Reality TV

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Among the newer evolutions in programming, reality-based shows such as network’s The Bachelor and cable’s Project Runway introduce viewers to characters and people who seem more like us and less like celebrities. Featuring non-actors, cheap sets, and no extensive scripts, reality shows (like quiz shows) are much less expensive to produce than sitcoms and dramas. While reality programs have dominated network prime time since the late 1990s with Fox’s American Idol, the nation’s No. 1–rated TV show from 2004–2009, the genre was inspired by a cable TV program: The Real World, which began in 1992 and is MTV’s longest-running program.