Many people think that Survivor was the first reality television show to air. When it comes to the history of reality shows, this is where most people make an error. While Survivor has been one of the most popular reality TV shows ever, it’s far from the first. The first reality TV show aired in 1948, and it went by the name of Candid Camera. There is a good chance that name still rings a bell with you today, even if you have never seen it. That’s a clear indication of the show’s popularity at that time. Put simply, people still talk about it today. It set the bar for many hidden camera shows to follow, one of the most popular being MTV’s Punk’d.
Between the years of 1948 and 1989, there were dozens of reality shows, but no one recognized them as reality shows. For example, Oceanquest and The Gong Show were essentially reality shows. While both shows did well, they still hadn’t set the rage for reality TV. Even COPS couldn’t pull that off. COPS is one of the most successful and longest running TV shows of all time. It still runs today, and it began in 1989. However, it’s not responsible for the reality TV craze. The same can be said for The Real World, which began in 1992. The show experienced immense popularity in the 18-35 bracket, but the format still didn’t catch on.
It wasn’t until Survivor in 1999 when the reality TV boom took place. This likely has a lot to do with the concept of the show, which was survival and being voted off at the end of the show. The last person standing would win a $1 million prize. This concept was new, and it changed the course of television. Big Brother soon followed. While not as popular as Survivor, it still attracted a cult-like following. Those who watched Big Brother back then likely still watch it today. Both shows are still on the air and running strong.
In the mid-2000s, American Idol arrived on the scene. This concept is to find the best undiscovered singing talent in the country. With Simon Cowell’s rude yet honest comments, absurd auditions and mesmerizing auditions, American Idol shot right to the top of the ratings. It stayed at the top for many years. It wasn’t until Simon finally decided to start his own American version of The X Factor that the rating for American Idol started to go down, but they didn’t go down by much. It’s still one of the biggest shows on television.
The Apprentice might not have been as popular as American Idol, but it attracted a lot of people for two reasons. One, the business-minded crowd took great interest in watching others try to survive and win the show. The show could also provide ideas for those trying to increase revenue and improve their overall operation. Two, Donald Trump has a similar personality type to Simon Cowell, which is Type A. These types of personalities almost always draw interest from viewers.
Another popular reality TV show was Fear Factor. This show pushed the boundaries and features competitors eating bugs, jumping off buildings and the like. For several years, Fear Factor was immensely popular, but it’s one of the few reality TV shows that couldn’t withstand the test of time. The challenges became repetitive and the show became old.
All of the reality shows listed above have done well in DVD sales. Other reality shows that have done well with DVD sales include The Amazing Race and Project Runway.
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Between the years of 1948 and 1989, there were dozens of reality shows, but no one recognized them as reality shows. For example, Oceanquest and The Gong Show were essentially reality shows. While both shows did well, they still hadn’t set the rage for reality TV. Even COPS couldn’t pull that off. COPS is one of the most successful and longest running TV shows of all time. It still runs today, and it began in 1989. However, it’s not responsible for the reality TV craze. The same can be said for The Real World, which began in 1992. The show experienced immense popularity in the 18-35 bracket, but the format still didn’t catch on.
It wasn’t until Survivor in 1999 when the reality TV boom took place. This likely has a lot to do with the concept of the show, which was survival and being voted off at the end of the show. The last person standing would win a $1 million prize. This concept was new, and it changed the course of television. Big Brother soon followed. While not as popular as Survivor, it still attracted a cult-like following. Those who watched Big Brother back then likely still watch it today. Both shows are still on the air and running strong.
In the mid-2000s, American Idol arrived on the scene. This concept is to find the best undiscovered singing talent in the country. With Simon Cowell’s rude yet honest comments, absurd auditions and mesmerizing auditions, American Idol shot right to the top of the ratings. It stayed at the top for many years. It wasn’t until Simon finally decided to start his own American version of The X Factor that the rating for American Idol started to go down, but they didn’t go down by much. It’s still one of the biggest shows on television.
The Apprentice might not have been as popular as American Idol, but it attracted a lot of people for two reasons. One, the business-minded crowd took great interest in watching others try to survive and win the show. The show could also provide ideas for those trying to increase revenue and improve their overall operation. Two, Donald Trump has a similar personality type to Simon Cowell, which is Type A. These types of personalities almost always draw interest from viewers.
Another popular reality TV show was Fear Factor. This show pushed the boundaries and features competitors eating bugs, jumping off buildings and the like. For several years, Fear Factor was immensely popular, but it’s one of the few reality TV shows that couldn’t withstand the test of time. The challenges became repetitive and the show became old.
All of the reality shows listed above have done well in DVD sales. Other reality shows that have done well with DVD sales include The Amazing Race and Project Runway.
Do you have a TV show, movie or webisode idea? Click here
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