Best TV Shows The Best Reality Competition Series

Originally by Ranker Community

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List Rules Vote up your favorite reality shows with a competitive game angle

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The best reality TV competition series, ranked by fans and critics. Reality shows are among the most-watched programs on TV, and they are easy to produce due to their low production costs, lack of staff, and quick turn-around. Early programs like "Survivor" and "Big Brother" gained international audiences who loved watching real people compete for money and fame. High-pressure situations, 24/7 filming, and clashing personalities ensured frequent drama as alliances and enemies were created and destroyed.

In recent years, more generic reality competition shows have given way to more specialized contests. Dance competition series range from "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing with the Stars" to "Dance Moms." Travel shows are favorites, as are talent and singing shows - from "American Idol" to "The Voice" to "The X Factor" - which are consistently among the highest rated programs on TV - ever.

In that spirit, it's time to get competitive. Vote for your favorite reality competition shows to move them up the list. You can also customize and rank your own list by clicking Rerank. Then, check out the new reality competition series of 2019.

list ordered by

1
2,289 929

Survivor CBS Survivor is a reality game show produced in many countries throughout the world. In the show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a ...more

2
1,582 902

Big Brother CBS Big Brother is a television reality game show based on an originally Dutch TV series of the same name created by producer John de Mol in 1997. The series follows a group of contestants, known as ...more

3
1,725 765

The Amazing Race CBS The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams. ...more

4
890 1,175

America's Got Talent NBC America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, ...more

5
1,060 985

The Voice NBC The Voice is an American reality television singing competition broadcast on NBC. Based on the original The Voice of Holland, the concept of the series is to find new singing talent contested by ...more

6
835 923

Fear Factor NBC Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. It originally aired between 2001 and 2006, when it was cancelled. It was later revived in 2011, only to be cancelled again on May 13, ...more

7
522 748

The Price Is Right CBS, American Broadcasting Company, NBC The Price Is Right is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. The show revolves around contestants competing to identify accurate pricing of merchandise to win ...more

8
958 890

Wipeout ABC Wipeout is a game show series in which contestants compete in what is billed as the "world's largest obstacle course". Wipeout is hosted and commentated by John Henson and John ...more

9
1,103 830

Project Runway Bravo Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime, previously on the Bravo Network, created by Eli Holzman which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. ...more

10
366 865

The Bachelor ABC The Bachelor is an American reality television dating game show debuting in 2002 on ABC. For all seasons, the show is hosted by Chris Harrison. There are three related series: The Bachelorette, ...more

11
429 766

Deal or No Deal NBC Deal or No Deal is the American version of the international game show of Dutch origin of the same name. The show was hosted by Howie Mandel, and premiered on December 19, 2005, on NBC. The ...more

12
853 648

Hell's Kitchen Fox Broadcasting Company Hell's Kitchen (Fox, 2005) is an American reality competition television series based on the British series. World renowned chef Gordon Ramsay puts aspiring young chefs through rigorous cooking ...more

13
278 663

The Bachelorette ABC The Bachelorette is a spin-off from the American competitive reality dating game show The Bachelor. In its January 2003 debut on ABC, the first season featured Trista Rehn, the runner-up date ...more

14
985 593

Face Off Face Off is an American reality television game show on the Syfy cable network in which a group of prosthetic makeup artists compete against each other to create prostheses such as those found ...more

15
991 694

America's Next Top Model UPN, The CW Television Network America's Next Top Model is an American reality television series and interactive competition that premiered on May 20, 2003. It originally aired on UPN, whose merger with The WB created The CW ...more

16
628 540

Top Chef Bravo Top Chef is an American reality competition show on the cable television network Bravo, that first aired in 2006, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are ...more

17
1,273 610

RuPaul's Drag Race Logo RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality competition television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays the roles of host, mentor, and source of inspiration for this series, ...more

18
996 456

The Challenge MTV The Challenge is a reality game show on MTV that is spun off from the network's two reality shows, The Real World and the now cancelled Road Rules. It features alumni from these two shows, in ...more

19
180 321

cweib added The Ultimate Fighter FX, Spike The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Fox Sports 1 and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It previously aired for fourteen ...more

20
481 619

Dancing with the Stars CTV Television Network, American Broadcasting Company Dancing with the Stars is an American dance competition show airing since 2005 on ABC in the United States, and CTV/CTV Two in Canada. The show is the American version of the British television ...more

21
456 588

So You Think You Can Dance Fox Broadcasting Company So You Think You Can Dance is an American televised dance competition show that airs on Fox in the United States and is the flagship series of the international So You Think You Can Dance ...more

22
427 905

The Apprentice NBC All-Star Celebrity Apprentice is a 2008 TV Program created by Mark Burnett.

23
528 445

Chopped Food Network Chopped is an American reality based cooking television series created by Dave Noll and Michael Krupat, with executive producer Linda Lea, and hosted by Ted Allen that pits four chefs against ...more

24
245 297

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (US) American Broadcasting Company Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television quiz show based upon the British program of the same title, which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering a series of ...more

25
327 502

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? Fox Broadcasting Company Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? is an American quiz game show on Fox. It is produced by Mark Burnett and is hosted by Jeff Foxworthy. The show premiered as a three-day special which began on ...more

1 2,289 929 Survivor CBS Survivor is a reality game show produced in many countries throughout the world. In the show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a ...more

2 1,582 902 Big Brother CBS Big Brother is a television reality game show based on an originally Dutch TV series of the same name created by producer John de Mol in 1997. The series follows a group of contestants, known as ...more

3 1,725 765 The Amazing Race CBS The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams. ...more

4 890 1,175 America's Got Talent NBC America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, ...more

5 1,060 985 The Voice NBC The Voice is an American reality television singing competition broadcast on NBC. Based on the original The Voice of Holland, the concept of the series is to find new singing talent contested by ...more

6 835 923 Fear Factor NBC Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. It originally aired between 2001 and 2006, when it was cancelled. It was later revived in 2011, only to be cancelled again on May 13, ...more

7 522 748 The Price Is Right CBS, American Broadcasting Company, NBC The Price Is Right is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. The show revolves around contestants competing to identify accurate pricing of merchandise to win ...more

8 958 890 Wipeout ABC Wipeout is a game show series in which contestants compete in what is billed as the "world's largest obstacle course". Wipeout is hosted and commentated by John Henson and John ...more

9 1,103 830 Project Runway Bravo Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime, previously on the Bravo Network, created by Eli Holzman which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. ...more

10 366 865 The Bachelor ABC The Bachelor is an American reality television dating game show debuting in 2002 on ABC. For all seasons, the show is hosted by Chris Harrison. There are three related series: The Bachelorette, ...more

11 429 766 Deal or No Deal NBC Deal or No Deal is the American version of the international game show of Dutch origin of the same name. The show was hosted by Howie Mandel, and premiered on December 19, 2005, on NBC. The ...more

12 853 648 Hell's Kitchen Fox Broadcasting Company Hell's Kitchen (Fox, 2005) is an American reality competition television series based on the British series. World renowned chef Gordon Ramsay puts aspiring young chefs through rigorous cooking ...more

13 278 663 The Bachelorette ABC The Bachelorette is a spin-off from the American competitive reality dating game show The Bachelor. In its January 2003 debut on ABC, the first season featured Trista Rehn, the runner-up date ...more

14 985 593 Face Off Face Off is an American reality television game show on the Syfy cable network in which a group of prosthetic makeup artists compete against each other to create prostheses such as those found ...more

15 991 694 America's Next Top Model UPN, The CW Television Network America's Next Top Model is an American reality television series and interactive competition that premiered on May 20, 2003. It originally aired on UPN, whose merger with The WB created The CW ...more

16 628 540 Top Chef Bravo Top Chef is an American reality competition show on the cable television network Bravo, that first aired in 2006, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are ...more

17 1,273 610 RuPaul's Drag Race Logo RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality competition television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays the roles of host, mentor, and source of inspiration for this series, ...more

18 996 456 The Challenge MTV The Challenge is a reality game show on MTV that is spun off from the network's two reality shows, The Real World and the now cancelled Road Rules. It features alumni from these two shows, in ...more

19 180 321 cweib added The Ultimate Fighter FX, Spike The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Fox Sports 1 and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It previously aired for fourteen ...more

20 481 619 Dancing with the Stars CTV Television Network, American Broadcasting Company Dancing with the Stars is an American dance competition show airing since 2005 on ABC in the United States, and CTV/CTV Two in Canada. The show is the American version of the British television ...more

21 456 588 So You Think You Can Dance Fox Broadcasting Company So You Think You Can Dance is an American televised dance competition show that airs on Fox in the United States and is the flagship series of the international So You Think You Can Dance ...more

22 427 905 The Apprentice NBC All-Star Celebrity Apprentice is a 2008 TV Program created by Mark Burnett.

23 528 445 Chopped Food Network Chopped is an American reality based cooking television series created by Dave Noll and Michael Krupat, with executive producer Linda Lea, and hosted by Ted Allen that pits four chefs against ...more

24 245 297 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (US) American Broadcasting Company Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television quiz show based upon the British program of the same title, which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering a series of ...more

25 327 502 Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? Fox Broadcasting Company Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? is an American quiz game show on Fox. It is produced by Mark Burnett and is hosted by Jeff Foxworthy. The show premiered as a three-day special which began on ...more