Such shows include the very funny Candid camera (playing tricks on random people), America's funniest home videos (capturing hilarious segments of Adults, children or pets). It was only in the 90's that the term "reality based T.V."" was taken to another level. With MTV taking the idea of having 5 strangers living together in one house and filming their interactions, habits and personal thoughts 24 hours a day gave birth to the new popular genre of reality T.V. It was the show The Real World that set it apart from the scripted dramas usually seen in soap operas, T.V . shows and movies. The concept of people revealing their personalities and lives so explicitly to millions of viewers enticed the American audience. Being a "voyeur-- a spy, has become not only legal but encouraged by the T.V. stations. Finally people get to see how others interact and laugh and cry, all in a 30 minute episode. Now people can sit at home in comfort and detach from their daily lives by watching others go about life and survive in the world around them.
ECONOMICS .
When MTV screened such shows as the Real World no one had anticipated the impact reality shows would make on the American public. It became a success which led to loyal viewers tuning in to every episode. As a result the T.V. networks began to see this new form of entertainment as a profitable venture. Soon CBS, Fox, HBO, WB and other major networks were determined to get a piece of the action too. Creating a reality based T.V. show is relatively cheap to produce "the costs are to make the shows, the people paid and the prize and how much the stations get from screening a season. "When we put 'Cops' on and 'America's Most Wanted,' we were spending $135,000 in a half hour," says Jamie Kellner, CEO of Turner Broadcasting System. Today, he says, these reality shows cost $800,000 an hour," (CBS). The possibilities of having re-runs of the shows are not as successful as conventional T.