Since the late ‘80s, reality shows have taken over television. Scripted TV series are still popular, but reality shows get twice as many viewers now. Whether they are a social experiment, a competition, or somewhere in between, fans can’t get enough of reality TV. Only some reality shows survive more than a couple years though.
So many of them get canceled less than five years after they premiere, but a few iconic ones have lasted decades. They have become a lot of American’s guilty pleasure and even though they all have similar themes, they each intrigue fans in different ways. From The Bachelor to Survivor, here are the 10 longest-running reality shows to ever be on television.
Scroll down to see which one has been on TV the longest!
10 'Hell’s Kitchen' (2005)
Gordon Ramsay's screaming rants and aggressive behavior towards the contestants has ironically helped Hell’s Kitchen to stay on TV for more than 15 years. “The series followed a group of young chefs who cut their teeth at Gordon Ramsay's famed restaurant, competing in challenges and dinner services with the chance to win a large cash prize and be hired by Ramsay at his restaurant,” according to Screen Rant. It’s one of the most popular cooking shows on TV and has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards so far.
9 'The Bachelorette' (2003)
Within a year after The Bachelor premiered, its spin-off show, The Bachelorette, came into the world of reality TV in 2003. Even though the show took a break from 2005 to 2008, it’s become even more popular than The Bachelor the last few years (possibly because more women watch The Bachelor franchise and feel more empowered having a female lead.) According to Screen Rant, “The Bachelorette is also known for having a leg-up on The Bachelor for relationships that lasted after the show, though both remain cultural phenomenons that attract a similar number of viewers nearly two decades later.”
8 'American Idol' (2002)
Obviously we had to add American Idol to the list. It’s the longest-running singing competition show and still one of the most popular reality shows today. “American Idol quickly became a sensation after its 2002 premiere, and in the 18 years since has stamped itself as one of the most iconic, culturally impactful television shows of the century. Audiences fell in love with the singing competition that took unsigned, unknown talent and turned them into bonafide pop stars,” according to Screen Rant. The show has featured celebrity judges who help artists turn into famous superstars, such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Adam Lambert.
7 'The Bachelor' (2002)
Along with The Bachelorette, The Bachelor is one of the most popular reality shows people have been watching for almost two decades. The show features an eligible bachelor and after going on many romantic, extravagant dates, they have to propose to one of the contestants. Since there’s so much pressure to propose at the end of each season, most relationships on the show don’t last after it’s over. But that hasn’t stopped viewers from watching it. According to Screen Rant, “The Bachelor has found so much success that it spawned several successful spin-offs over the years like Bachelor In Paradise and Bachelor Pad, as well as multiplying into numerous global iterations of the original series.”
6 'The Amazing Race' (2001)
Since 2001, this competition show has engaged viewers all over the country. “Airing on CBS, The Amazing Race followed a group of nearly a dozen teams of two who race across the world deducing clues, learning the local cultures, and competing in fascinating challenges. Each week the last-place team on the race is eliminated, until the final leg with a winning team taking home a significant cash prize,” according to Screen Rant. CBS has temporarily suspended production for the 33rd season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but hopefully we’ll get to see the new season soon.
5 'Big Brother' (2000)
Big Brother has gained its popularity the past 20 years by intriguing viewers with its social experiment mixed into a reality game show. “The series boldly put a group of houseguests in an elaborate soundstage equipped with cameras and microphones to capture their lives 24-7 as they competed in challenges and evicted each other from the house, all whilst completely blocked off from the outside world,” according to Screen Rant. The show has had some controversy like any social experiment, but millions of people still watch it every season. There have also been international spin-off shows since it aired.
4 'Survivor' (2000)
Survivor is another social experiment show that’s been on the air for 20 years, but it’s even more challenging than Big Brother. According to Screen Rant, “The series focused on a group of castaways placed in a remote area of the world, where they must fend for themselves to make food and create shelter, all whilst taking part in grueling challenges and voting each other off until there is one remaining sole 'survivor', who thus wins 1 million dollars.” The idea of people having to literally “survive” on a desert island is what has entertained fans and kept the Emmy-award-winning show on for so long.
3 'The Challenge' (1998)
The Challenge is the first reality show on our list that goes all the way back to the late ‘90s. “A spin-off of The Real World and Road Rules, The Challenge brought together familiar faces from both shows (and later other popular MTV shows like Are You The One) to compete in a series of seemingly death-defying challenges—and a grueling final race—for a large cash prize. Each season has a different theme, from the early days' Gauntlet and Rivals to Battle Of The Exes and War Of The Worlds,” according to Screen Rant. Even after more than two decades, the show is still running and keeping viewers on the edge of their seats whenever they watch it.
2 'The Real World' (1992)
The Real World was the first of its kind that premiered on MTV in 1992 and led to all of the other iconic reality shows we have now. It was the first social experiment reality show where producers record strangers living together and the drama that happens between them. According to Screen Rant, “The Real World created social responsibility in its target audience and—despite some controversy—was incredibly innovative and influential. In recent years, the show has moved away from MTV to Facebook Watch, where it's been revamped for digital.” The show was never officially cancelled, but hasn't aired in almost two years.
1 'Cops' (1989)
Surprisingly, Cops is the longest-running reality show ever. “It's hard to imagine a television show lasting over three decades, but Cops has somehow managed to accomplish just that as one of the first-ever reality series examining the day-to-day of real-life cops as they take down criminals and protect their cities,” according to Screen Rant. Out of all of the social experiment and competition shows, the crime show lasted just a little bit longer all the way back to the end of the ‘80’s. But this series is the only one on the list that’s been officially cancelled. It lasted about 31 years before being cancelled in June 2020. By then, it had already been pulled from the network during the nationwide protests of police brutality and racism after the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.