In the past year, reality TV has made a major comeback. From hilarious dramas to high-stakes competition shows, the genre is enjoying unprecedented success. Shows like Dancing with the Stars and Love Island USA have experienced the highest viewership in recent years, while new shows like Beast Games have broken multiple world records. Reality TV’s growing number of consumers, as shown by record-breaking viewership and voting, secures the genre’s spot in the mainstream.
Dancing with the Stars is a competition show that began in 2005. The show pairs celebrities––actors, singers, comedians, and the like—with professional ballroom dancers who are scored on their weekly performances by a panel of judges and the viewers at home. The most recent season hit an all-time high in both viewers and votes. Sophomore Lucy Pettit says, “I think this season of DWTS was so successful partly because of the cast, but also because reality TV in general seems to be doing really well recently.” One of the episodes, “Disney Night,” had over 16 million live voters. This level of engagement is unprecedented in the show’s history and proves that audiences are more interested than ever in reality TV. The show’s star-studded cast and playful audience engagement both factor into its continued success.
Similarly, Love Island USA season 6 shattered previous viewership records, becoming the most popular season in the show’s history. Dating shows have always been a fan favorite, but Love Island’s combination of sunny beaches, suspenseful drama, and shocking twists has resonated with a younger, more diverse audience. Season 6 more than doubled the weekly viewers of Love Island USA and was even the most-watched show in the nation in a single week, with over 1.1 billion minutes watched. Sophomore Shreya Kapoor says, “I think this season of Love Island USA is so popular because the cast resonates with a lot of people—they are very relatable. I think it had a huge impact on reality TV as a whole.” The show’s voting system allows fans to decide who stays and who goes home, making them feel involved in the journey of contestants as they navigate love and competition.
It has been an important year for high-stakes competition shows as well. The new Amazon Prime Original Beast Games broke 44 Guinness World Records and boasted 50 million views in its first twenty-five days. In its finale episode, which aired in mid-February, the winner received a prize of $10 million––the largest cash prize in reality TV history. The show had a huge and diverse cast of 1,000 people, enhancing the likelihood that viewers would form an affinity for one or more players. The huge buzz around this show is also due to the fact that the host, Jimmy Donaldson, has over 365 million subscribers on YouTube. Beast Games is a fresh adaptation of the traditional reality competition show, and its bold risks have seemed to pay off by connecting with a younger audience.
So, why is reality TV experiencing such a resurgence? People have always been drawn to the unpredictability of reality shows, whether it’s drama in a dating show or a plot twist in a game show. The main reason reality TV is experiencing a revival is the format and the cast. Shows are taking more creative risks in their format by giving more power to the public’s votes or catering to a younger audience. Additionally, the casts of recent reality shows have been more diverse in personality and background. More viewers are able to relate to the people on their screens, resulting in immense growth in popularity for reality TV. As shows continue to innovate, it’s clear that reality TV is here to stay.
