Skip To...
Its chaotic nature and cringe-worthy moments have made reality TV a beloved piece of pop culture for more than 20 years. For a long time, shows like Big Brother and The Real World defined television audiences around the world. It looks like that is changing.
The peak of reality television has seemingly reached an end. This is happening for a number of reasons, but the real question is: can reality TV be saved? Is there any hope for some of your favorite shows?
The Decline of Reality TV
Looking at recent reality television, there have been a lot of successes. However, in recent years, viewership has steadily been going down.
Let’s take TLC’s Sister Wives as an example. When it debuted in 2010, it had 2.26 million viewers during the first episode and 2.74 million for the season 1 finale. Now, in its 19th season, the show is only bringing in about 969,000 viewers.
When it comes to future seasons or spinoffs, many Sister Wives fans have vowed they’ll “never watch again.” The viewership numbers definitely reflect that.
There have been whispers about some of Bravo’s shows in the Real Housewives franchise getting axed from television. RHONJ is one of the most popular installations within the Housewives franchise and ratings have plummeted in recent years. When season 12 premiered in February 2022, 1.1 million viewers tuned in. That’s a stark contrast to the 830,000 people who watched the season 14 premiere earlier this year.
To top it off, the number of unscripted TV shows ordered at the beginning of 2024 was the lowest it has been since 2019. Networks just aren’t ordering reality shows anymore and, if they are, they are ordering fewer episodes.
“Cable networks that used to order 16 episodes are now buying eight,” an article from Deadline reads. “Eight weeks of pre-production has turned into four, and ten weeks of editing has become seven.”
Why Viewership is Down
I think it’s important to discuss why viewership is down across the board. One of the biggest reasons viewers are no longer tuning into reality TV is that there are some ethical concerns about what they are watching.
Take TLC’s 1000-Lb. Sisters, for instance, for several seasons people kicked back at home and watched these two morbidly obese women embarrass themselves on television. Eventually, they both did get healthier, with Tammy Slaton losing more than 500 pounds. At the same time, people close to Tammy’s sister Amy Slaton said that the moderate fame that came along with being on television was bad for her. She’s struggled with her mental health and was even arrested earlier this year.
Audiences are having a change in attitude toward reality television as well, especially when it takes so long to be released. The latest season of Sister Wives had viewers annoyed because filming was two years behind reality. Most fans already knew what was going on with the Brown family at that point.
Entertainment is Changing
We can’t blame reality TV’s downfall on viewership alone. There have been a lot of changes within the networks, how people consume media, and what people are interested in too. Each of these things plays a significant role in the future of reality television.
First, content creators have made unscripted TV shows a little less appealing. When you can get updates on some of your favorite reality TV characters without having to tune in, why would you? Many of these celebrities have their own online presence, making it unnecessary to watch the show, especially if you don’t care about the other cast members.
There have been a lot of changes within the studios in recent years. A number of mergers have happened, like the merger between Discovery and Warner Bros., that have impacted the production of certain reality shows. Additionally, studios have had to cut their budgets across the board, leaving less funding for reality shows that aren’t really bringing in the views, to begin with.
The introduction of streaming platforms has impacted reality TV as well. People have unfettered access to a wide variety of reality shows, including some that aren’t being aired anymore. Sometimes, this makes them less likely to tune in when something is airing live. Many shows are also available the next day on services like Hulu or Peacock, making watching the show live less appealing. Then again, there are shows like The Kardashians, which is having great success only airing on Hulu. Either way, the introduction of these viewing platforms has certainly had an impact.
Overall, people seem more interested in competition/talent-based shows, such as American Idol and Dancing With The Stars. In recent years, America’s Got Talent and The Voice, along with the two aforementioned competition shows, have been in the top 50 viewed shows on television.
So, is Reality TV Really Dead?
All of this said, there could be a future for reality TV. There are still some popular shows out there. CBS’s reality programming is continuing to perform well. Survivor is still bringing in millions of viewers and so is Big Brother, despite both of them being a couple of the very first reality shows on television.
Reality programs are going to have to evolve with the changing landscape though. One thing they might consider is a more interactive approach. Viewers love it when they have some kind of input in the outcome of the show. Big Brother‘s Live Feeds are also undoubtedly part of the reason it has remained so popular.
Technology like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) could also play a role in reality TV’s future. Both of these technologies could provide viewers with a more immersed experience, making them a great option for contestant-focused television.
So, in the end, I don’t think that reality television is dead, per se. However, it will be critical for the networks to adjust their approach to reality TV and consider how they can keep viewers engaged.
