Reality television

**Reality television** is a genre of television programming which presents unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, document actual events, and have ordinary people instead of professional actors. Although reality television has existed in some form or another since the early years of television, the term "reality television" is most commonly used to describe shows since 2000. Documentaries, news and sports shows are not called reality shows.

There are many different kinds of reality television shows, from game or quiz shows to surveillance-type shows, such as _Big Brother_.

Critics say that the term "reality television" is not accurate. Many shows portray a changed and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes told to act certain ways, and with events on screen sometimes changed by editing.

## Types of reality television

- **Documentary-style**—watching people do their daily personal and professional activities
    - **Special living environment**—People who did not know each other before the show must live together. They are often given tasks to complete together. Examples: _The Real World_, _Road Rules_
    - **Celebrity reality**—A celebrity living his or her normal everyday life. Examples: _The Anna Nicole Show_, _The Osbournes_. Sometimes the celebrities are given a task. Examples: _The Surreal Life_, _The Simple Life_, _Keeping Up with the Kardashians_
    - **Professional activities**—Professionals doing their day-to-day business at their jobs. Examples: _COPS_, _Miami Ink_, _American Chopper_
- **Elimination/Game shows**—Participants compete to win a prize, sometimes while living together. Example: _The Amazing Race_
    - **Dating-based competition**—A person chooses one person to date out of a group of suitors. Examples: _The Bachelor_, _Temptation Island_
    - **Job search**—Contestants compete to see who is the best at a certain skill. Examples: _America's Next Top Model_ (for modeling), _The Apprentice_ (for business skills), _Hell's Kitchen"(for cooking)_
    - **Game shows** are most numerous, and can be made quickly and cheaply in a television studio**.**
- **Self-improvement/make-over**—A person or group of people try to improve themselves or their lives. Examples: _Extreme Makeover_, _The Biggest Loser_, _Supernanny_, _Queer Eye for the Straight Guy_
- **Home renovation**—Improving homes. Examples: _Changing Rooms_, _Trading Spaces_, _Extreme Makeover:Home Edition_
- **Dating shows**—People go on a date. Unlike dating competition shows which have the same contestants all season, dating shows have new people each episode. Example: _Blind Date_
- **Talk shows**—A host interviews people, often about strange or outrageous topics that will cause conflict on-screen. Examples: _The Jerry Springer Show_, _Maury_
- **Hidden cameras**—A hidden camera records random people in a staged situation. The situations are often meant to confuse, amuse or scare the person. Examples: _Candid Camera_, _Punk'd_, _Scare Tactics_
- **Hoaxes**—The show is a prank or trick on one or more cast members. They know that they are on a TV show, they just do not know the true nature of the show. Examples: _The Joe Schmo Show_, _Invasion Iowa_