Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

How MTV’s ‘The Real World’ Paved The Way for Modern Reality TV

Long before Survivor and Big Brother, MTV’s The Real World paved the way for modern reality television to thrive.

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

Unscripted reality television has come a long way since 1973’s An American Family, and people have MTV’s The Real World to thank for that. In fact, it was this show that inspired The Real World’s producers to conceptualize the show. While The Real World’s ratings declined in the 2010s as people shifted toward more niche subgenres of reality television, the early seasons set a precedent for what reality television could be.

The Real World popularized docu-style reality television

In 1992, The Real World introduced a brand new way of storytelling. The documentary-style series paved the way for a network to put a group of diverse individuals in........

© Vice