Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s with shows such as The Real World, then achieved prominence in the early 2000s with the success of the series Survivor, Idol, and Big Brother, all of which became global franchises. Reality television shows tend to be interspersed with "confessionals", short interview segments in which cast members reflect on or provide context for the events being depicted on-screen; this is most commonly seen in American reality television. Competition-based reality shows typically feature the gradual elimination of participants, either by a panel of judges, by the viewership of the show, or by the contestants themselves.
Victoria Davey Spelling is an American actress and author. Her first major role was Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210, beginning in 1990. She has appeared in made for television films, including A Friend to Die For (1994), A Carol Christmas (2003), The Mistle-Tones (2012), both versions of Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? and The Last Sharknado: It's About Time (2018). She has also starred in several independent films including The House of Yes (1997), Trick (1999), Scary Movie 2 (2001), Cthulhu (2007), Kiss the Bride (2007) and Izzie's Way Home (2016). She reprised her role of Donna Martin in Beverly Hills, 90210's spin-off, BH90210, in 2019.
Phillip Calvin McGraw, known professionally as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author, best known for hosting the talk show Dr. Phil. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased renewing his license to practice psychology in 2006.
Married by America is an American reality television series broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). The series premiered on March 3, 2003, and its eighth and final episode aired on April 14, 2003. American DJ Sean Valentine hosted the series. It was produced by the production company Rocket Science Laboratories.
Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy is an American reality television series broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). The series ran for three seasons from July 20, 2004, to May 5, 2007. Each episode of Trading Spouses followed two families, often of different cultural or social backgrounds, who swapped mothers or fathers for a week. Both families were awarded $50,000, with the stipulation that the guest mother decides how her host family must spend the money.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is an American reality television series that aired from February 15, 2004, to January 13, 2012, on ABC and in 2020 on HGTV. The series is a spin-off of Extreme Makeover that features a family that has faced some sort of hardship, having their home completely remodeled to better suit their exact needs.
My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss is an American reality television series broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). The series premiered on November 7, 2004, while its tenth and final episode aired on December 12, 2004. Filmed in Chicago, Illinois, the series depicted twelve contestants in competition for a position at the venture capital firm Iocor.
Michael James Holmes is a Canadian builder/contractor, businessman, investor, television host, and philanthropist.
Tygert Burton "Ty" Pennington is an American television host, artist, carpenter, author, and former model and actor.
The Will was an American reality television series on CBS that lasted only one episode, shown on Saturday, January 8, 2005. It centered on the "Benefactor", a multi-millionaire from Arizona named Bill Long. Ten of his friends and relatives competed in a series of challenges to win the right to inherit his "prized possession", a large Kansas ranch.
MyNetworkTV is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its Fox Television Stations division, and distributed through the syndication structure of Fox First Run. MyNetworkTV began its operations on September 5, 2006, with an initial affiliate lineup covering about 96% of the country, most of which consisted of stations that were former affiliates of The WB and UPN that did not join the successor of those two networks, The CW. Under the ownership structure of Fox Corporation, the service is incorporated as a subsidiary company known as MyNetworkTV, Inc.
My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance is an American reality television series broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). The six-episode series premiered on January 19, 2004, and concluded on February 23, 2004. Filmed in Los Angeles, California, the series followed Randi Coy, a 23-year-old teacher, in competition for a $1,000,000 reward. In order to win the reward, Coy was required to convince her family and friends that she was engaged to and planned to elope with Steven Williams, an ill-mannered 29-year-old man. If any of Coy's family members refused to attend her wedding or objected during the ceremony, Coy would lose the competition. Coy was under the impression that Williams was another contestant competing for a monetary reward, however, he was actually Steven Bailey, an actor hired to thwart her attempt to win the competition. The series was hosted by Canadian actor Claudia DiFolco.
The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. It was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, including the Screen Writers Guild. It has around 20,000 members.
The MyNetworkTV telenovelas were Fox Television's attempt to create a successful low-cost programming franchise by adapting Spanish-language telenovelas for U.S. viewers. While originally planned for syndication, the format became the original lineup of MyNetworkTV in 2006. Six limited-run serials were produced, each running about 65 episodes, and at least four others were halted in development.
Mitre 10 Dream Home is a reality television series that screened on TV2 in New Zealand, originally presented by Jayne Kiely, with Simon Barnett presenting series 11. Two couples are challenged to show the country whether or not they are able to work well together, they turn a dilapidated house into their Dream Home. Each week, the two teams renovate a room or area of the house in the space of one weekend. Viewers vote for the room they like best, with the votes from the viewers and judges helping determine which team wins the competition. The winning team wins the Dream Home they create, and the second team have the option to purchase their Dream Home at a public auction. In 2013 the competition was changed to building a new home from scratch.
Love It or List It is a home design TV show starring Hilary Farr and David Visentin broadcast since 2008 on HGTV, W Network, and OWN Canada. It is the original show in the Love it or List It franchise.
Seriously, Dude, I'm Gay is an unaired American reality television special planned for broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). The two-hour special was set to premiere on June 7, 2004, although it was abruptly removed from the Fox schedule only eleven days before its planned broadcast. Filmed in West Hollywood, California, the special depicted two straight men in competition for a $50,000 reward over who could pass themselves off as a more convincing gay man. The contestants were required to move into separate lofts with gay roommates, come out to their best friends, and socialize at gay nightclubs, in addition to competing in a variety of daily challenges. The special was hosted by Irish television presenter Amanda Byram.
Rocket Science Laboratories was an American television production company, best known for creating reality television titles throughout the 2000s. The company was founded by Jean-Michel Michenaud and Chris Cowan, both former employees of ZMC Productions; the two acquired ownership of ZMC Productions in 1998 and renamed it Rocket Science Laboratories. The company initially produced television documentaries, before shifting its focus to reality television programming with 2000's Surprise Wedding for the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). This special resulted in a close working relationship between the companies, in which Rocket Science Laboratories signed an exclusive deal to develop projects for Fox. Rocket Science Laboratories produced several successful titles, including Temptation Island, Joe Millionaire, and My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance.
