When Bravo began promoting "The Real Housewives of Orange County" TV series in 2006, the producers and the network hyped the series as a "documentary" hybrid of ABC's monster hit "Desperate Housewives" and Fox's equally popular "The OC." The emphasis on "real" did not suggest "average and ordinary"; instead, it suggested "real" as opposed to the housewives on Wisteria Lane and all the pretty people in the rest of the prime real estate south of Los Angeles and north of Camp Pendleton. In its first several seasons, "The Real Housewives of Orange County" TV show beguiled and enraged viewers with its emphasis on five frighteningly wealthy women ensconced inside an exclusive gated community and addicted to shopping, tanning, and their own petty dramas: for example, should a smart-mouthed, disrespectful daughter get a new BMW or a new Mercedes for her sixteenth birthday? In subsequent seasons, reality has caught-up with the housewives, who have been forced to down-size and down-scale in the wake of job losses, foreclosures, marital problems, and other genuine crises in the lives of "real" housewives.

American Idol has consistently been one of the most watched reality TV shows of all time and continues to draw huge audiences as each new season begins. Most of the previous winners have gone on to have amazing careers in show business. Winning contestants like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, Lee DeWyze, and Jordin Sparks have gone on to success both professionally as well as financially. Judges have changes recently but the original three (Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell) were perhaps the most entertaining part of the show because they are each strong personalities themselves and tend to stand out while voicing their own unique opinions regarding what talent is all about. Ryan Seacrest has been MC for the entire run of American Idol and he is a former disk jockey who knows something about musical talent himself. Viewers get to watch some contestants stumble and fail because they simply don't have what it takes to perform while the occasional super talent will come along and truly shine, then move on to become the next American Idol.

Celebrity chefs make for popular culinary reality television programming. The star of Chef Roble & Co is Roble Ali originally from Poughkeepsie, New York. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he always wanted to follow in his grandfather's (Jesse Harris) footsteps and become a professional chef. On this new reality based show we see him attempt to start a high end catering business in New York with able assistance from his older sister Jasmine. Chef Roble & Co launches their very selective catering business for celebrity clients that include a wedding for a dog, the unveiling of a naked statue, Indian food served up at a dance party for the rich, and carnival antics and food themed to the wild party of very rich and discriminating. As many of these extravagant parties are conducted outside, the weather often plays a part in how well the party plays out as in a graduation party planned for Vanessa Williams and her young children. The bigger and more outlandish the party idea, the better our fearless chef copes, proving he can handle most any situation as long as food is involved. Roble, known as the "Hip Hop Chef" has cooked for musical notables such as Michael Jackson, Russell Simmons, Rachel Dratch, and Faith Evans.

Swamp People is a reality TV series that first aired on the History Channel in 2010. The show follows several teams of alligator hunters who live in the swamps of Louisiana and hunt alligators for their meat and hides. The hunters use various techniques and tools to catch the alligators, including baited hooks, nets, and harpoons.

Love Island is a British reality TV show that first aired in 2015. It features a group of young, attractive single people living in a villa on an exotic island, with the goal of finding love and winning a cash prize. The contestants must couple up with each other, and those who fail to find a partner risk being eliminated. As the show progresses, new contestants are introduced, and existing couples are tested with various challenges and temptations.

The competition is high and so are the stakes for the U.S. version of The X Factor. Judges have been selected from the cream of the celebrity music crop and with a recording contract worth $5 million the winners in each category will need to be at their best and give the performances of their lives. Simon Cowell is creator of The X Factor and will oversee the talent as well as the judges, assuring the show goes on in an audience pleasing manner. Each of the judges will handle one of the four assigned categories that include boy singers (ages 12-25), girl singers (ages 12-25), group singers, and those who are over the age of twenty five. Unlike other programs of this sort there is no upper age limit for the competitors. Judges will mentor those in their category and offer help and advise as the competition progresses. Getting that advise from the likes of Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, L.A. Reid, or Simon Cowell himself will be invaluable to the aspiring singers as they have helped fashion many super stars in the music industry. There are to be five competitive stages involved: Auditions by the producers, auditions by the judges, a Bootcamp, visitation to the judges houses, and finally the live shows where it all comes down to a single winner or group. As the five stages of the competition progress, it promises to get more exciting each week