CrazyAboutTV.com - TV Forums

CrazyAboutTV · Site Admin Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 1153

Cops would definitely qualify as a reality show and it beat MTV's Real World to the air waves by three years!

There was another earlier reality show many years earlier though. On January 11, 1973, PBS premiered a 12-episode series titled, "American Family" where cameras followed the activities of a middle-aged couple and their five children.

A couple of themes from that series would fit right into the reality shows of today. First, the wife at one point demanded a divorce. Second, one of the sons "came out" making him the first openly gay person on television!

Happipuppi · Guest

That reminds me of that episode of WKRP In Cincinatti where Herb Tarlec and his family are followed by Peter Marshall & camera crew in the fictitious "Real Families". I bet that's where they got the idea! Shocked

As for the show you mention,I was just 5 then,so i most likely didn't see it. I remember seeing the opening of the original,"Divorce Court" though (then I put on Sesame Street.) Wink

liza505 · Guest

hi
i'm liza...

Zoe · Guest

Hi Liza, I am Zoe Mr. Green

I voted for Fear factor I love that show and wish that I had the guts to go on it Surprised

tampip88 · Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 2

I would go on Amazing Race in a nano second if I wasn't so stinking big right now!! Need to lose a lot of weight then ~ we'll see!!!

Can't wait for the Amazing Race All-Stars in just a few weeks!!!!!!!

CrazyAboutTV · Site Admin Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 1153

That sounds like a pretty good motivator to lose the weight! My weight has been up and down like a roller coaster all my life. A few times I've actually managed to get down to my ideal weight and keep it off for several years. Each of those times I had some objective I really wanted to achieve via getting fit.

Right now I'm not thin but not obese either. I'm at a weight that allows me to stay active and not look obese, just slightly overweight.

So good luck to you and let us know when we can see the "new you" on the Amazing Race!

fleeces · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 3

Survivor is the best reality show of all time.

Alyssa · Novice Member Joined: 08 May 2010 Posts: 12

I'm not sure that I'd agree that American Idol is a reality series. I'd rather consider it a competitive talent series.

But since it's on the list, it's definitely my pick.

JazzLover · Senior Member Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 220

In one sense, American Idol is more reality than most. The contestants are REALLY trying to win by competing against each other.

Compare that with a series like Survivor where people are put in situations where they do things that they'd never do in real life.

AidansMom · Senior Member Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 134

In that same sense, most reality shows don't show what the people would do under the same conditions in real life. That doesn't bother me though as long as the show is entertaining.