The 40 most popular 1990s reality TV shows, ranked. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Raw
1993 · US
A regularly scheduled, live, year-round program featuring some of the biggest WWE Superstars.


Inkigayo
1998 · KR
The program is a weekly music show that features and introduces viewers to the most popular artists in Korea. Every week, they ask viewers to vote and select the most popular song of the week.


Die Harald Schmidt Show
1995 · DE
The Harald Schmidt Show is a German late night talk show hosted on Sky Deutschland by comedian Harald Schmidt. The show first aired from 5 December 1995 to 23 December 2003 on Sat.1. Schmidt then moved his show to Das Erste as Harald Schmidt and Schmidt & Pocher, but he returned to Sat.1 on 13 September 2011. After cancellation on Sat.1, the show continued on Sky Deutschland in September 2012.


WWE Friday Night SmackDown
1999 · US
The superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment's "SmackDown" brand collide each and every Friday on WWE Friday Night SmackDown.


Ready, Steady, Cook
1994 · UK
Talented chefs battle it out against the clock, creating delicious dishes in 20 minutes


Fort Boyard
1990 · FR
A game show set and filmed on the real Fort Boyard in France. The contestants have to complete in physical and endurance challenges to win prize money.


Family Feud
1999 · US
Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people.


Tigerenten Club
1996 · DE
Tigerenten Club is a German children's television programme. The programme involves a mix of games, quizzes, cartoons and outside reports from the presenters and children, with the aim to educate and entertain. It is produced by SWR in co-operation with other regional broadcasters, and is broadcast on ARD and KiKa. The logo and the name of the programme is based upon the Tigerente or 'Tigerduck', created by German cartoonist Janosch.


The Challenge
1998 · US
Each Challenge pits numerous cast members from past seasons of reality shows against each other, dividing them into two separate teams according to different criteria, such as gender, which show they first appeared on, whether or not they're veterans or rookies on the show, etc. The two teams compete in numerous missions in order to win prizes and advance in the overall game.


Happy Camp
1997 · CN
Happy Camp is a Chinese variety show produced by Hunan Broadcasting System. The series debuted in 1997, and has remained in production since then due to its popularity. The show was hosted by the Happy Family: He Jiong, Li Weijia, Xie Na, Du Haitao, and Wu Xin. Happy Camp is one of China's most popular shows, with a viewership of tens of millions.


Taratata
1993 · FR
Live performances, more live performances. Every episode features a lineup of French and international artists, cult classics, unexpected duets, and original covers... A truly prestigious music stage, graced by both the biggest names and those on their way to stardom.


Whose Line Is It Anyway?
1998 · US
The show where everything's made up and the points don't matter. Not a talk show, not a sitcom, not a game show, Whose Line Is It Anyway? is a completely unique concept to network television. Four talented actors perform completely unrehearsed skits and games in front of a studio audience. Host Drew Carey sets the scene, with contributions from the audience, but the actors rely completely on their quick wit and improvisational skills. It's genuinely improvised, so anything can happen - and often does.


The Real World
1992 · US
Each year, seven strangers in their twenties, from different backgrounds and countries, are chosen to come live together in a major city.


Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
1998 · UK
A game show created in the United Kingdom, in which contestants attempt to answer general knowledge questions in an intimidating atmosphere in order to scoop the £1 million top prize. The original series was hosted by Chris Tarrant, and its modern-day revival is hosted by Jeremy Clarkson.


Så ska det låta
1997 · SE
Så ska det låta is a Swedish game show, based on the Irish The Lyrics Board. The show was introduced in 1997 and led by Peter Harryson until Peter Settman took over in 2006. Så ska det låta can be watched online at svt play for approximately one month after airing.


Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
1997 · US
Can you tell the difference between fact and fiction? Several stories of strange, mysterious and incredible occurrences are chronicled during each episode. It is up to the viewer to decide which stories actually happened and which were completely fabricated by the show’s writers. The answer is revealed by Jonathan Frakes at the conclusion of each episode.


Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
1995 · US
Merging fashion, fantasy and entertainment, this lingerie runway show includes pink carpet interviews, model profiles, behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the show, and musical performances.


Wie is de Mol?
1999 · NL
Ten candidates have to complete assignments to earn money. However, one of the group members is the Mole. The Mole's goal is to make the assignments fail and keep the amount of money earned as low as possible. The other candidates do not know who the Mole is and need to unmask them. At the end of every episode, the candidates take a multiple-choice test about the mole's identity. The person who gives the least amount of correct answers is "executed" and must leave. This process continues until only two contestants and the Mole remain. The winner is the person with the most correct answers in the final test and they get all of the money earned in previous stages of the game.
Äntligen hemma
Äntligen hemma
1997 · SE
Äntligen hemma is a Swedish TV show on TV4 about home improvement. The show includes DIY interior decorating tips for home owners. The host, Martin Timell, is trained as a carpenter although he has worked as a host for various TV shows since 1984. The name is also Swedish for home at last: Äntligen = Finally + Hemma = Home.


锵锵三人行
1998 · HK
No overview available


Grand Designs
1999 · UK
British television series which features unusual and often elaborate architectural homebuilding projects.


Fort Boyard Sweden
1990 · SE
No overview available


Robinson
1997 · SE
Expedition Robinson is a Swedish reality television program in which contestants are put into survival situations, and a voting process eliminates one person each episode until a winner is determined. The format was developed in 1994 by Charlie Parsons for a United Kingdom TV production company called Planet 24, but the Swedish debut in 1997 was the first production to actually make it to television.


Road Rules
1995 · US
"Road Rules" documents the lives of five to six strangers as a mysterious voice sends them across various regions of the world, tackling a series of adventures. If they can successfully make it to the end of the adventure, they will receive a handsome reward.


House Hunters
1999 · US
Hosted by Suzanne Whang, the show takes viewers behind the scenes as individuals, couples and families learn what to look for and decide whether or not a home is meant for them. Focusing on the emotional experience of finding and purchasing a new home, each episode follows a prospective buyer and real estate agent through the home-buying process, from start to finish.


Ciao Darwin
1998 · IT
Ciao Darwin is a variety game show format from Italy sold under licence to several countries, including Romania, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Canada, USA, China and Greece. There are two competing teams of about 50 people each, usually made up of people who fit certain opposing stereotypes. In each game two members of the audience are selected at random, one from each team, indicated by a light in front of them which remains illuminated when all the other team members' lights have gone off. The games involve contestants competing in acts of bravery, style and talent, some of which are designed to humiliate the contestants, especially an assault course which was introduced with the Italian version in 2010, and the Finale which is a water tank game.


MTV Europe Music Awards
1994 · UK
The MTV Europe Music Awards "(EMA)" were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider the best in music. The awards are chosen by MTV viewers throughout Europe. The MTV Europe Music Awards always changes its host city.


Deutscher Fernsehpreis
1999 · DE
No overview available


The Crystal Maze
1990 · UK
The Crystal Maze was a British game show, produced by Chatsworth Television and shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom between 15 February 1990 and 10 August 1995. The series is set in "The Crystal Maze", which features four different "zones" set in various periods of time and space. A team of six contestants take part in a series of challenges in order to win "time crystals". Each crystal gives the team five seconds of time inside "The Crystal Dome", the centrepiece of the maze where the contestants take part in their final challenge.


Stars 90
1990 · FR
No overview available


Gladiators
1992 · UK
Gladiators is a British television entertainment series, produced by LWT for ITV, and broadcast between 10 October 1992 and 1 January 2000. It is an adaptation of the American format American Gladiators. The success of the British series spawned further adaptations in Australia and Sweden. The series was revived in 2008, before again being cancelled in 2009. The series was originally presented by John Fashanu and Ulrika Jonsson, however, Fashanu was replaced by Jeremy Guscott in 1997. Guscott left the series in 1998, and subsequently, Fashanu returned for the final series in 1999.


Nickelodeon GUTS
1992 · US
This action-packed half-hour lets kids loose in a fantasy sports landscape filled with crazy obstacles. Basketball is taken to its limits in Slam Dunk while rock climbing reaches new heights on the Aggro Crag.


Café con Aroma de Mujer
1994 · CO
Café con aroma de mujer is a 1994 Colombian telenovela, produced by then programming company RCN TV on state-owned Canal A. It was written and created by Fernando Gaitán. It was broadcast in several countries throughout Latin America, North America and Europe.


Scrapheap Challenge
1998 · UK
Scrapheap Challenge is an engineering game show produced by RDF Media and broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. In the show, teams of contestants had 10 hours in which to build a working machine that could do a specific task, using materials available in a scrapheap. The format was exported to the United States, where it was known as Junkyard Wars as a completely different TV series. The US show was also produced by RDF Media, and was originally shown on The Learning Channel. Repeats have aired on another Discovery network, the Science Channel.


True Life
1998 · US
True Life is a documentary series running on MTV since March 24, 1998. Each episode follows a particular topic, such as heroin addiction as in the first episode, "Fatal Dose." The show is created by following a series of subjects by a camera crew through a certain part of their lives.
Pssst ...
Pssst ...
1990 · DE
No overview available


SBS Drama Awards
1992 · KR
The hottest actors, producers, and writers gather together to celebrate the end of the year at the 2017 SBS Drama Awards. In 2017, there were many dramas that captured the heart of the viewers. What will be the show that has been loved the most by viewers? And who will be the best actor of 2017?
Essence of Emeril
Essence of Emeril
1994 · US
Essence of Emeril is a Food Network show hosted by chef Emeril Lagasse. In each episode, Emeril shares with his viewers some of his 'kicked-up' recipes, similar to those on Emeril Live, but with a far calmer demeanor and quieter tone, and usually without the trademark apron that has become his Emeril Live uniform starting with the 2000 season.


Robinson Ekspeditionen
1998 · DK
Robinson Ekspeditionen is a popular Danish reality television program debuting in 1998. In the spring of 1998 TV3 purchased the broadcast rights to air their own version of Expedition Robinson. Following the success of the Swedish version, Denmark was the first country to adopt their own version of the show. The show has proven to be a ratings success since its premiere in 1998. The name alludes to both Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson, two stories featuring people marooned by shipwrecks.


Fort Boyard Russia
1998 · RU
Russian game show based on the original French format of Fort Boyard.
1990s television was the last era of true mass audiences, when a network sitcom or a season finale could be a shared national event.
Reality television spans competition formats, documentary-style follow shows, and dating series. It's the most-watched and least-written-about corner of TV, and its formats travel internationally better than almost anything else.