NEWSThe Top 11 Reality Shows of All Time
Dec. 9 2024, Published 1:57 a.m. ET
Three decades in, reality TV has changed in a lot of ways, but at the core, there remains the same basic appeal that got its start in the ‘90s and really took off in the 2000s. It’s up for debate what that core really is. Do audiences love getting insights into the inner workings of people’s lives, or do they enjoy watching dynamic dramas played out by real people just like them? Whatever the case, many of the top reality TV shows are household names and enduring sources of excitement and gossip.
Looking to binge-watch a great that you might’ve missed or forgotten? Take a look at these shows of the past and see how reality TV has changed over time, starting from the most recent greats to the shows that started it all. Your new guilty pleasure TV show could be a quick read away.
11. Love Is Blind (2020): This Netflix show is one of the most recent takes on dating and romance dramas, one of the earliest and most enduring kinds of reality TV. It strips away so much of the sets and theater that stylized the subgenre and even takes away in-person meetings. That’s right! Participants don’t even see one another during their courtship, making their connections purely through conversation. Once they’re engaged, though, that first personal encounter is a dramatic meeting that takes both partners (and their families!) on a wonderful honeymoon-like vacation.
10. Selling Sunset (2019): This show takes the home shopping and touring shows and gives them a spin by setting them in the wealthiest LA neighborhoods and spicing them with the professional and personal dramas or the area’s highly competitive real estate agents. For most, this will be the best look they get at these luxurious lifestyles, a show that browses incredible homes and stories with hopes that feel like trying to win big somewhere on a list of legit US casinos.
9. Duck Dynasty (2012): You’ve heard of this one. Everyone did, back in the 2010s. This series following the Robertson family and their dock-hunting business was a source of gossip and humor for everyone from teenagers to older adults. Something about mixing the base American dream with the rough, unpolished life in a natural landscape really struck a chord with viewers.
8. The Real Housewives (2010): This show has quite the legacy, with its many spin-offs captivating audiences again and again. Another show about wealthy lifestyles, this one focuses on housewives and the homes they make in some incredible neighborhoods. Audiences love their trials, whether it’s major life challenges or just petty squabbles.
7. Jersey Shore (2009): Another slice of a different kind of Americana, this show spread fast among young viewers and spawned a few spinoffs before sunsetting. This show explored the party lifestyle of eight housemates, and many of the show’s original viewers are still looking to find details about their lives and relationships.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
6. RuPaul’s Drag Race (2009): A cultural phenomenon to its viewers, this show was fifteen years of charismatic drag queens competing for a top prize with impressive performances. It also featured plenty of backstage drama between its principles.
5. Top Chef (2006): Watching America’s up-and-coming chefs battle it out on Top Chef has made for one of the most popular reality series in the US. The challenge of crafting delectable flavor pairings and plating a dish perfectly makes for captivating competition that’s hard to turn away from.
4. The Bachelor (2002): The thrills, heartbreaks, and dramas of modern dating were typified for a generation by the phenomenon of The Bachelor, where a bachelor dates multiple women hoping to find real love. The show—along with its many spin-offs—and its rose ceremony have broken hearts and thrilled audiences and participants for over 20 years now.
3. American Idol (2002): Bringing the voices of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jennifer Hudson to the mainstream, American Idol has been a reality show success that has had millions glued to their screens from the painfully terrible auditions to the final episode. Many who grew up with this show still remember their classic faves and their disappointments.
2. Big Brother (2000): Another reality series known for its social experiment format is Big Brother. The show places participants into a shared house where all interactions are recorded and lets events unfold. Each episode ends with an eviction ceremony, where one of the show’s participants is voted out of the home.
1. Survivor (2000): In May 2000, one of the best-known reality shows of all time, Survivor, debuted. Something about the challenge of surviving in the (well-maintained) wilderness and forming drama-rich social hierarchies offered an appeal to diverse audiences that made everyone—whether they love the show or not—aware of this series.
