is a show that goes around the country auditioning people who want to be singers. While the beginning can be quite comical as you listen to people with no musical talent try out, as the show progresses and the final contestants are announced, it becomes a more intense show that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats. The finalists perform for audiences and the judges comment on their performances, but the viewers get involved by voting for their favorite singer each night. The person with the lowest votes is then voted off of the show. The number one singer on American Idol receives a recording contract and usually goes on to have a very successful music career.

So You Think You Can Dance

Another one of the top Reality TV shows is the show, So You Think You Can Dance. This is a show that is much like American Idol; however, this show is centered around dancing. While it starts almost the same way, with auditions around the United States, the finalists in this show are challenged in a variety of ways. Contestants have to pick partners and learn to dance new styles of dance, even if they are not familiar with them, and then they perform to try to win over the votes of the viewers. While initially the outcome was determined by the judges votes, recently they decided to start allowing the viewers to vote for their favorite dancer, which made this show even more popular than ever before.

These are just a couple of the most popular Reality TV shows, but there are many more that you may be interested in. Other great shows to consider are: Biggest Loser, Top Model, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and Fear Factor.