Thanks for your interest in this topic! The poll is now closed, but you can check out the episode of the podcast in which we discuss the results by clicking here.
When CBS’s “Survivor” burst on to TV screens on May 31, 2000, few could have predicted that it would launch an entirely new genre of television that, more than 20 years later, still dominates networks and streaming services. While there were certainly TV competitions before the 2000s (such as, say, “Star Search”), what came after “Survivor” was a different animal altogether, taking average people and launching them into stardom as an ever-increasing number of shows followed their quests for money, love, fame, and sometimes, all of the above. Now, for Season 7, the Great Pop Culture Debate podcast wants to determine the Best Reality TV Competition of all time — and we need your input!
Below find a list of just about every major reality television competition we could think of (you can also find the poll here). For us, “competitive” means there has to be eliminations or some kind of a scoring format that determines a winner. We are focusing on shows that either aired originally in the United States, or have enjoyed significant success in the U.S. if they are from international territories. Pick as many of your favorites as you like, then send the poll to friends and family. The more votes we receive, the better balanced the results.
Did we miss your favorite? Add it to the form in the space provided! We may discuss it on the episode!
The 32 top vote-getters will be discussed on Season 7 of the Great Pop Culture Debate podcast, dropping spring/summer 2023. Find out more at greatpopculturedebate.com.