While the origins of reality TV can be traced back to the 1950s, with shows like Candid Camera and Queen for a Day, it was not until the late 1960s and early 1970s that reality TV as we know it today started to take shape and until the late 1990s and early 2000s that the format really took off.

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Today, reality TV encompasses a wide range of formats -- from competition-based programs like Survivor and The Amazing Race, to talent competitions like American Idol and The Voice, to dating amd marriage series like The Bachelor and Married at First Sight, to docu-series like The Kardashians and Jersey Shore, to home renovation shows like Fixer Upper and Property Brothers.

The origins of reality TV can be traced back to the 1950s, when Candid Camera first hit the airwaves. This show featured hidden camera pranks and was one of the first programs to showcase real people in everyday situations.

Over the next several decades, other shows in the same vein, such as An American Family and Cops, began to emerge, paving the way for the modern reality TV format.

An American Family, a groundbreaking series that aired on PBS in 1973, is considered by many to be the first true reality TV show.

An American Family focused on the Loud family, consisting of parents Bill and Pat and their five children, as they navigated their daily lives over the course of seven months. The series captured the family's day-to-day activities, conflicts, and personal struggles in a raw and unscripted way.

An American Family was a revolutionary show that marked a major shift in the way television was produced and consumed. For the first time, viewers were able to see real people, with all their flaws and imperfections, in a way that was raw and unscripted.

The series tackled serious issues, such as marriage, infidelity, and homosexuality, in a way that was groundbreaking and controversial for its time.

One of the most notable storylines was the marital problems between Bill Loud and Pat Loud, which ultimately led to Pat asking Bill for a divorce during the show's filming. This was a highly controversial subject for its time, as divorce was still relatively rare and often stigmatized in the 1970s.

An American Family also featured the life of the Loud's son, Lance Loud, who came out as gay during filming at a time when homosexuality was still largely hidden from the public eye.

Lance's coming out and his experiences as a gay man were groundbreaking and helped to raise awareness and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. His story was a major departure from the typical television representation of homosexuality, which was often negative and stereotypical.

The Loud family's personal struggles and conflicts were a major source of drama and intrigue for audiences, who were captivated by the family's story and invested in their lives.

The series' success demonstrated the power of reality TV to connect with viewers on a personal level, as they were able to see themselves in the Louds and relate to their experiences.

While An American Family was well received by audiences, it was also met with criticism, with some viewers finding the series to be intrusive and unethical.

An American Family remains a landmark moment in the history of reality TV. The impact of An American Family on the world of television cannot be overstated, as the series helped to lay the foundation for the modern reality TV format and paved the way for future programs in the genre.

Although An American Family was a bold experiment that challenged the conventions of television and opened up a new world of possibilities for future producers and creators. it was not until the late 1980s and early 1990s that reality TV really began to take off.

Cops premiered on Fox in 1989 and followed police officers as they carried out their duties on the streets, capturing the excitement and danger of police work in real-time. The show was unique in that it was shot in a documentary-style, with cameras following police officers as they interacted with the public and made arrests.

Cops was a hit with audiences, who were drawn to the show's raw and unscripted look at law enforcement. The show helped to popularize the "bad boys in blue" narrative, showcasing police officers as tough and fearless heroes who were willing to put their lives on the line to keep their communities safe.

Despite criticism from some quarters that the show glorified violence and perpetuated negative stereotypes about law enforcement, Cops remained popular and ran for over 30 seasons, making it one of the longest-running reality TV programs of all time.

MTV's The Real World, which premiered in 1992, is widely considered to be one of the first true reality TV shows of the modern era. The show followed the lives of a group of young adults as they lived together in a shared apartment, capturing their personal relationships, conflicts, and day-to-day experiences.

The Real World was a huge success for MTV and spawned several spin-off series, including Road Rules and Real World/Road Rules Challenge, which was originally titled Road Rules: All Stars when it premiered on MTV in 1998 (MTV later rebranded Real World/Road Rules Challenge as The Challenge in 2010 and the new seasons of the series still continue to air on the network today).

It was not until the 2000s, however, that reality TV really exploded in popularity. The premiere of Survivor on CBS in May 2000 is widely considered to be the birth of modern reality TV.

The show, a competition-based program in which contestants are "stranded on a deserted island" and have to survive and compete for a grand prize, quickly became a cultural phenomenon.

Survivor was followed by wave of additional highly popular and influential series on American broadcast television networks, including The Amazing Race, American Idol, Big Brother, The Bachelor, and The Apprentice -- which further cemented reality TV as a dominant genre in the world of television.

Several groundbreaking reality TV shows also launched on cable networks in the subsequent decade, including Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Jon & Kate Plus 8, and Project Runway.

Project Runway premiered on Bravo in 2004. The show features a group of aspiring fashion designers competing against each other to create the best designs and win the title of "fashion's next big thing."  The show is known for its drama and tension, as the designers race against the clock to finish their designs and avoid elimination.

Project Runway eventually became a cultural phenomenon and a staple of the reality TV genre that inspired the launch of countless other occupation-specific competitions, including Top Chef.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians premiered on E! in 2007. The show followed the lives of the Kardashian-Jenner family, who were largely unknown before the show's premiere.

Over the course of its 20 seasons, Keeping Up with the Kardashians provided an intimate look at the family's daily lives, relationships, and personal struggles, as well as their high-profile careers and public appearances.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians was a massive hit with audiences, who were drawn to the family's larger-than-life personalities and their extravagant lifestyle.

The show helped to propel the Kardashians to worldwide fame, and many of the family members have gone on to have successful careers in fashion, beauty, and entertainment.

The show also became known for its drama and controversies, including relationship troubles, family feuds, and public scandals, which provided endless material for gossip magazines and entertainment news programs.

The impact of Keeping Up with the Kardashians on the world of reality TV cannot be overstated, as the show helped to popularize the genre and set a new standard for what a reality TV show could be.

The show's success inspired countless imitators and paved the way for other reality TV programs that focused on celebrity families and their lives, such as The Real Housewives franchise and Total Divas.

The legacy of Keeping Up with the Kardashians continues to be felt, as the show remains one of the most successful and widely-watched reality TV programs of all time.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 premiered on TLC in 2007. The show followed the lives of Jon and Kate Gosselin, who were raising their large family of sextuplets and twins.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 was a hit with audiences, who were drawn to the family's unique story and the challenges they faced raising a large family. The show quickly became one of TLC's highest-rated programs and made the Gosselins household names.

However, the show also became known for its dramatic and often volatile relationship between Jon and Kate, which was a major source of conflict and drama for viewers.

As the series progressed, the couple's relationship became increasingly strained, and their personal struggles and conflicts played out on national television.

In 2009, the couple announced that they were separating, and the show was eventually renamed Kate Plus 8.

Despite its controversies, Jon & Kate Plus 8 was a major milestone in the history of reality TV, as it demonstrated the power of the genre to connect with audiences on a personal level and drive ratings.

The show's success helped to lay the foundation for other reality TV programs that focused on families and their everyday struggles, such as 19 Kids and Counting and Little People, Big World.

The impact of Jon & Kate Plus 8 can still be felt today, as programs that follow families and their personal lives continue to be popular and widely watched.

One of the key factors that has contributed to the popularity of reality TV is its ability to connect with audiences on a personal level.

Unlike scripted shows, which feature actors playing characters, reality TV typically features real people in real-life situations. This allows viewers to see themselves in the contestants, to relate to their struggles and triumphs, and to root for their favorites.

Additionally, reality TV often involves a high degree of drama, suspense, and conflict, which keeps audiences on the edge of their seats and coming back for more.

Another factor that has helped to fuel the growth of reality TV is the increased accessibility of cameras and other recording devices.

With the advent of smartphones and other portable devices, it is now easier than ever to capture footage of real people in real-life situations.

This has allowed for the creation of a wide range of new reality TV shows, as well as the production of more high-quality and visually appealing programming.

The evolution of reality TV has not been without controversy, however. Critics have raised concerns about the ethical implications of featuring real people in unscripted and often edited situations.

They argue that the editing process can distort the reality of a situation, and that the genre as a whole can have a negative impact on society by promoting negative stereotypes and exploiting vulnerable individuals.

Despite these criticisms, however, reality TV continues to be one of the most popular and widely watched forms of entertainment.

It has expanded to encompass a wide range of sub-genres, from competition-based programs to docu-series to home renovation shows, and continues to captivate audiences around the world.

As technology continues to advance, it is likely reality TV will continue to evolve as well.


About The Author: Steven Rogers

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