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8.6k voters

The Best Reality TV Shows Ever

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated May 24, 2021 140.6k votes 8.6k voters 297.4k views304 items

List RulesVote up the best unscripted reality shows that have aired.

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 - the best of the best reality shows. Reality fans will also be interested in these juicy reality TV scandals and secrets from the sets of reality TV shows. You can vote, or even make your own list to impact this CrowdRanking of the top reality TV shows of all time!

Good reality TV shows come in every style of reality - from competition to cooking, quasi-educational to quite weird - and this list has them all. You can vote for fashion competitions like RuPaul's Drag Race, obstacle course shows like Wipeout, food travelogues like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and of course the classics like Big Brother.

What are the top reality TV shows? From Top Chef to The Biggest Loser, this list contains only the best and actually-watchable in reality television. Time to vote: what are the best reality shows ever?

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1,384
Survivor
Jeff Probst
Premiered: May 31, 2000
Network: CBS
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2
1,495
1,202
The Amazing Race
Phil Keoghan
Premiered: September 5, 2001
Network: CBS
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The Most Hateful Amazing Race Teams of All Time#14 of 45 The Best Travel TV Shows
3
1,339
1,238
Hell's Kitchen
Gordon Ramsay, Jean Philippe Susilovic
Premiered: May 30, 2005
Network: FOX
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4
717
598
MasterChef
Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot
Premiered: July 27, 2010
Network: FOX
More
Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The 'MasterChef' Franchise#14 of 37 The Best Current Fox Shows
5
607
560
Shark Tank
Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran
Premiered: August 9, 2009
Network: ABC
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The Best Products From Shark Tank Totally Worth Buying#37 of 84 The Best ABC Shows of All Time
6
756
671
MythBusters
Jon Lung, Brian Louden
Premiered: January 23, 2003
Network: DSC
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7
1,098
1,105
Project Runway
Christian Siriano, Tim Gunn
Premiered: December 1, 2004
Network: BRAVO, LIFE
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8
1,289
1,332
Big Brother
Julie Chen, Phil Proctor
Premiered: July 6, 2000
Network: CBS
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The Best Big Brother Contestants of All Time#16 of 52 The Current Trashiest TV Shows You Can't Help Loving
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921
904
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
Gordon Ramsay, Neil Farrell
Premiered: May 31, 2005
Network: C4
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10
1,004
1,035
Wipeout
John Henson, John Anderson
Premiered: June 24, 2008
Network: ABC
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815
822
Undercover Boss
Mark Keller
Premiered: February 7, 2010
Network: CBS
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#5 of 53 The Best Current Reality Shows That Make You A Better Person#8 of 70 The Best Reality Dramas
12
727
710
RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul, Michelle Visage
Premiered: February 2, 2009
Network: LOGO, VH1
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893
996
America's Next Top Model
Adrianne Curry, Yoanna House
Premiered: May 20, 2003
Network: UPN, CW, VH1
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14
1,078
1,228
The Voice
Adam Levine, Blake Shelton
Premiered: April 26, 2011
Network: NBC
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15
765
856
Chopped
Ted Allen, Alex Guarnaschelli
Premiered: January 13, 2009
Network: FOOD
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480
424
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy Fieri, Duff Goldman
Premiered: April 23, 2007
Network: FOOD
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#43 of 87 The Best And Nicest Feel-Good TV Shows#1 of 25 The Best Current Food Network Shows
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893
1,014
Top Chef
Emeril Lagasse, Gail Simmons
Premiered: March 8, 2006
Network: BRAVO
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#76 of 126 The Best Shows Currently On The Air#32 of 45 The Best Recent Shows You Can Watch With Mom
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876
1,003
Cash Cab
Ben Bailey, Beth Melewski
Premiered: 2005
Network: Discovery Channel, ITV,
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429
294
American Ninja Warrior
Matt Iseman, Jenn Brown
Premiered: December 12, 2009
Network: G4, NBC
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692
823
Fear Factor
Joe Rogan
Premiered: 2001
Network: NBC
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#245 of 320 The Best TV Shows Of The Past 20 Years#50 of 106 The Greatest Game Shows of All Time

21
622
696
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Ty Pennington, Paul DiMeo
Premiered: 2003
Network: American Broadcasting Company
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22
780
888
Dirty Jobs
Mike Rowe, David M. Barsky
Premiered: November 7, 2003
Network: DSC
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Mike Rowe Reveals ‘Dirty Jobs’ Behind-The-Scenes Facts#4 of 42 The Best Discovery Channel Shows of All Time
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347
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E! True Hollywood Story
Don Morrow, Neil Ross
Premiered: February 16, 1997
Network: E
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#2 of 13 The Best Current E! Shows#4 of 57 The Best E! TV Shows
24
682
833
Antiques Roadshow
Bruce Parker, Angela Rippon
Premiered: February 18, 1979
Network: BBC1
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384
456
House Hunters
Andromeda Dunker, Suzanne Whang
Premiered: September 30, 1999
Network: HGTV

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