When reality TV first exploded in the early 2000s, network execs thought they’d discovered a goldmine whose treasures would never be depleted.
Shows like Survivor, The Bachelor, The Osbournes, and American Idol delivered ratings — and pre-social media word-of-mouth buzz — that had previously been reserved for top-tier scripted fare.
Better yet, these series were insanely cheap to produce, and there was no need to worry about the creative well running dry.
Sitcoms and dramas eventually run out of storylines, but Jeff Probst and his ever-changing band of castaways have been spinning variations of the same narrative for 24 years, with no end in sight.
In other words, reality promised to be the gift that kept on giving, and every broadcast and cable exec wanted a piece of the pie.
As new subgenres continued to emerge, it seemed like there was a reality TV flavor to suit every palette.
Like a little bit of globe-trotting prestige to take some of the guilt out of your guilty pleasure? Check out The Amazing Race!
Looking to shut off your brain with a bit of celebrity-fueled escapism? Enjoy a helping of The Kardashians!
It looked as though the formula would never go stale because it could be endlessly adjusted to suit changing tastes.
And as a bonus, these shows were all strike-proof!
During last year’s dual writer and actors’ strikes, reality content predictably enjoyed a ratings surge.
In fact, there was a time when it looked as though the genre had entered a second golden age (the first being the period between 2000 and 2005, in which it first became a national obsession).
Spoiler alert: That turned out not to be the case.
The Beginning of the End For Reality TV?
In fact, if recent numbers are any indication, reality television is currently caught in an unprecedented tailspin.
According to a new report from Reuters, Hollywood has witnessed a 57 percent decline in reality TV production in 2024.
The situation is so dire that The Hollywood Reporter recently ran a piece declaring that the reality genere is “on life support.”
The article featured testimony from producers and other reality professionals who are currently struggling to get by amid a shocking market contraction.
What are the reasons for this sudden decline in popularity? Well, it’s complicated …
Why Has the Tide Turned on TV’s Most Profitable Genre?
As is the case with every pop cultural trend, there are numerous theories, and the correct answer can probably be found in some combination of all of them.
For starters, there’s the inevitable post-strike market correction, as networks and production companies divert money back to the scripted series that were absent from out screens for so many months.
And then there’s the fact that the television industry as a whole is struggling.
In fact, many analysts have wondered if broadcast and cable networks will soon be a thing of the past, as streaming services continue their slow takeover.
But one undeniable factor in this surprising storyline is that reality shows simply aren’t grabbing the public’s attention they way they used to.
Again, there are many possible causes for this, and if anyone definitively knew how to fix the issue, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
One factor seems to be the fact that Americans are more divided than ever.
Since we’re no longer watching the same shows, word of mouth doesn’t spread the way it once did, and cultural phenomena like the first season of Survivor are now very few and far between.
And then there’s the fact that the novelty has worn off.
Generally speaking, with few exceptions (i.e., Taylor Swift), people aren’t as interested in the private lives of celebrities as they used to be.
And the most successful reality franchises are getting a little long in the tooth.
It doesn’t help that the stakes aren’t as high as they used to be — nobody from The Bachelor stays married, and no one from American Idol gets famous.
But perhaps the biggest cultural cause of reality TV’s rapid decline is the fact that the feuds and vitriol that once made shows like Big Brother so popular are now part of our day-to-day lives.
Who needs to see two castmates screaming obscenities at one another when our social media feeds and presidential debates are twice as contentious?
In the same way that people who live in combat zones probably aren’t big on war movies, folks who are surrounded by constant hostility might not want to spend their evenings watching strangers throw tantrums.
And that could be a very bad thing for the aspiring Kardashians of the world.
What do you think, TV fanatics? Is reality TV on its way out? And if so, is that a bad thing?
Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts!
