Though reality programming has always been a part of the television lineup, it exploded in popularity in the early 1990s as MTV aired such shows as The Real World and Road Rules. However, a new type of reality television has begun to dominate some channels -- Celebreality TV.
What is Celebreality?
In the early days of reality television, real people were the stars of the show and earned their fifteen minutes of fame. However, after seeing the potential of reality television, celebrities whose careers needed help started to star in their own shows. Though many of the shows were originally intended to show the American public how relatable the stars were, those plans frequently went awry. The Celebreality phenomenon began to take shape in 2002.
History of Celebreality Programs
In the modern age of reality television, two celebrity-based reality shows began airing just months apart in 2002. MTV’s hit series The Osbournes followed Ozzy Osbourne and most of his family and ignited the phenomenon. Five months later, the E! Network began airing The Anna Nicole Show. Following the life of Anna Nicole Smith as she struggled with parenting, her weight, and finances, the show had a mix of unscripted dialogue with planned events.
The next major show to appear on the scene was MTV’s Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica featuring pop stars Nick Lachley and Jessica Simpson. The stars had just been married and signed on to have cameras follow them during their first year of marriage. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie followed the blonde trend with their show, The Simple Life. Though all the networks have some Celebreality programming, one of them has
VH1 Celebreality Shows
Of all the cable networks, VH1 has most embraced the concept of celebrities appearing on reality television shows. They freely use the term Celebreality to describe the block of shows featuring B-list or washed up celebrity icons looking to rejuvenate their careers. Some of their popular series include:
- The Surreal Life
- Rock of Love
- My Fair Brady
- Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
- Celebrity Fit Club
- Confessions of a Teen Idol
- Scott Baio is 45 and Single
- Hogan Knows Best
- Flavor of Love
- Breaking Bonaduce
- The Cho Show
As long as celebrities are willing to turn to reality television when their careers are in trouble, Celebreality programming will be here to stay. Tune into VH1, E!, and the major networks to see which stars will be the next ones to star in their own reality shows.
 |
