The reality TV genre began with the launch of the show The Real World in 1992. Once producers saw that viewers loved getting an intimate look into the lives of everyday people in various settings, new shows like Big Brother emerged. Meanwhile, in the competition realm, shows like Survivor, American Idol, and The Challenge hit the airwaves.
It's tough to believe that it has been close to three decades since reality TV became a mainstay of the small screen. And today, there are countless reality shows of all types on the air, from those that feature catty fights and villains to competition series that let players show off their physical prowess.
Some of the original reality shows are still going, like Project Runway, Hell's Kitchen, and American Idol, while others had a very long run but have since ended, like Cops. How do the longest-running ones, based on number of seasons, rank?
Keeping Up With The Kardashians (19 Seasons): 2.8
It's amazing to believe that Keeping Up With The Kardashians actually ranks among the longest-running reality TV series. And it's still going strong with the 19th season having just premiered in September 2020, though this will be its last.
The series, which has a pretty dismal ranking by IMDb viewers, follows the drama-fuelled lives of the Kardashian clan, including mom Kris, her kids Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, Kendall, Kylie, and their respective families and/or love interests and/or social circles. It's the ultimate guilty pleasure for those who just want to lose themselves in trashy TV.
The Bachelor (24 Seasons): 3.2
By now, most fans believe a lot of the aspects of The Bachelor are fake, even scripted. And it has become a series all about scandal, drama, tears, betrayal, and yes, still (sort of) love. The premise? One single, eligible bachelor dates more than a dozen women at the same time in hopes of finding his one true love amidst the pack, ending with a proposal.
It's a ridiculous concept yet fans have been eating it up since the show debuted in 2002. The Bachelor has even has spawned tons of spin-offs, including the reverse concept The Bachelorette.
American Idol (18 Seasons): 4.1
American Idol is a singing competition show that introduced the world to superstars like Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, and Chris Daughtry. It was a smash hit when it debuted in 2002, in large part because of Simon Cowell on the judging panel. The British import's brutally honest, often savage, assessments for the contestants made the show worth watching.
The series presumably ran its course and was canceled in 2016, only to be revived in 2018. It's now auditioning for the nineteenth season overall and fourth of the new iteration.
Dancing With The Stars (29 Seasons): 4.6
Now airing its 29th season, the competition series based on the U.K. version Strictly Come Dancing pairs "celebrities," including actors, musicians, reality TV stars, and athletes, with professional dancers to learn complex dance routines in every genre of music.
They perform the elaborate dances, are judged by a panel and viewers, and one couple is sent home each week. Dancing With the Stars premiered in 2005.
The Real World (33 Seasons): 4.9
The one that started it all, this show premiered on MTV in 1992 and actually stills exists on Facebook Watch. The series sees seven or eight young adults living together in a new city, being filmed 24/7 in hopes of capturing capture drama, hilarity, or whatever else viewers might enjoy in a voyeuristic way.
While lauded for its depiction of common issues faced by young adults, from prejudice to sexuality and substance abuse, many also found the series immature.
The Challenge (35 Seasons): 5.3
A spin-off of The Real World, this series is presented as a game show whereby contestants compete in extreme challenges for cash prizes and to avoid elimination. The series started as Road Rules: All Stars and was renamed several times through its run.
It used to just accept contestants who were formerly on The Real World but has since expanded to feature other reality show alumni from series like Big Brother and Survivor.
Big Brother (22 Seasons): 5.4
Airing 22 seasons over 20 years, including two All-Star seasons, this reality competition show puts a group of people from all ages and places across America into a large house to live together over a summer. But they are completely cut off from the world and filmed 24/7.
Inspired by the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and based on the Dutch TV series of the same name, Big Brother is a guilty pleasure as viewers get to see alliances form, backstabbing, paranoia, and downright boredom as the houseguests try to survive with no phones, television, books, radio, or outside contact.
America's Next Top Model (24 Seasons): 5.5
Tyra Banks' show that took aspiring models, showed them the ropes, and helped cultivate the career of one winner each season, has been on the air since 2003 and continues to air, with Rita Ora now at the helm alongside a panel of judges.
America's Next Top Model has spawned more than 30 international versions and while some might say it has become outdated, the series has been considered the inspiration for multi-Emmy-winning shows like RuPaul's Drag Race.
Cops (32 Seasons): 7.0
Canceled in 2020 after the George Floyd protests, Cops gave viewers an inside look into police officers dealing with offenders, doing everything from pulling over drivers due to suspected drugs or intoxication to responding to domestic disputes, cracking down on prostitution and drug sales, and more.
Airing since way back in 1989, each episode followed a different police officer on patrol somewhere in America.
Hell's Kitchen (18 Seasons): 7.1
The reality show that kicked off Gordon Ramsay's career as an American television personality, this one is based on the British series and sees the chef train aspiring young cooks on how to cook, and work in and run a kitchen.
There's plenty of swearing, yelling, screaming, food being thrown and dishes being dissed throughout the best seasons of the show. Hell's Kitchen has captivated fans since 2005.
Survivor (40 Seasons): 7.2
Debuting way back in 2000, this reality series focuses on players outwitting, outlasting, and outplaying one another while living as members of different tribes out in the wild in an exotic location. They compete as tribes in the beginning but always play as individuals, with the ultimate goal of being the sole survivor and not getting voted out by tribemates. To do so requires making some big moves in the game.
Survivor, which has won many Emmys through its run, is still going strong with no end in sight. Season 41 will premiere in Fall 2021.
Project Runway (18 Seasons): 7.3
Focusing on fashion design, this series was hosted by Heidi Klum from its inception in 2004 through to 2017, alongside Tim Gunn, who serves as designer mentor. The pair have moved on to appear in an Amazon Prime Video original series called Making the Cut, which sounds very similar in concept except it follows designers who already have brands but hope to win money to make them go international.
Project Runway, which follows aspiring fashion designers looking to get noticed, continues to air.
The Amazing Race (32 Seasons): 7.6
Already renewed for a 33rd season while season 32 premiered in October 2020, The Amazing Race has been airing since 2001. The premise is the ultimate scavenger hunt: teams of two race around the world, traveling by car, plane, bus, and more to conquer different challenges and make it to the finish line first.
The show has been lauded for its educational value as viewers learn a lot about cultures and traditions from around the world. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic looming, production for season 33 was suspended, so fans might have to wait a little longer to watch new seasons.