Alan Funt's 1948 television series "Candid Camera" is often recognized as the first-ever reality television program. "Candid Camera" was a hidden-camera show that placed real people in outrageous situations to see how they would react. In 1973, PBS launched "An American Family," which placed cameras inside the home of a seemingly everyday family, the Louds. MTV launched its own reality show in 1992, "The Real World," which placed seven strangers in a house in New York and recorded their every move. "The Real World" has since gone on to become MTV's longest-running show.
Certain reality television shows capture the day-to-day activities of the participants, such as "The Real World." Other types of reality television create competitions for the participants to partake in. "America's Next Top Model," for example, uses a series of contests to determine which potential model will be eliminated next. "American Idol" follows a similar format in which contestants are eliminated until one winner is determined. Both shows contain a panel of judges who offer critiques of the contestants. The judges for "America's Next Top Model" determine which contestant is sent home, as compared to "American Idol" which allows the home viewers to determine which contestant is eliminated.
Celebrities are often associated with reality television shows, either as hosts, producers, creators or contestants. "Dancing With the Stars" features professional dancers paired up with celebrities, such as Pamela Anderson, who compete against one another. Donald Trump is the host of his own reality show, "The Apprentice," as is Tyra Banks, who hosts and produces "America's Next Top Model." Heavy-metal singer Ozzy Osbourne starred in his own reality TV show "The Osbournes" on MTV that followed the daily activities of him and his family.
While America has its fair share of reality programming, other countries around the world also partake. "Expedition: Robinson" first aired in Sweden in 1997 and inspired the American reality show "Survivor." Simon Cowell, who created "American Idol," also created "The X-Factor" in Britain. It currently airs in 17 countries worldwide. "America's Next Top Model" has inspired similar shows in over 30 countries, including Israel, Denmark and China. "Big Brother" first aired in the Netherlands in 1999 before becoming an American series.
Reality television can launch new careers for their contestants. For example, Elizabeth Hasselbeck began as a contestant on "Survivor: The Australian Outback" before becoming a full-time host for ABC's "The View." In other cases, a contestant on one reality television show can become a celebrity guest on another. Kate Gosselin starred in the reality show "Jon and Kate Plus 8" before becoming a celebrity dancer on "Dancing With the Stars."