Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum
From the moment I first saw Survivor as a teenager, I was hooked. There was something about watching this strange competition right before my eyes that captured my attention and didn’t let go. I’ve loved reality television ever since, and it’s been there throughout my life. My family gathered around to watch Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and The Weakest Link. On lazy weekday afternoons, I watched Trading Spaces and While You Were Out. After emergency surgery in college, I watched The Bachelorette with rapt attention. And during the pandemic, I watched through every single episode of Top Chef.
Writer and television critic Emily Nussbaum tracks the history of reality television back to the early days of radio when hosts would play pranks on unsuspecting participants. I knew so little about the origins of the concept of reality TV, and Nussbaum breaks it down, noting key figures behind the camera who were instrumental in creating the foundation for reality TV as we know it today.
Once we have a better idea of where reality TV came from, Nussbaum shows how the genre has evolved over time. From game shows of early television, reality TV moved to landmark shows like The Real World, Cops, and Survivor. Often, early participants could not comprehend the intensity their newfound fame would bring. What’s more, producers and editors had almost complete control of the narratives spun about the cast. For better or worse, shows like these ushered in a new era and changed the landscape of television forever.
Now, reality TV is an accepted genre, no longer considered a passing fad. And what’s more, participants of popular television shows are now, more often than not, aware of the chaos that fame can bring. However, Nussbaum points out that, even today, the cast and crew of reality television shows don’t have many workers’ rights. And the cast of shows like Love Is Blind are trying to change that, pushing back for better working conditions and more control over their own roles on the show.
If you’re a huge lover of reality TV like I am, you definitely need to pick up Cue the Sun! and fall down the rabbit hole of this genre’s history.