Reality TV 101

What is Reality TV? Unscripted Doesn't employ actors Focuses on footage of real events or situations. Reality shows also often use a host to run the show or a narrator to tell the story. Unlike scripted shows like sitcoms, dramas and newscasts, reality TV does not rely on writers, Because of this, it can be a very affordable programming option from a production standpoint

How it all started. A lot of shows crossed over from radio to the t.v. for example "The Original Amateur Hour" crossed over from radio in This talent show featured acts that performed for a voting audience. The act with the most votes was invited back the next week. This might sound familiar -"Star Search," "America's Got Talent" and "Dancing with the Stars" are all based on this formula.

60s-70s *Revolved around game shows and amateur talent, there were some changes. several new game shows, including "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune." A whole new type of game show. "The Dating Game," which premiered in 1965, was shot in front of a live studio audience and featured three bachelors or bachelorettes trying to win a date with a contestant on the other side of the set. It has spawned dozens of dating shows. Another type of reality show premiered in 1973 a series called "An American Family." It captured the day-to-day lives of the Loud family. "An American Family" was groundbreaking, showing the Louds' marital problems and not shying away from the eldest son Lance's openly gay lifestyle. TV Guide considers it the first reality show.

80s In 1988, TV writers staged a 22-week strike that greatly affected network programming. Channels like Fox resorted to reality TV during and after the strike. Fox premiered "Cops," which became one of TV's longest-running shows. "America's Funniest Home Videos" and "America's Most Wanted" also premiered around that time and are still going strong

90s-today The next big shift in reality TV came in 1992, when MTV premiered "The Real World." They put together a cast of seven. Then they filled a New York City loft with cameras, producers and editing crews and filmed the group for three months. In 2000, CBS picked up a new reality show called "Survivor." The decision might have had something to do with another looming writers' strike,. it ended up being one of the most successful TV moves in recent history. "Survivor" assembles 16 to 20 strangers on a remote island with little to no food or supplies. Other networks took note and soon, clusters of reality shows began appearing on every channel.

How “real” is the reality? Reality shows typically don't have scripts, but there is often a shooting script or an outline that details aspects of an episode or part of the show. For example, on shows like "The Real World" which take place in confined quarters, the outline might give directions for which rooms or cameras to focus on. It might set up a specific challenge for the contestants on "Survivor" or "The Amazing Race." Reality producers and editors have a lot of control over what happens on the show. They can also use a device known as frankenbiting to edit together conversation excerpts or sound bites to create a whole new dialogue or conversation.