The Nations Keeping It Real on Their TV Screens

In which nations has the guilty pleasure of watching reality TV become a national pastime? According to Statista's Consumer Insights, South Africans and Indians are most fond of talent contests, celebrity drama and over-the-top cooking challenges among 18 nations surveyed. TV and streaming viewers in Mexico, Spain and France are more constrained when it comes to the consumption of what some naysayers have branded as trash TV. Only between 10 and 20 percent in the aforementioned countries indulged in reality TV. In the United States, 36 percent of those who watch TV or streaming services said that they would tune into the genre.

Reality TV got its start in the 1990s with formats like MTV's The Real World and still-running Survivor, which had lesser-known European precursors. The appeal of lower production values has been cited as one of the key factors in the success of reality TV and its appeal to the television industry. During the Writers Guild of America strike of 1988, it was the sheer lack of scripted writing that led to the creation of famous crime reality drama COPS. While formats where candidates have to compete in talent shows or other competitions reached huge audiences in the 2000s, the 2010s saw more celebrity-based shows - a trend that started with the 2003-2007 show The Simple Life starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.