Game opera
Encyclopedia
A game opera is a type of television show that combines elements of game shows and reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
.
The term was coined by Steve Beverly, a professor at Union University
Union University
Union University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown, Tennessee, and Hendersonville, Tennessee...
in Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
, an expert on game shows, and a webmaster
Webmaster
A webmaster , also called a web architect, web developer, site author, or website administrator is a person responsible for maintaining one or many websites...
of a site devoted to games. The phrase itself is a portmanteau of "game show" and "soap opera". Beverly intended this as a derogatory term, criticizing the nature and structure of these programs.
The term has been picked up The Game Show Congress (web site here http://www.gameshowcongress.com/) & is used a category in their annual Game Show Awards.http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/?m=200506
There are two types of game operas:
- The talent showTalent showA talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
, where contestants are chosen on their merits after an audition period. Examples include American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, Last Comic StandingLast Comic StandingLast Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that has aired from 2003 through 2010.The goal of the program is to select a comedian from a group, who will receive a development contract with the NBC network, and a television special first to air on the cable-TV network Comedy...
, and America's Got TalentAmerica's Got TalentAmerica's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
. - Shows like SurvivorSurvivor (TV series)Survivor is a reality television game show format produced in many countries throughout the world. In the show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a system of progressive elimination, allowing the contestants to vote off other tribe...
, Big BrotherBig Brother (TV series)Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
, and The Apprentice, where the game is incidental to other elements of reality TV. On these shows, contestants are often picked because of personality traits that producers hope eventually lead to conflict among their ranks. (In an interesting sidelight, it was revealed on TVGameShows.net in July 2006 that Leslie MoonvesLeslie MoonvesLeslie Moonves is President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation.Moonves served as co-president and co-chief operating officer of Viacom, Inc., the predecessor to CBS Corporation, from 2004 until the company split on December 31, 2005...
, president and chief executive officerChief executive officerA chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of CBS CorporationCBS CorporationCBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
, had personally approved every contestant that appears on Survivor and The Amazing RaceThe Amazing RaceThe Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams...
, and even picked some of the contestants himself.)
The following shows are not included in this genre:
- Non-competitive reality television shows, such as The Real WorldThe Real WorldThe Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
, Dog the Bounty HunterDog the Bounty HunterDog the Bounty Hunter is a reality television show on A&E which chronicles Duane "Dog" Chapman's adventures as a fugitive recovery agent, or bounty hunter...
, and Hogan Knows BestHogan Knows BestHogan Knows Best is an American television show produced by Pink Sneakers Productions and centered on the family life of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan . Often focusing on the Hogans' raising of their children, and on Hulk Hogan's attempts to manage and assist in his children's burgeoning careers...
. - Prime time game shows like Who Wants to Be a MillionaireWho Wants to Be a Millionaire (US game show)Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television quiz show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering 14 consecutive multiple-choice questions of random difficulty. Until 2010, the format required contestants to correctly answer 15 consecutive questions of increasing...
and Deal or No DealDeal or No Deal (US game show)Deal or No Deal is the American version of the international game show of Dutch origin of the same name. The show was hosted by Howie Mandel, and premiered on December 19, 2005, on National Broadcasting Company . The hour-long show typically aired at least twice a week during its run, and included...
, which are also called reality shows by some critics. - Stunt shows like Fear FactorFear FactorFear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor. The show pits contestants against each other in a variety of stunts for a...
.
Despite the distinctions, game operas work from a common template. A set number of contestants begin the contest. As play continues, they are eliminated, most often one at a time. Eventually, only one winner emerges to gain the cash prize, which is as much as $1 million.
Brief history
Big Brother is believed to be the oldest game opera; it premiered on Dutch television in 1999 and was a ratings hit. Producer John De MolEndemol
Endemol is an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland,...
licensed the product to other countries, including the United States. Survivor, which descended from a Swedish show, was the first game opera hit in the U.S. when it premiered in the summer of 2000.
After Survivors success, the subgenre took off as almost every major broadcast and cable network in the United States and other countries sought similar programs. Even a professional football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
league, the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
, used elements of game operas and reality TV.
The future of these shows was put in some question after the attacks on America
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
in 2001, but the genre survived the immediate aftermath and now is as popular as ever. In fact, American Idol was the highest-rated show on all of American television
Television in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...
in 2004–05
American Idol (Season 4)
The fourth season of American Idol premiered on January 18, 2005 and continued until May 25, 2005. It was hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell also returned to judge. It was won by Carrie Underwood, who has gone on to become a five-time Grammy-winning country megastar...
and 2005–06
American Idol (season 5)
The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell returned to judge, and Ryan Seacrest returned to host. It is the most successful season to date ratings-wise and also with 18 contestants getting record deals -...
.
Criticisms
Game operas are often derided for several reasons:- Often the contestants are reduced from their human complexity to a simple character, like those on scripted series. In some cases, they are portrayed as saying or doing something different than what actually happened, in an attempt to play up certain elements of the show.
- Producers often tap into the worst elements of the participants, a concept also known as schadenfreudeSchadenfreudeSchadenfreude is pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. This German word is used as a loanword in English and some other languages, and has been calqued in Danish and Norwegian as skadefryd and Swedish as skadeglädje....
. Examples include the rivalries and insults on Survivor and The Amazing Race, and the insulting comments of judge Simon CowellSimon CowellSimon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
on American Idol. - Some of the prizes to be won on game operas do not appear to be suitable. Perhaps the worst example of this is The Bachelor, from which only one winning couple (RyanRyan SutterRyan Allen Sutter was the "winner" chosen by Trista Rehn on the TV show The Bachelorette. Sutter, a Colorado firefighter, and Rehn were married in a televised wedding on ABC on December 6, 2003...
and Trista SutterTrista RehnTrista Nicole Sutter was the runner-up on season 1 of the ABC reality television show The Bachelor, before becoming the star of the first season of its companion show The Bachelorette....
) has had a lasting marriage. - Similarly, the advertised grand prizes can be devalued by rules changes or circumstances. For example, after American Idol season 2American Idol (Season 2)The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003 and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Seacrest therefore became the lone...
, both champion Ruben StuddardRuben StuddardChristopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol...
and runner-up Clay AikenClay AikenClayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
were given recording contracts. After Aiken proved to be the better-selling artist, other "losers" from future seasons were given contracts. Most of them, but not all, signed with Sony Records, which has a connection with show producer 19 Entertainment19 Entertainment19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...
. (William HungWilliam HungWilliam James Hung Hing Cheong , commonly known as William Hung, is an American singer who gained fame in early 2004 as a result of his off-key audition performance of Ricky Martin's hit song "She Bangs" on the third season of the television series...
was allowed to sign with independent Koch RecordsKoch RecordsE1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
.)- On the Discovery ChannelDiscovery ChannelDiscovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's Roush Racing: Driver XRoush Racing: Driver XRoush Racing: Driver X is a television show on the Discovery Channel that documented the selection of NASCAR drivers for Roush Racing. During occasional years, Jack Roush, the owner of NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing, auditions drivers from around the world to hire a driver in the NASCAR Craftsman...
, Erik DarnellErik DarnellErik Darnell is an American stock car racing driver, c He is the grandson of former USAC and NASCAR driver Bay Darnell, who also started three NASCAR races for Holman Moody...
won the contest, and earned a full-time Camping World Truck Series ride. Danny O'QuinnDanny O'QuinnDaniel O'Quinn, Jr. is an American professional stock car racer from Coeburn, Virginia. He currently drives the #39 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Go Green Racing.- Background :...
won a contract from the same owner (now Roush Fenway Racing) to drive in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, which is considered one step up from the CWTS. David RaganDavid RaganDavid Ragan, , is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He has previously driven the #6 Roush Fenway Racing ford, but is currently looking for a ride for the 2012 season...
also was given a part-time deal with the CWTS. A year later (after evaluating the drivers following their first seasons), Darnell was still in CTS, O'Quinn had only a limited contract, and the runnerup, David RaganDavid RaganDavid Ragan, , is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He has previously driven the #6 Roush Fenway Racing ford, but is currently looking for a ride for the 2012 season...
, was in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the highest level of NASCAR competition. (Ragan was able to successfully clear evaluations after Mark Martin's initial retirement from full-time competition at the end of 2006.)
- On the Discovery Channel
- Unlike traditional game shows, game operas are not subject to strict requirements such as those imposed by the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications CommissionThe Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
in the United States after the quiz show scandalsQuiz show scandalsThe American quiz show scandals of the 1950s were a series of revelations that contestants of several popular television quiz shows were secretly given assistance by the show's producers to arrange the outcome of a supposedly fair competition....
were uncovered in the early 1960s. Therefore, they do not have to disclose game rules, eligibility requirements, or even where the shows are taped. For example, ManhuntManhunt (2001 TV series)Manhunt was a reality television series that aired on UPN in the summer of 2001.The contestants on the show posed as fugitives who tried to escape actors who pretended to be bounty hunters. The one who eluded the bounty hunters the longest would receive a cash prize.Manhunt was plagued with...
, a show where the contestants were "bounty hunters", and which claimed to originate from Hawaii, was actually taped at Griffith ParkGriffith ParkGriffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America...
in Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. This information was not public knowledge until Beverly revealed this information on TVGameShows.net http://www.tvgameshows.net in 2001. After this disclosure, UPNUPNUnited Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
cancelled the show shortly after it debuted. In a similar vein, CBS asked trivia questions based on scenes from previous Big Brother episodes on Big Brother: All-Stars, which aired in 2006. However, the trivia answers are never revealed on air and the promotion's official rules imply that they cannot be found anywhere else, either.http://www.cbs.com/primetime/bigbrother7/wireless/rules.php In contrast, viewers could look up answers from a similar promotion that had aired on Gameshow Marathon, a combination of traditional games.
Lives of contestants
Contestants on game operas are sequestered. They are not allowed to use cellular phones or the Internet and are at least highly discouraged from watching television or reading newspapers. An example of the consequences of breaking such rules occurred on the NBC series Last Comic Standing. On the episode which aired July 11, 2006, contestant Gabriel Iglesias was thrown off the show after he was found to have a BlackBerryBlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
in his possession. Iglesias insisted that he was only trying to stay in contact with his girlfriend. In most cases, contestants live together in a common location, whether it's the isolated settings of Survivor or the luxurious accommodations on The Apprentice and America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
.
Contestants cannot be seen as having any lives outside the show (during taping) and must keep details of their appearance in strict secrecy until the program airs. Reportedly, contestants who violate confidentiality
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is an ethical principle associated with several professions . In ethics, and in law and alternative forms of legal resolution such as mediation, some types of communication between a person and one of these professionals are "privileged" and may not be discussed or divulged to...
can be fined as much as $5 million and lose all money and prizes that they may have gained on the show.
Taping schedule and disclosure of winners
Shooting schedules of game operas vary widely. On non-talent shows, taping lasts between 30 and 45 days. Eliminations are announced at the end of each episode, and some shows announce their winners at the end of taping. But most programs announce their winners on a live season finale broadcast, which typically happens about two months after the original filming wraps up. This is done with two things in mind: it builds momentum for each new episode, giving viewers something to look forward to in the end, and it is supposed to prevent the ultimate outcome from being leaked in advance, which could be used by bettorsSports betting
Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.-United States of America:Aside from simple wagers such as betting a friend that one's favorite baseball team will win its division or buying a football "square" for the Super Bowl, sports betting is...
to gain an unfair advantage.
In contrast, talent shows generally air two episodes a week. The first episode features performances from the contestants. In most cases, these performances are taped a few days before the show's air date. However, all performances on Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (US TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a reality show airing on ABC in the United States, and CTV in Canada in 2011. The show is the American version of the British BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing...
, and final-round songs on American Idol, are done live. The second episode, which airs the night after the first, reveals the results of voting done by the public. All eliminations, and the announcement of the final winner, are revealed live, except on Rock Star
Rock Star (TV series)
Rock Star is a television series produced by Mark Burnett in which aspiring singers from all around the world competed to become the lead singer of a featured group. It debuted on CBS on July 11, 2005, to mediocre ratings. The show was hosted by television personality and commercial spokeswoman...
, in which the results are tape delayed in the U.S. due to the show's global reach.
Voting methods and procedures
Methods of voting vary from show to show. American Idol votes are cast by telephoneTelephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
and text messaging
Text messaging
Text messaging, or texting, refers to the exchange of brief written text messages between fixed-line phone or mobile phone and fixed or portable devices over a network...
. America's Got Talent accepts not only phone calls and texts, but also online votes from NBC's website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
. Last Comic Standing, So You Think You Can Dance (a "sister" show to both Idol and Talent), and Grease: You're the One that I Want! accept telephone votes only. Rock Star does not accept phone votes, at least not from American viewers.
Except on Dancing, no votes are allowed before the show ends. On that show, voting begins shortly after each episode hits the air and continues for another half-hour after the episode ends.
List of game operas on American television
- American Dream DerbyAmerican Dream DerbyAmerican Dream Derby is an American horse racing-themed reality show that aired on GSN. Eight one-hour episodes were produced, with the first two airing on January 10, 2005; the show then aired weekly through the February 21 finale. The series, hosted by Steve Santagati, featured twelve contestants...
(GSNGame Show NetworkThe Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
) - American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
(FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
) - American Juniors (Fox)
- America's Got TalentAmerica's Got TalentAmerica's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
(NBC) - America's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
(UPNUPNUnited Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
/CWThe CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
) - Bands on the RunBands on the RunBands on the Run is an American competitive reality tv show which first aired weekly on VH1 from April 2 to July 15, 2001. The show featured four unsigned bands competing for a prize package which included $50,000 in cash, $100,000 in musical equipment from Guitar Center, a showcase in front of...
(VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
) - Beauty and the GeekBeauty and the GeekBeauty and the Geek is a reality television series on The CW. It has been advertised as "The Ultimate Social Experiment" and is produced by Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg and Nick Santora....
(WBThe WB Television NetworkThe WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
/CW) - Beg, Borrow & DealBeg, Borrow & DealBeg, Borrow & Deal was a reality television show that aired on ESPN with a first season in 2002 and a second season in 2003.-Premise:The show, which was originally called "Beg, Borrow and B.S.", featured two teams of four pitted against each other...
(ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
) - Big BrotherBig Brother (TV series)Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
(CBS) - Dancing With the StarsDancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
(ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
) - Dream JobDream JobDream Job is an American reality television show from ESPN, which began on February 22, 2004. It was the network's second reality show, with two editions of Beg, Borrow & Deal having previously aired. However, this was the first reality show from a network to offer its winner an on-air place on one...
(ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
) - Grease: You're the One that I Want! (NBC)
* - Hell's KitchenHell's Kitchen (U.S.)Hell's Kitchen is an American reality-television cooking competition broadcast on Fox...
(Fox) - I Wanna Be a Soap StarI Wanna Be a Soap StarI Wanna Be a Soap Star is a reality television series which debuted on the cable channel SOAPnet in 2004. The show is hosted by All My Children star and ex-Dancing with the Stars participant, Cameron Mathison. It is based on the British reality series Soapstars.-I Wanna Be a Soap Star:The first...
(SoapNet) - Knight SchoolKnight School (TV series)Knight School is a television documentary produced by ESPN about a group of sixteen Texas Tech students trying to make coach Bob Knight's Red Raiders men's basketball team as a non-scholarship player for the 2006/07 NCAA season. The documentary chronicles their progress and gives insight into Bob...
(ESPN) - Last Comic StandingLast Comic StandingLast Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that has aired from 2003 through 2010.The goal of the program is to select a comedian from a group, who will receive a development contract with the NBC network, and a television special first to air on the cable-TV network Comedy...
(NBC) - Making the BandMaking the BandMaking the Band is an ABC/MTV reality television series that exists in separate iterations, each iteration focusing on a specific music act. It spawned musical acts O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang...
(MTV) - ManhuntManhunt (2001 TV series)Manhunt was a reality television series that aired on UPN in the summer of 2001.The contestants on the show posed as fugitives who tried to escape actors who pretended to be bounty hunters. The one who eluded the bounty hunters the longest would receive a cash prize.Manhunt was plagued with...
(UPN) - Murder in Small Town XMurder in Small Town XMurder in Small Town X is an American reality television series created by George Verschoor, Robert Fisher, Jr., and Gordon Cassidy and was hosted by Sgt...
(Fox) - Nashville StarNashville StarNashville Star is an American reality television program. It was transmitted during mid-2008 on NBC, following five seasons on USA Network. It premiered on March 8, 2003, and its five seasons on USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television. In Canada, the show aired on CMT...
(USAUSA NetworkUSA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
) - Paradise HotelParadise HotelThe first season of Paradise Hotel aired on Fox from June 18, 2003 to October 1, 2003 with thirty episodes and was hosted by Amanda Byram. A similar show called Forever Eden was produced the following year...
(Fox) - Project RunwayProject RunwayProject Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
(Bravo) - Rock StarRock Star (TV series)Rock Star is a television series produced by Mark Burnett in which aspiring singers from all around the world competed to become the lead singer of a featured group. It debuted on CBS on July 11, 2005, to mediocre ratings. The show was hosted by television personality and commercial spokeswoman...
(CBS)- Rock Star: INXSRock Star: INXSRock Star: INXS is the first season of the reality television show Rock Star where 15 contestants competed to become the lead vocalist for the Australian rock band INXS....
- Rock Star: Supernova
- Rock Star: INXS
- SolitarySolitary (TV series)Solitary was a reality show on the Fox Reality Channel whose contestants were kept in round-the-clock solitary confinement for a number of weeks with the goal of being the last contestant remaining in solitary, for a $50,000 prize. It was the channel's first original series commission with its...
(Fox Reality) - So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
- Star Tomorrow (NBC/NBC.com)
- Survivor (CBS)
- Temptation Island (Fox)
- The Amazing RaceThe Amazing RaceThe Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams...
(CBS) - The ApprenticeThe Apprentice (U.S. TV series)The Apprentice is an American reality television show hosted by real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump, created by Mark Burnett and broadcast on NBC...
(NBC)- The Apprentice: Los Angeles
* - The Apprentice: Martha StewartThe Apprentice: Martha StewartThe Apprentice: Martha Stewart is a spin-off from the American reality television series The Apprentice that ran in the fall of 2005. Broadcast on NBC, the show featured business tycoon Martha Stewart. Tasks were centered around Stewart's areas of expertise: media, culinary arts, entertaining,...
- The Apprentice: Los Angeles
- The Bachelor (ABC)
- The BacheloretteThe BacheloretteThe Bachelorette is a spin-off of the American competitive reality dating game show The Bachelor. In its January 2003 debut on ABC, the first season featured Trista Rehn, the runner-up date from the first season of The Bachelor, offering the opportunity for Rehn to choose a husband among 25 bachelors...
- The Bachelorette
- The BenefactorThe BenefactorThe Benefactor is an American reality television show broadcast on ABC starting on September 13, 2004. The premise involved 16 contestants vying to win US$1 million from billionaire entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban....
(ABC) - The ContenderThe Contender (TV series)The Contender is a reality television series that follows a group of boxers as they compete with one another in an elimination-style competition, while their lives and relationships with each other and their families are depicted. Produced by Mark Burnett, the show is hosted by Sugar Ray Leonard,...
(NBC/ESPN) - The Entertainer (E!E!E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
) - The MoleThe Mole (US TV series)The Mole was an American reality game show that aired on ABC. It was based on The Mole franchise of programs that have aired in numerous countries. The Mole was produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment for its first four seasons. It was cancelled but was later picked up again after a four year...
(ABC) - The Next Great ChampThe Next Great ChampThe Next Great Champ was a reality television series on Fox that aired in early 2005. It followed a group of boxers as they compete with one another in an elimination-style competition, while their lives and relationships with each other and their families are depicted...
(Fox/FSNFox Sports NetThe Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
) - The One: Making a Music StarThe One: Making a Music StarThe One: Making a Music Star was an American reality television series that aired in July 2006 on ABC in the United States, and CBC Television in Canada. The show was hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos, known to Canadian viewers as the host of CBC's The Hour...
(ABC) - The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best (Fox)
- The Search for the Next Pussycat DollThe Search for the Next Pussycat DollThe Pussycat Dolls Present is an American reality TV series that premiered on March 6, 2007 on The CW, and took place over the course of eight weeks...
(CW)* - The Ultimate FighterThe Ultimate FighterThe Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...
(Spike TVSpike TVSpike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
) - Treasure HuntersTreasure Hunters (TV series)Treasure Hunters is a reality television series on NBC and Global Television in which ten teams of three solve puzzles and complete challenges in hopes of solving the ultimate puzzle and winning the grand prize. Teams travel across the United States and Europe in search of seven "artifacts" which...
(NBC) - Unan1mousUnan1mousUnan1mous is an American reality television program that premiered on the Fox Network on March 22, 2006 and ran for one season. The host of the series was J. D. Roth.- Concept :...
(Fox) - Who Wants to Be a Superhero?Who Wants to Be a Superhero?Who Wants to Be a Superhero? is a reality show hosted by Stan Lee. Contestants dress up as comic book superheroes of their own invention. Each week, Lee challenges the contestants to represent what "superheroes are all about." One or more of the superheroes deemed the least deserving is eliminated...
(Sci-FiSci Fi Channel (United States)Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
) - WWE Tough EnoughWWE Tough EnoughWWE Tough Enough is a professional wrestling reality television program produced by WWE wherein participants undergo professional wrestling training and compete for a contract with WWE. There were two winners per season for the first three seasons, all of which aired on MTV...
(MTV/UPN)