The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows TV Programs
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The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows

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This is a list of the best reality TV shows on television, the most (often shamefully) addictive reality TV series. From guilty pleasures to shows that really do teach us how to live our lives a little bit better, this list contains only TV shows you would openly recommend to good friends of yours. You can just vote, or even make your own list to impact this CrowdRanking of the top reality tv shows of all time. From Top Chef to The Biggest Loser, this list contains only the best and actually-watchable in reality television.

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Rank     Name Actor(s) Years On Air Network
  1. 1
    Up 73
    Down 31

    Top Chef

    Most Listed
    buy@amazon
  2. 2
    Up 59
    Down 35
    The Amazing Race The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    The Amazing Race

    Jennifer Hopka, Dustin-Leigh Konzelman, Mel White, Luke Adams, Bertram Van Munster, Alison Irwin, Allan Arthur Jones, Alexander Boylan, Margie Adams, Chip Arndt, Rebecca Cardon, Phil Keoghan, B. J. Averell, Ericka Dunlap, Maria Ho, Christie Lee Woods, Kandice Pelletier, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Michael Munoz, Chip McAllister, Nicole O'Brian, James Branaman, Sarah Reinertsen, Tommy Linz, Preston McCamy, Jordan Lloyd, Ron Young, Kelly McCorkle, Dallas Imbimbo, Jason Widener, Linda Cole, Brian Thomas Smith, Ken Greene More
    2001-09-05
    CBS
    buy@amazon
  3. 3
    Up 44
    Down 35
    Antiques Roadshow The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Antiques Roadshow

    Angela Rippon, Bruce Parker, Fiona Bruce, Michael Aspel, Hugh Scully, Arthur Negus More
    1979
    buy@amazon
  4. 4
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    Down 22
    Cash Cab The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Cash Cab

    2008
    Discovery Channel Canada, Discovery Channel, ITV
    buy@amazon
  5. 5
    Up 57
    Down 33
    Wipeout The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Wipeout

    Paul Daniels, Bob Monkhouse
    1994
    buy@amazon
  6. 6
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    Down 16
    Dirty Jobs The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Dirty Jobs

    Mike Rowe
    2003-11-07
    Discovery Channel
    buy@amazon
  7. 7
    Up 49
    Down 41
    Hell's Kitchen The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Hell's Kitchen

    Gordon Ramsay, Wendy Liu, Christina Machamer, Scott Leibfried, Jean-Philippe Susilovic More
    2005-05-30
    Fox Broadcasting Company
    buy@amazon
  8. 8
    Up 55
    Down 39
    Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

    Gordon Ramsay
    2004-04-27
    buy@amazon
  9. 9
    Up 45
    Down 50
    Project Runway The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Project Runway

    Nina Garcia, Malan Breton, Nick Verreos, Diana Eng, Jack Mackenroth, Irina Shabayeva, Leanne Marshall, Melissa Haro, Kara Janx, Wendy Pepper, Mychael Knight, Tim Gunn, Michael Kors, Heidi Klum, Keith Michael, Jenny Toth, Austin O'Brien, Christopher Straub, Marilinda, Uli Herzner, Kayne Gillaspie, Jeffrey Sebelia, Laura Bennett, Daniel Franco, Jay McCarroll, Allison McAtee, Stephen \\"Suede\\" Baum, Morgan Quinn, Kelli Martin, Joy Pursell More
    2004-12-01
    Lifetime Television, Bravo
    buy@amazon
  10. 10
    Up 37
    Down 52
    Survivor The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Survivor

    2000
    buy@amazon
  11. 11
    Up 27
    Down 29
    American Pickers The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    American Pickers

    2010-01-18
    The History Channel
    buy@amazon
  12. 12
    Up 44
    Down 34
    Pawn Stars The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Pawn Stars

    2009-07-26
    The History Channel
    buy@amazon
  13. 13
    Up 49
    Down 32
    Iron Chef America The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Iron Chef America

    Bobby Flay, Walter Scheib, Aarón Sanchez, Rick Bayless, Rachael Ray, Mark Dacascos, Cat Cora, Giada De Laurentiis, Wolfgang Puck, Govind Armstrong, Bill Murray, Emeril Lagasse, Alton Brown, Mario Batali, Kent Rathbun, Ming Tsai, Jamie Oliver, Tyler Florence, Tyson Cole, Paula Deen, Joel McHale, Masaharu Morimoto, Duff Goldman, Hiroyuki Sakai, Rick Tramonto, Michael Symon, Marcus Samuelsson, José Andrés, Anderson Cooper More
    2005-01
    Food Network
    Controversial
    buy@amazon
  14. 14
    Up 36
    Down 29
    Chopped The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Chopped

    Ted Allen, Aarón Sanchez
    2009-01-13
    Food Network
    buy@amazon
  15. 15
    Up 21
    Down 48
    Dog Whisperer The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Dog Whisperer

    Cesar Millan
    2004
    National Geographic Channel
    buy@amazon
  16. 16
    Up 28
    Down 46
    America's Next Top Model The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    America's Next Top Model

    Danielle Evans, Cassandra Whitehead, Paulina Porizkova, Eugena Washington, Analeigh Tipton, Brittany Hatch, McKey Sullivan, Katie Cleary, Tiffany Ross-Williams, Jay Manuel, Bre Scullark, Adrianne Curry, Kimora Lee Simmons, Leslie Mancia, Chantal Jones, Beau Quillian, Naima Mora, Victoria Marshman, Tyra Banks, Nik Pace, Dominique Reighard, Shannon Niquette Stewart, Isis King, Yoanna House, Kari Schmidt, Mollie Sue Steenis-Gondi, Ebony Taylor, Anna Fitzpatrick, Claire Unabia, Brooke Staricha, Brittany Brower, Twiggy, Heather Kuzmich, Bianca Golden, Samantha Potter, Nigel Barker, Renee Alway, CariDee English, Natasha Galkina, Sara Albert, Yaya Da Costa, Kathy Hoxit, Sara Racey-Tabrizi, Sarah Rhoades, Stacy Ann Fequiere, André Leon Talley, Lisa Jackson, Mercedes Scelba-Shorte, Nole Marin More
    2003-05-20
    UPN, The CW Television Network
    Controversial
    buy@amazon
  17. 17
    Up 30
    Down 48
    The Biggest Loser The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    The Biggest Loser

    Anna Kournikova, Alison Sweeney, Jillian Michaels, Caroline Rhea, Kim Lyons, Ryan C. Benson, Bob Harper More
    2004-10-19
    NBC
    Controversial
    buy@amazon
  18. 18
    Up 0
    Down 1
    Deadliest Catch The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Deadliest Catch

    Rick Quashnick, Jacob (Jake) Harris, Edgar Hansen, Mike Rowe, Phil Harris, Sigurd Hansen More
    2005-04-12
    Discovery Channel
    buy@amazon
  19. 19
    Up 0
    Down 2
    Duck Dynasty The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Duck Dynasty

    buy@amazon
  20. 20
    Up 22
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    Biography The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Biography

    Haley Joel Osment, Don Cheadle, Alyson Stoner, Blake Woodruff, Bill Mumy, Drew Barrymore, Teri Shields, Josh Saviano, Susan Sarandon, Rick Schroder , Ryan O'Neal, Jane Kaczmarek, Danica McKellar, Kenan Thompson, Eugene Osment, Natalie Portman, Peter Graves, Mary-Kate Olsen, Tatum O'Neal, Fred Savage, Amanda Bynes, Kel Mitchell, Richard Dreyfuss, Dylan McLaughlin, Jodie Foster, Brooke Shields, Jaid Barrymore, Mayim Bialik, Linda Blair, Clint Howard, Brenda Song, Steven Spielberg, Shane Kinsman, Gertrude Temple, Sarah Jessica Parker, Pat Welsh, Wil Wheaton, Jean Speegle Howard, Slade Pearce, Robert De Niro, Eileen Mumy, Tom Cruise, Frankie Muniz, Emily Osment, Jon Voight, Theresa Osment, Shirley Temple, Ron Howard, Seth Mumy, Liliana Mumy, Quinn Cummings, Brent Kinsman, Rance Howard, Richard Correll, Renée Zellweger, Shawn Levy, Dakota Fanning, Jack Perkins, Joan Lunden, Harry Smith, Danny DeVito, Jason Alexander More
    1987-04-06
    The Biography Channel, A&E Network, CBS
    buy@amazon
  22. 21
    Up 26
    Down 31
    Survivorman The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Survivorman

    Les Stroud
    2004-11-24
    Discovery Channel, The Science Channel, OLN Canada
    buy@amazon
  23. 22
    Up 18
    Down 34
    The Voice The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    The Voice

    2009-07-19
    buy@amazon
  24. 23
    Up 8
    Down 3
    Supernanny The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Supernanny

    2004-09-01
    buy@amazon
  25. 24
    Up 19
    Down 20
    Dateline NBC The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Dateline NBC

    Katie Couric, Maria Shriver, Natalie Morales, Meredith Vieira, Tom Brokaw, Lester Holt, Stone Phillips, Jane Pauley, Keith Morrison, Brian Williams, Al Roker, Chris Hansen, Amy Robach, Ann Curry, Matt Lauer, Hoda Kotb, Bryant Gumbel, Josh Mankiewicz More
    1992-03-31
    buy@amazon
  26. 25
    Up 22
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    This Old House The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    This Old House

    Roger Cook
    1979
    buy@amazon
  27. 26
    Up 12
    Down 35
    Beauty and the Geek The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Beauty and the Geek

    Andrea Ciliberti, Alan "Scooter" Zackheim, Megan Hauserman, Tyson Mao, Daniel Gonzalez, Cher Tenbush, Richard Rubin, Scarlet Garcia, Brian McFayden, Sam Horrigan, Leticia Cline, Amanda Hanshaw, Jillian Beyor More
    2005-06-01
    The CW Television Network, The WB Television Network
    Controversial
    buy@amazon
  28. 27
    Up 22
    Down 29
    The Apprentice The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    The Apprentice

    2008
    Channel 6, TV3 Ireland
    buy@amazon
  29. 28
    Up 23
    Down 33
    COPS The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    COPS

    1988-03-11
    Fox Broadcasting Company
    buy@amazon
  30. 29
    Up 18
    Down 24

    storage wars

    buy@amazon
  31. 30
    Up 14
    Down 13
    The Joy of Painting The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    The Joy of Painting

    Bob Ross
    1983-01-01
    Public Broadcasting Service, Create
    buy@amazon
  32. 31
    Up 21
    Down 30
    Extreme Makeover: Home Edition The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

    Ed Sanders, Constance Ramos, Rib Hillis, Ty Pennington, Tracy Hutson, Paige Hemmis, Xzibit, Michael Moloney, Tanya McQueen, Daniel Kucan, Didiayer Snyder, Preston Sharp, Paul DiMeo More
    2003-12-03
    American Broadcasting Company
    buy@amazon
  33. 32
    Up 28
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    Ace of Cakes The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Ace of Cakes

    Duff Goldman
    2006-08-17
    UKTV Food, Food Network
    buy@amazon
  34. 33
    Up 9
    Down 10
    Cake Boss The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Cake Boss

    Buddy Valastro
    2009-04-19
    TLC
    buy@amazon
  35. 34
    Up 1
    Down 1
    Undercover Boss The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Undercover Boss

    2010-02-07
    buy@amazon
  36. 35
    Up 7
    Down 24
    Hard Knocks The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Hard Knocks

    Dwayne Missouri, Wade Phillips, Rey Maualuga, Matt Cavanaugh, Jeremi Johnson, Ozzie Newsome, Larry Allen, Rod Woodson, Chris Henry, Ray Lewis, Qadry Ismail, Donnie Edwards, Brian Billick, Todd Lowber, Eddie Kennison, Roy Williams, Dave Campo, Priest Holmes, Shannon Sharpe, Mike Zimmer, Bernard Scott, Tim Krumrie, Tyron Brackenridge, Gunther Cunningham, Reggie Kelly, Bobby Carpenter, Brian Leonard, Martellus Bennett, Turk McBride, Zach Thomas, Dimitri Patterson, Derek Ross, Andre Smith, Emmitt Smith, Tony Siragusa, Jonathan Ogden, Felix Jones, Dwayne Bowe, Quincy Carter, Kyle Turley, Ben Utecht, Bobby Sippio, Randall Cunningham, Tony Romo, Jason Dunn, Tank Johnson, Woodrow Dantzler, Carl Peterson, Jason Garrett, DeDe Dorsey, Jason Shirley, Pete Hunter, Randal Williams, Jerry Jones, Terrell Owens, Adam Jones, J.D. Runnels, Patrick Crayton, Chinedum Ndukwe, Liev Schreiber, Derrick Ross, Dat Nguyen, Chad Ochocinco, Chad Hutchinson, Corey Lynch, Elvis Grbac, Boomer Grigsby, Larry Johnson, Darren Woodson, Ty Law, Todd Heap, Carson Palmer, Chase Coffman, Damon Huard, Brodie Croyle, Jason Witten More
    2001
    HBO
    buy@amazon
  37. 36
    Up 7
    Down 9
    America's Got Talent The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    America's Got Talent

    Corina Brouder, Cas Haley, Bianca Taylor Ryan, George McArthur, Rappin' Granny, Piers Morgan, Butterscotch, David Hasselhoff, New York City Gay Men's Chorus, Donald Braswell II, Terry Fator, Taylor Ware, Regis Philbin, Kevin James, Jerry Springer, Sharon Osbourne, Brandy Norwood, Julienne Irwin, Nick Cannon, Manuel Romero, Rashida Jolley, Caitlyn Taylor Love, Jonathan Arons, Jesse White Tumbling Team, Eli Mattson, Kaitlyn Maher More
    2006-06-21
    NBC
    buy@amazon
  38. 37
    Up 13
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    Dancing with the Stars The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Dancing with the Stars

    buy@amazon
  39. 38
    Up 16
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    American Idol The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    American Idol

    Kristin Holt, Kara DioGuardi
    2002-06-11
    Fox Broadcasting Company
    Controversial
    buy@amazon
  40. 39
    Up 18
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    What Not to Wear The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    What Not to Wear

    2001
    Controversial
    buy@amazon
  41. 40
    Up 1
    Down 0

    Escape to Chimp Eden

    Eugene Cussons
    2008-02-08
    buy@amazon
  43. 41
    Up 7
    Down 9
    Blind Date The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Blind Date

    Roger Lodge
    1999
    buy@amazon
  44. 42
    Up 10
    Down 20
    Top Shot The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Top Shot

    Colby Donaldson
    2010-06-06
    The History Channel
    buy@amazon
  45. 43
    Up 10
    Down 17
    The New Yankee Workshop The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    The New Yankee Workshop

    Russell Morash
    1989
    Public Broadcasting Service
    buy@amazon
  46. 44
    Up 11
    Down 33
    Queer Eye The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Queer Eye

    Carson Kressley, Jai Rodriguez, Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Blair Boone More
    2003-07-15
    Controversial
    buy@amazon
  47. 45
    Up 18
    Down 25
    Trading Spaces The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Trading Spaces

    Amy Wynn Pastor, Ty Pennington, Kia Steave-Dickerson, Frank Bielec, Hilda Santo-Tomas, Carter Oosterhouse, Roderick Shade, Douglas Wilson, Alex McLeod, Paige Davis, Genevieve Gorder, Dez Ryan, Vern Yip More
    2000-10-13
    Planet Green, TLC
    buy@amazon
  48. 46
    Up 0
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    Everest: Beyond the Limit The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Everest: Beyond the Limit

    Maxime Chaya, Phurba Tashi Sherpa, Fred Ziel, Tim Medvetz, Monica Piris Chavarri, Mark Inglis, Jason Willinger, Brett Merrell , Russell Brice, Darius Vaiciulis, Bill Crouse, Mogens Jensen More
    2006-11-14
    buy@amazon
  49. 47
    Up 0
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    Whale Wars The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Whale Wars

    Laurens de Groot, Paul Watson, Molly Kendall, Luke Van Horn, Laura Dakin More
    2008-11-07
    Animal Planet
    buy@amazon
  50. 48
    Up 0
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    Out Of The Wild: Venezuela

    2011-02-17
    buy@amazon
  51. 49
    Up 4
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    Hoarders The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    Hoarders

    2009-08-17
    buy@amazon
  52. 50
    Up 11
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    So You Think You Can Dance The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows Television picture

    So You Think You Can Dance

    2006-05-25
    buy@amazon

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The Most Actually Watchable Reality TV Shows

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