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Reality TV – Here to Stay But Should it Be?

Why does it exist?

Well, we have only the writer’s strike to thank for the emergence of reality television. Back in the year 2000, the writer’s guild went on strike and in the vacuum of good television content, producers aired a show called Survivor. The show featured a group of regular people stranded on a desert island who would vote each other off in order to win one million dollars. Sounds pretty interesting doesn’t it? It was and viewers flocked to watch the CBS show. Producers from all networks seized on this new concept was here to stay.

Hard Times and a Reality Television Comeback

A few years after the first Survivor aired, reality television started to wane. People tired of Jeff Probst and other shows like “The Littlest Groom” (a show about a little person getting married) left audiences yearning to go back to regular television. So why didn’t reality tv go away for good? Two reasons: regular television was found wanting, and reality tv stepped it up and produced a few good shows. American Idol became a sensation and good old Survivor launched an all-stars show that took the ratings by storm. Now these types of shows constantly outperform all other shows and with the money they are making the networks, reality tv will not be going away.

Learn More about Reality Television

Below is an opportunity to learn more about reality tv with info about shows like Survivor and the Bachelor. You can also find out about the history of reality television and contemplate whether this new genre has added to television viewing, or taken away from the experience. Enjoy.

Aaron Rowe is a writer, high school teacher and philosophy of media enthusiast. He lives with his family in Langley, BC and enjoys good tv when time allows. You can find out more about reality television at http://www.reality-tv-now.com and more about Aaron Rowe at http://adrowe.wordpress.com