Reality Shows

Reality television (also known as reality show) is a television programming genre that presents unscripted and humorous situations, documents actual events and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors. Much of reality television programming falls into a subcategory as certain collections of shows within the genre use specific themes and focuses or incorporate elements from other genres, i.e., reality documentaries, reality game shows, reality legal programming.[1] Reality television began in 1948 with Alan Funt's TV series Candid Camera.[2] The genre exploded as a phenomenon around 1999–2000 with the success of such television series as Big Brotherand Survivor.[1] Programs in the reality television genre are often are produced in a television series. Documentaries, television news andsports television are usually not classified as reality shows. Reality television offers viewers a glimpse into the lives of people that might otherwise not be seen. It can also be seen as a platform for the subjects of the programs, to clear up misconceptions, and show their story or struggle. [3]The genre covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game show or quiz shows which resemble the frantic, Japanese variety shows produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (such as Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism-focused productions such asBig Brother.[1] Reality television frequently portrays a modified and highly influenced form of day-to-day life, at times utilizingsensationalism to attract audience viewers and increase advertising revenue.[4][5][6] Participants are often placed in exotic locations or abnormal situations,[1] and are often persuaded to act in specific scripted ways by off-screen "story editors" or "segment television producers", with the portrayal of events and speech manipulated and contrived to create an illusion of reality through direction and post-production editing techniques.[4][5][6]