Of all the different kinds of programs that have ever been watched on television, reality shows have to be near the top of the list when it comes to the number of people that watch them. They have been coming out with new ones every year and they seem to be hotter than ever.
The United States did not really start the trend of reality show television. There have been shows in the UK and in Japan as far back as the 1940's. Cops, was one of the first real reality shows in the United States, although some people consider some of the game shows reality programming too. Cops first aired in 1989.
It is one of the longest running programs ever. It shows police action as it happened and people have loved watching it from its start. It has taped over 700 programs. Fox has since syndicated it to other satellite and cable channels so they can show its reruns.
Of all the reality shows that we have to choose from these days, Survivor, is still near the top in ranking after seven years. We get to watch events unfold between the many contestants as they compete for 1 million dollars.
The locations where the tribe members, as they are called, are sent to have been in very remote places like Panama, the Cook Islands, and most recently for its 15th season, China. The competition in this reality series can be fierce with a lot of action, physical exertion, intrigue, and backstabbing.
Dancing with the Stars is a more recent reality show that has really made it big. In this show there are professional dancers that get paired up with some really unique celebrities. They train together and then compete with each other to become the winner.
They must learn a variety of different dance numbers. It is very entertaining to see how unprofessional dancing celebrities will do when competing. Billy Ray Cyrus and Wayne Newton were two of the funniest to watch, but hey, they tried hard.
Even with the success of these first shows mentioned, they still have a hard time competing with one of America's all time favorites, American Idol. This is one of the most riveting shows, but not because of any physical action involved.
It is all about the singing. People come from every where to audition for the chance to become a contestant. The three judges, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul can be pretty tough.
The contestants on the reality show Cops, probably only won some jail time. All the winners on Survivor walked away with a million dollars. Several of the American Idol contestants, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood, and Chris Daughtry have gone on to have successful music careers.
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