Reality television shows broke the monotony of scripted shows and begun to represent real-life documentary or situations of common people instead of famous actors. Watching these shows have become a favorite pastime and a source of enjoyment for many people.

Reality television show beginnings could be traced back to the early 1940s when ‘Candid Camera’ went on air during 1948. It portrayed reactions of common people to funny pranks. It was then followed by a talent show called ‘Original Amateur Hour’. Reality shows provide artists a nice platform to catch attention and help people win fame and money. Some reality shows instruct participants to act in particular ways by off-screen directors. These shows could change an ordinary person to become an instant celebrity.

The different kinds of reality shows include celebrity-reality, prank-reality, talent hunts, game shows, job-hunts, adventure or fear-based shows and many more. These shows cater to various age groups due to the wide range of themes. Nonetheless, reality TV has its downside. Some express doubt as to the element of reality and could be described as shame TV since it uses humiliation as its main appeal. Still, the craze for these shows remains the same due to its non-traditional reality element.