Best Reality TV Shows

Summary

• Reality TV offers a glimpse into real-life situations and societies, making it relatable.
• Criteria like impact and rewatchability helped narrow down the best reality TV shows.
• Shows like The Real World, Survivor, and RuPaul’s Drag Race were highlighted as iconic.

Reality television is one of the most fascinating and controversial genres in the medium. Instead of watching a scripted series filled with unrealistic situations and characters you can’t relate to, reality TV allows you to look at a reflection of society as you watch real people deal with unscripted situations like falling in love or living their everyday lives.

Since reality television blew up in the early 2000s, there have been numerous shows that have either pushed the genre forward or redefined it. With so many different reality shows to choose from, we used some criteria to help us narrow down the list, including; impact, longevity, and rewatchability. With those in mind, these are the best reality TV shows of all time.

10

Keeping Up With The Kardashians

• Created By: Ryan Seacrest
• Premiere Date: October 14, 2007

Keeping Up with the Kardashians premiered on E! in 2007 and quickly became one of the most-watched and talked-about shows of the decade. Despite being panned by critics throughout its entire run, the series went on for 20 seasons and branched out into 15 spin-offs (including the current iteration, The Kardashians, on Hulu) that have turned every member of the dysfunctional family into a household name.

The Kardashians have become an institution in the realm of reality TV, and while the quality of the show may vary from person to person, it’s hard to deny how much of an impact KUWTK has had on the landscape. The magical part about the show is that even when you’re not watching it, you’re inevitably following what those Kardashians are up to through social media or the news.

9

The Challenge

• Created By: Mary-Ellis Bunim, Jonathan Murray
• Premiere Date: April 20, 1998

If your favorite part of reality TV is watching people compete against each other in physically demanding obstacle courses and jaw-dropping trials, The Challenge is the perfect show for you. Originally created as a spin-off to MTV’s The Real World and Road Rules, contestants go against each other in brutal competitions to eliminate each other, and whoever is left standing earns a hefty amount of money.

One of the most compelling aspects of The Challenge is how frequently the show brings back returning players to have another chance at glory. While most people only get to compete on a reality show once, some of The Challenge’s most iconic characters have returned over a dozen times. There might not be as much strategy in The Challenge as other competition reality shows, but there is still plenty of sweat, drama, and romance.

8

Big Brother

• Created By: John de Mol Jr.
• Premiere Date: July 5, 2000 (US Version)

A strange element of reality television is how voyeuristic it can make you feel as you watch ordinary people live their lives for an hour or two each week. The American version of Big Brother leans into this concept by offering 24/7 live feeds so you can watch the contestants from the comfort of your home even when the show isn’t on the air.

Every summer, Big Brother chooses several strangers to live in a house together while competing in challenges and voting each other out. While international versions of Big Brother rely on the audience to determine who gets to stay and who goes home, the US version requires the players to use strategy to outlast the rest of the houseguests.

7

The Real World

• Created By: Mary-Ellis Bunim, Jonathan Murray
• Premiere Date: May 21, 1992

It doesn’t get talked about as much as other reality shows, but The Real World was essential in developing a blueprint for the genre still used today. The first season aired in 1992 – almost a decade before reality shows became mainstream – and followed a group of strangers living together in an apartment with cameras on them 24/7.

The premise was simple, but the final product was incredibly compelling and highlighted issues within youth culture during that timeframe. Every season of The Real World focused on a new city and a new group of people, and the show continued for quite some time, ultimately producing 33 seasons before going off the air. It might not be as exciting as modern reality television, but the genre might not even exist without The Real World.

6

The Real Housewives

• Created By: Scott Dunlop
• Premiere Date: March 21, 2006

The Real Housewives franchise is a juggernaut of reality television. Beginning with The Real Housewives of Orange County in 2006, the show quickly rose in popularity, which has led to ten more main installments, a baffling number of spin-offs, and multiple international versions. This might sound like a lot, but The Real Housewives continues to thrive and doesn’t seem like it’s slowing down anytime soon.

Each series in the franchise follows a different group of high-class women as they juggle their families, friends, and success. From throwing beverages into each other’s faces to yelling and pulling hair, The Real Housewives thrives on the drama between the main cast of women. While other shows let you watch somebody you might be able to relate to, The Real Housewives offers you a glimpse into a life that might be more fun to watch than experience yourself.

5

The Great British Bake Off

• Created By: Anna Beattie
• Premiere Date: August 17, 2010

Like a tray of delicious snacks at a party, The Great British Bake Off, known as the Great British Baking Show in North America, is one of the few reality TV shows that almost anyone can enjoy. While other shows in the genre thrive on human drama and tense situations, The Great British Bake Off is incredibly fun, lighthearted, and funny.

Originally airing on the BBC in 2010, contestants face off in various baking challenges where results are determined by judges, and the final three compete in a finale to see who will rise to the top. The likable cast of characters, delicious dishes, and hilarious panel of judges are an essential element in The Great British Bake Off’s recipe for success.

4

RuPaul’s Drag Race

• Created By: RuPaul
• Premiere Date: February 2, 2009

Not only is RuPaul’s Drag Race one of the best reality shows of all time, but it’s also one of the most important in terms of representation. The show premiered in 2009 and was an essential part of drag culture’s rise in popularity over the last couple of decades. Aside from its impact on the zeitgeist, Drag Race is just a great time full of memorable characters and iconic moments.

Beyond the debut season, Drag Race continues to put out new seasons annually and keeps fans fed with spin-offs galore. Aside from its dominating presence in America, Drag Race is an international success, with different versions airing in Thailand, Canada, Holland, and many more. There is nothing else like RuPaul’s Drag Race on television, and that’s an incredible achievement in a medium overflowing with copycats and regurgitated ideas.

3

The Traitors

• Created By: Marc Pos, Jasper Hoogendoorn
• Premiere Date: January 12, 2023 (US Version)

It felt like reality television became stagnant during the 2010s as the same old shows continued to find success and new ideas struggled to create a fanbase around them. One of the reasons why The Traitors is so impressive is because it quickly achieved high praise from critics and viewers alike after it premiered on Peacock in 2023.

The Traitors follows a group of contestants, made up mostly of reality TV stars from shows like Survivor, The Real Housewives, and Big Brother, as they live in a castle together and try to determine who among them are the titular Traitors. Each season is filled with treachery and drama as players accuse each other of deception and villainy, and if you need more Traitors in your life, there are plenty of English-speaking international versions that are just as good, if not better, than the American product.

2

The Bachelor

• Created By: Mike Fleiss
• Premiere Date: March 25, 2002

There are a plethora of modern reality TV shows about people falling in love, but there might not be as many if it wasn’t for the early success of ABC’s The Bachelor. Premiering in 2002, each season follows someone as they try to find their life partner by mingling with a large cast of love interests and eliminating them until there is only one left.

The show was immediately successful and quickly branched off into a spin-off, The Bachelorette, that turns the tables and has a group of men fighting for the love of a single woman. Both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are still thriving to this day with new seasons every year, and there are even more spin-offs to check out, including Bachelor in Paradise, The Bachelor Winter Games, and The Golden Bachelor and Bachelorette.

1

Survivor

• Created By: Charlie Parsons
• Premiere Date: May 31, 2000

Survivor is one of the longest-running and most influential reality TV shows of all time because it encapsulates everything that makes the genre so special to so many people. From jaw-dropping moments to heartbreaking decisions and blindsides, the show’s formula has allowed it to explore the human condition for over two decades, and each season brings something new to the table that keeps the series from becoming stale or boring.

The premise is simple; a group of strangers must live on a deserted island and either work with or against each other to win the $1,000,000 prize and title of Sole Survivor. All of these years later, it’s just as fascinating to see how far somebody will or won’t go to achieve their dreams. The universal appeal of Survivor has been instrumental in its longevity, and the formula is so good that it could likely outwit, outplay, and outlast every other reality show on the planet.