<P> Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents supposedly unscripted real - life situations, and often features an otherwise unknown cast of individuals who are typically not professional actors . Reality television exploded as a phenomenon in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the global success of the series Survivor, Idols, and Big Brother . These shows and a number of others (usually also competition - based) became global franchises, spawning local versions in dozens of countries . The genre has various standard tropes, including "confessionals", or interview segments, used by cast members to express their thoughts, which often double as the shows' narration . In competition - based reality shows, there are other common elements, such as one participant being eliminated per episode, a panel of judges, and the concept of immunity from elimination . </P> <P> There are grey areas around what is classified as reality television . Documentaries, television news, sports television, talk shows, and traditional game shows are not classified as reality television, even though they contain elements of the genre, such as unscripted situations and sometimes unknown participants . Other genres that predate the reality television boom have sometimes been retroactively grouped into reality TV, including hidden camera shows, talent - search shows, documentary series about ordinary people, high - concept game shows, home improvement shows, and court shows featuring real - life cases . </P>

Reality television is a genre of television programming which