Reality or Ridiculous? What Do You Watch When You're Not Reading?

Just when we think we couldn’t possibly see any more reality shows, more pop up every season. And some of them have lasted for years. Because I sometimes wonder about really weird and often pointless things, I recently googled the most-watched reality shows.  I shouldn”t have been surprised to see Judge Judy on the list. She’s had a daily afternoon slot since 1996.

I had no idea what several of these shows were even about. If you know, please fill us in. I didn’t see one of my husband’s faves on the list: Ice Road Truckers. My daughter likes The Bachelor. I used to watch Dog The Bounty Hunter.

I had a good laugh when I encapsulated each show into a one sentence description. I think you’ll laugh too, and you’ll wonder why we get sucked into some of these shows.

 

I admit to being an American Idol fan. I also enjoy So You Think You Can Dance. Sometimes I catch The Voice if it’s on. I’ve seen Pawn Stars, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. I’ve watched Abbey Lee on Dance Moms on occasion. And when they show the entire season of Face Off before the season finale, I record it, because I get a kick out of the costume creation.

 

So here are the top 50 reality shows.

 

1.   Duck Dynasty (2012 TV Series)

a Louisiana bayou family living the American dream

 

2.   Amazing Race (2001 TV series)

multiple teams race around the globe to amazing locations to win a million dollars

 

3.   American Idol (2002 TV Series)

twelve finalists and future singers selected from America compete

 

4.   Dancing with the Stars (2005 TV Series)

celebrities partner with professional dancers and compete in weekly elimination rounds

 

5.   The Voice (2011 TV Series)

four famous musicians search for and mentor singers to become artists

 

6.   Splash (2013 TV Series)

entertainers jumping into a swimming pool

 

7.   Survivor (2000 TV Series)

group of contestants stranded in a remote location

 

8.   Cops (1989 TV Series)

police show follows real-life law enforcement officers


9.   The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2010 TV Series)

peek into the lives of the fabulously wealthy

 

10.               The Real World (1992 TV Series)

seven – eight late teens to mid-20s to live together in a major city

 

11.               Pawn Stars (2009 TV Series)

Harrison family runs a pawn shop on the Las Vegas strip

 

12.               The Apprentice (2004 TV Series)

contestants compete to be apprenticed to billionaire Donald Trump

 

13.               Storage Wars (2010 TV Series)

People bid against each other for storage units

 

  14.  America”s Next Top Model (2003 TV Series)

U.S. women compete to be next “it girl” in the modeling world

 

15. Kitchen Nightmares (2007 TV Series)

Famous chef helps struggling restaurants

 

16. Hell”s Kitchen (2005 TV Series)

Famous chef puts aspiring young chefs through rigorous and devastating challenges

 

17. Project Runway (2004 TV Series)

aspiring fashion designers compete to break into the industry

 

18. Face Off (2011 TV Series)

competition between aspiring special-effects make-up artists

 

19. The Devil”s Ride (2012 TV Series)

Wannabe-tough biker guys ride around


20.  Keeping Up with the Kardashians (2007 TV Series)

exploits of Kardashian-Jenner family

 

21. The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2008 TV Series)

 

22.  Real Husbands of Hollywood (2013 TV Series )

 

23. Hardcore Pawn (2009 TV Series)

Les Gold and two children operatea  Detroit”s pawnshop.

 

24. Fashion Star (2012 TV Series)

 

25. The Face (2013 TV Series)

contestants are guided through weekly assignments

 

26. Snooki & JWOWW (2012 TV Series)

 

27. Dance Moms (2011 TV Series)

notoriously demanding dance instructor clashes with moms

 

28. Ridiculousness (2011 TV Series)

 

29. Jersey Shore (2009 TV Series)

New Jersey 20-somethings and their hook-ups.

 

30. Comic Book Men (2012 TV Series)

neighborhood comic book store and fanboy culture

 

31. Judge Judy (1996 TV Series)

former judge tackles real-life small claims cases

32. Fast N” Loud (2012 TV Series)

guys cruise for the classic cars

 

33. Monster Man (2011 TV Series)

Man makes monster and alien props

 

34. Shark Tank (2009 TV Series)

entrepreneurs compete

 

35.Stranded (2013 TV Series)

paranormal and psychological experiments

 

36. The Ultimate Fighter (2005 TV Series)

martial arts fighters compete for a UFC contract

 

37. Ax Men (2008 TV Series)

logging crews battle the elements to make a living

 

38. King of the Nerds (2013 TV Series)

 

39. The Biggest Loser (2004 TV Series)

contestants compete to lose the most weight

 

40. Kourtney & Kim Take Miami (2009 TV Series)

Two Kardashian sisters open a boutique and party

 

41.

Teen Mom 2 (2011 TV Series)

challenges teen moms face

 

42. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo (2012 TV Series)

Crew follows mom and daughter from Toddlers & Tiaras

 

43. Lizard Lick Towing (2011 TV Series)

 

44. The Bachelor (2002 TV Series)

single women compete to marry a stranger

45. Dog the Bounty Hunter (2003 TV Series)

real-life bounty hunter  and family chase fugitives in the Hawaiian Islands

 

46. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (2006 TV Series)

Food Network”s Guy Fieri visits America”s favorite diners

 

47. The Taste (2013 TV Series)

 

48. Geordie Shore (2011 TV Series)

 

49. 16 and Pregnant (2009 TV Series)

 

50. The Rachel Zoe Project (2008 TV Series)

celebrity stylist takes her business to the next level

 

All right, time to confess which ones you’ve seen and which ones you make it a point to watch.

 

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