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Revision as of 18:59, 29 September 2002 by Nate Silva (talk | contribs) (disambiguation)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A genre of television programming in which the fortunes of 'real life' people are followed. Given the way producers manipulate what is actually broadcast, and that they can control the format of the show, it is questionable how 'real' reality television actually is.
There are two main types of reality television program - in the first, the viewer and the camera are passive observers following people going about their daily personal and professional activities. In the second, the so-called 'reality gameshows', participants are filmed intensively in an enclosed environment while competing to win a prize. In these gameshows the viewing public usually (but not always) play an active role in deciding the outcome, by eliminating participants or voting for the most popular choice to win.
Two of the most popular reality-based gameshows are Big Brother and Survivor.
Some typical reality programs are: Driving School, Cops, Highway Patrol, and the British 'World's Worst' series.