People's initial impression of reality TV is not all that different from current times. While a lot of people have learned to embrace the genre, others still refuse to accept it as a form of entertainment. This article highlights the rise of Reality TV and how it eventually took over our screens.
The Rise of Reality TV: Where It All Began
The first 'reality TV' began in the late 1940s, with people portrayed in 'unscripted situations' from radio shows before translating it to the TV.
Some early reality-based television back in the day included Queen for a Day, the TV game show Cash and Carry, and Allen Funt's hidden camera show Candid Camera for unsuspected pranks.
Reality TV was not only based on the concept of 'unscripted' entertainment, but this included fooling people for the sake of the show and even having them risk their dignity live or on record.
According to New York writer Emily Nussbaum who wrote Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV, even though reality TV became 'a lot faker', "There's still this element where it's just seeing an authentic human emotion physically expressed as catnip for people."
Since then, Candid Camera has grown to become Survivor, Big Brother, The Apprentice, The Real Housewives, and so on!
Reality TV Brought Catharsis To Its Longtime Viewers (and Still Does!)
From the element of surveillance, a form of catharsis engulfs its viewers and speculators watching the drama unfold and getting the story straight: a closed ending with conflicts resolved, which ironically do not mirror reality.
Despite that though, some of the popular and modern reality TV series are still produced unscripted for fans to keep up with the episodes: from game shows to candid camera-like moments.
These include the Love is Blind and Real Housewives franchises, and game shows like Survivor and Squid Game: The Challenge.
One good example that still represents the 'authenticity' behind reality TV is Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The former producer of the show previously confirmed that their lives on camera were "not scripted."
But even the likes of Squid Game: The Challenge, which Netflix claimed to be 'unscripted' even though contestants stepped forward to say that the show is scripted, are still considered entertaining in modern times. What does that tell us? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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