15 Facts About Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors.

Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s with shows such as The Real World, then achieved prominence in the early 2000s with the success of the series Survivor, Idols, and Big Brother, all of which became global franchises.

Reality television shows tend to be interspersed with "confessionals", short interview segments in which cast members reflect on or provide context for the events being depicted on-screen; this is most commonly seen in American reality television.

Reality television has faced significant criticism since its rise in popularity.

Critics argue that reality television shows do not accurately reflect reality, in ways both implicit, and deceptive.

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Precedents for Reality television that portrayed people in unscripted situations began in the late 1940s.

The 1946 Reality television game show Cash and Carry sometimes featured contestants performing stunts.

Nummer 28 pioneered many of the stylistic conventions that have since become standard in reality television shows, including extensive use of soundtrack music and the interspersing of events on screen with after-the-fact "confessionals" recorded by cast members, which serve as narration.

Laguna Beach had a more cinematic feel than any previous reality television show, through the use of higher-quality lighting and cameras, voice-over narration instead of on-screen "confessionals", and slower pacing.

Some reality television shows cover a person or group of people improving their lives.

In one study, participants who admitted to watching more reality television were more likely to proceed with a desired plastic surgery than those who watched less.

In Indonesia, reality television shows have surpassed soap operas as the most-watched broadcast programs.

Reality television has received criticism in Britain and the United States for its ideological relationship with surveillance societies and consumerism.

Reality television has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, at least for a short period.

Several socialites, or children of famous parents, who were somewhat well known before they appeared on reality television shows have become much more famous as a result, including Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Kelly Osbourne, Kim Kardashian, and many of the rest of the Kardashian family.