reality television
Filmed real life
Reality television is a genre of programming that presents unscripted situations featuring ordinary people or celebrities rather than actors performing written roles.
The term is somewhat misleading—most reality TV involves significant production manipulation, selective editing, and sometimes staged scenarios.
Formats range from competition shows and dating programs to documentary-style series following particular households or professions: She binge-watched reality TV all weekend.
The genre dominates modern programming partly because it's cheaper to produce than scripted drama.
- confessionalsCompartments for revealing sins
- confessional boothEnclosed space for religious disclosure
- drama queenHabitual emotional exaggerator
- stardomCelebrity status achieved
- celebrityWidely recognized public figure
fame · fifteen minutes · talk show · superficiality · game show · manufactured · media · influencer culture · Real World · tabloid · catfights · train wreck · prize money · audience participation · luxury living · rerun · Nielsen ratings · contestants
reality televisiondrama series
Ongoing fictional television program
sitcom · prestige drama · soap opera · miniseries · anthology series
reality televisiondocumentary
Factual film about reality
cinéma vérité · raw footage · journalism · investigative journalism · documentary film
reality televisionart house cinema
Venue for noncommercial films
literary adaptation · arthouse film · The Wire · Mad Men · Breaking Bad
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