Editing Reality television (section)

=== 1980s–1990s ===
Producer [[George Schlatter]] capitalized on the advent of videotape to create ''[[Real People (TV program)|Real People]]'', a surprise hit for NBC, and it ran from 1979 to 1984. The success of ''Real People'' was quickly copied by ABC with ''[[That's Incredible]]'', a stunt show produced by [[Alan Landsburg]] and co-hosted by [[Fran Tarkenton]]; CBS's entry into the genre was ''[[That's My Line]]'', a series hosted by [[Bob Barker]]. The [[Canada|Canadian]] series ''[[Thrill of a Lifetime (TV series)|Thrill of a Lifetime]]'', a fantasies-fulfilled reality show, originally ran from 1982 to 1988. It was revived from 2001 to 2003. In 1985, underwater cinematographer Al Giddings teamed with former [[Miss Universe]] [[Shawn Weatherly]] on the NBC series ''Oceanquest'', which chronicled Weatherly's adventures scuba diving in various exotic locales. Weatherly was nominated for an [[Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Achievement in informational programming.<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q130342797|id=tt0088584|title=Oceanquest}}</ref>
''[[Cops (TV series)|COPS]]'', which first aired in the spring of 1989 on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] and was developed due to the need for new programming during the [[1988 Writers Guild of America strike]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20071106-9999-lz1c06strike.html |title=With writers on strike, expect more repeats and dose of reality |first=Karla |last=Peterson |newspaper=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=November 6, 2007 |access-date=November 6, 2007 |archive-date=November 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106102150/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20071106-9999-lz1c06strike.html |url-status=live }}</ref> showed police officers on duty apprehending criminals. It introduced the [[camcorder]] look and [[cinéma vérité]] feel of much of later reality television. The 1991 [[television documentary]] on "typical American high schoolers", ''[[Yearbook (TV series)|Yearbook]]'', focused on [[Twelfth grade|seniors]] attending Glenbard West High School, in [[Glen Ellyn, Illinois|Glen Ellyn]], Illinois and [[Prime time|broadcast prime-time]] on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]].

The series ''[[Nummer 28]]'', which aired on [[Netherlands|Dutch]] television in 1991, originated the concept of putting strangers together in a limited environment for an extended period of time and recording the drama that ensued. ''Nummer 28'' also pioneered many of the stylistic conventions that have since become standard in reality television shows, including extensive use of soundtrack music and the interspersing of events on screen with after-the-fact "confessionals" recorded by cast members, which serve as narration. ''Nummer 28'' became the model for many later series of ''Big Brother'' and its clones, and Peter Weir's full-length film ''[[The Truman Show]]''. One year later, the same concept was used by [[MTV]] in its new series ''[[Real World (TV series)|The Real World]]''. ''Nummer 28'' creator Erik Latour has long claimed that ''The Real World'' was directly inspired by his show.<ref name="werklozen">{{cite news |url=http://www.nrc.nl/W2/Nieuws/1996/09/28/Rtv/rtv.html |title=Zeven werklozen samen op zoek naar een baan |first=Raymond |last=van den Boogaard |newspaper=[[NRC Handelsblad]] |date=September 28, 1996 |location=Amsterdam |language=nl |access-date=October 31, 2006 |archive-date=April 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417021721/http://nrc.nl/W2/Nieuws/1996/09/28/Rtv/rtv.html |url-status=live }}</ref> But the producers of ''The Real World'' have said that their direct inspiration was ''An American Family''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-10-09-real-world_N.htm |title=MTV's 'Real World' launched a revolution |first=Bill |last=Keveney |work=USA Today |location=Washington DC |date=October 9, 2007 |access-date=September 10, 2017 |archive-date=August 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826005029/http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-10-09-real-world_N.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> According to television commentator [[Charlie Brooker]], this type of reality television was enabled by the advent of computer-based [[non-linear editing system]]s for video (such as produced by [[Avid Technology]]) in 1989. These systems made it easy to quickly edit hours of video footage into a usable form, something that had been very difficult to do before (film, which was easy to edit, was too expensive to use in shooting enough hours on a regular basis).<ref name="CharlieBooker">{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBwepkVurCI | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/BBwepkVurCI| archive-date=October 28, 2021|publisher=YouTube |title=Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe - Reality TV Editing |date=February 2007}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

''[[Sylvania Waters (TV series)|Sylvania Waters]]'' (1992) was an Australian show that depicted a family, similar in concept to ''An American Family''.

The 1994–95 [[O. J. Simpson murder case]], during which live network television followed suspect Simpson for 90 minutes being chased by police, has been described as a seminal moment in reality television. Networks interrupted their regular television programming for months for coverage of the trial and related events. Because of Simpson's status as a top athlete and celebrity, the brutal nature of the murders, and issues of race and class in Los Angeles celebrity culture, the sensational case dominated ratings and the public conversation.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=How the O. J. Simpson Case Explains Reality in 2016|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/02/how-the-oj-simpson-case-explains-reality-in-2016 |first=Lila |last=Anolik |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=February 2, 2016|access-date=July 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Chase, or: Where Were You When Reality TV Was Invented?|url=http://decider.com/2016/02/10/the-people-v-o-j-simpson-recap-episode-2-rex-sorgatz/|publisher=Decider|date=February 10, 2016|access-date=July 17, 2017|archive-date=August 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813111404/http://decider.com/2016/02/10/the-people-v-o-j-simpson-recap-episode-2-rex-sorgatz/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Many reality television stars of the 2000s and 2010s have direct or indirect connections to people involved in the case, most notably [[Kim Kardashian]], daughter of defense attorney [[Robert Kardashian]], and several of her relatives and associates.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=It All Began with O. J.: The Diagram |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/02/oj-simpson-reality-tv-diagram |first=Lila |last=Anolik |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=14 reality stars who exist today because of the O. J. Simpson trial|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/06/12/14-reality-stars-who-exist-today-because-of-the-o-j-simpson-trial/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 12, 2016|access-date=July 17, 2017|archive-date=April 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402161542/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/06/12/14-reality-stars-who-exist-today-because-of-the-o-j-simpson-trial/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The series ''[[Expedition Robinson]]'', created by television producer Charlie Parsons, which first aired in 1997 in [[Sweden]] (and was later produced in a large number of other countries as ''[[Survivor (franchise)|Survivor]]''), added to the ''Nummer 28''/''Real World'' template the idea of competition and elimination. Cast members or contestants battled against each other and were removed from the show until only one winner remained (these shows are now sometimes called elimination shows). ''[[Changing Rooms (TV show)|Changing Rooms]]'', a program that began in the UK in 1996, showed couples redecorating each other's houses, and was the first{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} reality show with a [[self-improvement]] or [[makeover]] theme. The dating reality show ''[[Streetmate]]'' premiered in the UK in 1998. Originally created by [[Gabe Sachs]] as ''Street Match'', it was a flop in the United States. But the show was revamped in the UK by [[Tiger Aspect Productions]] and became a cult hit. The production team from the original series later created the popular reality shows ''[[Strictly Come Dancing]]'', ''[[Location, Location, Location]]'', and the revamped ''[[MasterChef]]'', among others.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} The 1980s and 1990s were also a time when [[tabloid talk show]]s became more popular. Many of these featured the same types of unusual or dysfunctional guests who would later become popular as cast members of reality shows.