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Reality TV is a genre of television programs in which supposedly unscripted situations from real life are documented. The main roles are often played by unknown people and non-professional actors. Reality TV originally comes from US television, where it was long known as reality-based stories.
Reality TV emerged in the early 1990s and first achieved success in the early 2000s with series such as "Big Brother", "Survivor" and "The Osbournes".
Reality shows are usually interspersed with short interview segments in which the actors reflect on the events shown on screen or make a connection. In competition-based reality shows, contestants are usually eliminated one by one, either by a panel of judges, by the show's viewers or by the contestants themselves.
Scripted reality
Scripted reality is almost a deceptive package in view of its name suffix "reality": in these formats, the viewer is told a story that appears to take place in real life - often family stories with sometimes unusual events. However, the stories, which are usually narrated by amateur actors, are not real and are generally not even based on real events. The credits of scripted reality shows therefore often include a note stating that the entire story and all the characters appearing in it are fictitious. However, as it suggests to the audience that they are actually part of the story, this form of reality TV is usually very popular. Examples of this format are Frauentausch, Köln 50667 or Auf Streife.
Reality game shows
In reality game shows, the participants are filmed either around the clock or at certain times of the day. The aim of these shows is usually either to achieve a high standing with the audience or other participants, or a specific goal must be achieved and progress is assessed by a jury or the audience. Examples of this are "Popstars", "Big Brother" or reality dating shows such as "The Bachelor".
Reality soaps
Reality soaps are used to document certain situations. This usually relates to everyday life, such as "Keeping Up with the Kardashians", "Die Geissens" or "Mitten im Leben", or the work of professional groups, such as "Die Nanny" or "Elefant, Tiger & Co".
Probably the biggest difference is that documentaries are always a journalistic and non-fictional narrative, whereas reality TV often blurs the boundaries between documentary and fiction. Reality TV also usually uses dramaturgical devices such as effect-enhancing background music, unexpected twists or a happy ending, which is rarely found in classic documentaries.