This is a list of reality television series, by general type, listed with the date of their premiere. A few details are added for some shows that do not have their own article. See reality television for further descriptions.

Documentary style In this genre, camera crews follow the daily interactions of people in ordinary places, such as airports or restaurants, or follow people in a specific profession. Up series (began with Seven Up! in 1964) (UK) An American Family (1973) The Family (1974) (UK) Sightings (1991) The Real World (1992) Sylvania Waters (1992) (Australia) The Living Soap (1993) (UK) Road Rules (1995) Airport (1996) (UK; BBC) Airline (UK; ITV's imitation of Airport) Airline The Crocodile Hunter (1996) Driving School (1997) (UK; BBC) Bug Juice (1998) Emergency Vets (1998) True Life (1998) Gachinko! (ガチンコ!) (1999) (Japan) The Band-Josie 7 (2000) (Australia) Making the Band (2000) Project Greenlight (2001) Scariest Places on Earth (2001) U8TV: The Lofters (2001) (Canada; Life Network) Making the Band 2 (2002) The Salon (2002) Sorority Life (2002) American Chopper (2003) Fraternity Life (2003) Jamie's Kitchen (2003) The Restaurant (2003) Starting Over (2003) Race to the Altar (2003) American Casino (2004) American Hot Rod (2004) Amish in the City (2004) Bands Reunited (2004) The Casino (2004) College Hill (2004) Dog the Bounty Hunter (2004) (US; A&E Network) Family Plots (2004) (US; A&E Network) Ghost Hunters (2004) Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County (2004) Rachael Rocks (2004) Untold Stories of the E.R. (2004) Family Bonds (2004–2005) An Amish Christmas (2005) Deadliest Catch (2005) Miami Ink (2005) Stranded with Cash Peters (2005) The Ultimate Fighter (2005) (US) Who's Your Daddy? (2005) 8th & Ocean (2006) Bonds on Bonds (2006) (ESPN) Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team (2006) Fame Asylum (2006) King of Cars (2006) Opening Soon The Real Housewives of Orange County (2006) Bullrun (2007) Curl Girls (2007) Deadline (2007) Ice Road Truckers (2007) Kate Plus 8 (2007) LA Ink (2007) Say Yes to the Dress (2007) Sex Change Hospital (2007) 19 Kids and Counting (2008) Ax Men (2008) Chef School (2008) David Tutera's CELEBrations (2008) The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2008) The Real Housewives of New York City (2008) BBQ Pitmasters (2009) Bondi Vet (2009) The Colony (2009) (US; Discovery) Full Throttle Saloon (2009) (US; TruTv) Jersey Shore (2009) Jockeys (2009) (US; Animal Planet) NYC Prep (2009) The Real Housewives of New Jersey (2009) Teen Mom (2009) Toddlers & Tiaras (2009) American Restoration (2010) (US) Boston Med (2010) Freshwater Blue (2010) The Generations Project (2010) Geordie Shore (2010) (UK) Half Pint Brawlers (2010) Jerseylicious (2010) Love & Hip Hop (2010) Bad Girls Club (2007) (US) Made in Chelsea (2010) (UK) Gold Rush (2010) Oddities (2010) Basketball Wives (2010) The Only Way Is Essex (2010) (UK) The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2010) The Real Housewives of D.C. (2010) Swamp People (2010) The Real L-Word: Los Angeles (2010) Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta (2010) Sister Wives (2010) Throttle Junkies TV (2010) 24 Hours in A&E (2011) (UK) Bear Whisperer (2011) Braxton Family Values (2011) Dance Moms (2011) Me'usharot (2011) (Israel) Mob Wives (2011) My Transsexual Summer (2011) The Real Housewives of Athens (2011) The Real Housewives of Miami (2011) Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids (2011) Say Yes to the Dress: Randy Knows Best (2011) Teen Mom 2 (2011) My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding (2012) Breaking Amish (2012) Cheer Perfection (2012) Duck Dynasty (2012) Here Comes Honey Boo Boo (2012) Mountain Men (2012) NY Med (2012) Push Girls (2012) Randy to the Rescue (2012) The Real Housewives of Vancouver (2012) Saw Dogs (2012) Turbine Cowboys (2012) Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (2012) The Valleys (2012) (UK) WAG Nation (2012) (Australia) Gypsy Sisters (2013) Married to Medicine (2013) Below Deck (2013) Breaking Amish: Brave New World (2013) Fame in the Family (2013) (US) Fixer Upper (2013) Pretty Wicked Moms (2013) Les Vraies Housewives (2013) (France) Weed Country (2013) The Gossip Game (2013) Alaskan Bush People (2014) Branson Famous (2014) Bring It! (2014) Chrisley Knows Best (2014) The Curse of Oak Island (2014) Escape Club (2014) Ladies of London (2014) Party Down South (2014) The Real Housewives of Melbourne (2014) Rich Kids of Beverly Hills (2014) Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood (2014) This Is Hot 97 (2014) 3AM (2015) Boston EMS (2015) Breaking Greenville (2015) The Real Housewives of Cheshire (2015) Save My Life: Boston Trauma (2015) Bringing Up Bates (2015) WAGS (2015) Dash Dolls (2015) Expedition Unknown (2015) My Life as a College Student (2015–17) Suomen täydelliset venäläisnaiset (2015) (Finland) #BlackLove (2015) Below Deck Mediterranean (2016) Open Your Heart (2016) WAGS Miami (2016) Married to Medicine: Houston (2016) Floribama Shore (2017) Siesta Key (2017) WAGS Atlanta (2017) Dr. Pimple Popper (2018) Married to Medicine: Los Angeles (2019)

Docusoaps starring celebrities This genre, launched most successfully by music channel MTV, follows a camera crew into the lives of celebrities. This Is Your Life (1952) (US) The Anna Nicole Show (2002) The Osbournes (2002) Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica (2003) *NSYNC: The Best Life Ever (2003) Rich Girls (2003) The Simple Life (2003) Viva La Bam (2003) The Surreal Life (2003) The Ashlee Simpson Show (2004) Blow Out (2004) (US) The Gastineau Girls (2004) Growing Up Gotti (2004) The Simple Life 2 (2004) 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave (2004) Being Bobby Brown (2005) Britney and Kevin: Chaotic (2005) Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive (2005) The Girls Next Door (2005) Hogan Knows Best (2005) I Married a Princess (2005) Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (2005) Meet the Barkers (2005) My Fair Brady (2005) Run's House (2005) The Simple Life: Interns (2005) Tommy Lee Goes to College (2005) Totally Scott-Lee (2005) (UK) #1 Single (2006) Chantelle: Living the Dream (2006) (UK) Gene Simmons Family Jewels (2006) Girls Aloud: Off the Record (2006) (UK) House of Carters (2006) The Princes of Malibu (2006) Rob & Big (2006) Adventures in Hollyhood – Three Six Mafia (2006) The Hills (2006) The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency (2006) Keeping Up with the Kardashians (2007) Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane (2007) Life of Ryan (2007) Snoop Dogg's Father Hood (2007) The City (2008) Flipping Out (2008) New York Goes to Hollywood (2008) The Rachel Zoe Project (2008) Kourtney and Kim Take Miami (2009) New York Goes to Work (2009) Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business (2010) Frank the Entertainer in a Basement Affair (2010) Real and Chance: The Legend Hunters (2010) Audrina (2011) Ice Loves Coco (2011) Khloé & Lamar (2011) Kourtney and Kim Take New York (2011) Son of a Gun (2011) Tia & Tamera (2011) Young Money Diaries (2011) Brynne: My Bedazzled Life (2012) (Australia) Married to Jonas (2012) Mrs. Eastwood & Company (2012) Snooki & Jwoww (2012) Chrissy & Mr. Jones (2012) Cassadee Pope: Frame by Frame (2013) Dog and Beth: On the Hunt (2013) One Direction: The Best Life Ever (2013) Total Divas (2013) Vanderpump Rules (2013) Christina Milian Turned Up (2014) Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons (2014) K. Michelle: My Life (2014) The Family Payne (2014) Luke Hemmings Crossed His Heart (2015) Jared & Miley (2015) I Am Cait (2015) Stewarts & Hamiltons (2015) I Love Kellie Pickler (2015) Total Bellas (2016) Rob & Chyna (2016) Life of Kylie (2017) Miz & Mrs. (2018) Very Cavallari (2018) Crikey! It's the Irwins (2018) The Hills: New Beginnings (2019) Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club (2019) BossBabes (2019) (New Zealand) Joseline's Cabaret (2020)

Financial transactions and appraisals Antiques Roadshow (1997) Pawn Stars (2009) (US) Hardcore Pawn (2010) (US) American Pickers (2010) (North America) Auction Hunters (2010) (North America) Storage Wars (2010) (North America) Storage Wars (2010) (US) Storage Wars (2013) (Canada) Storage Hunters (US – 2011, UK – 2014) Dealers (2012) (UK)

Extraordinary people Real People (1979) That's Incredible! (1980)

Structured reality The Primetime Emmy Awards, which have given an award for Outstanding Structured Reality Program define structured reality shows as shows that "contain consistent story elements that mostly adhere to a recurring structured template."

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (2004) Dragons' Den (2005) Kitchen Nightmares (2007) Human Wrecking Balls (2008) (G4) Shark Tank (2009) Property Brothers (2011)

Historical re-creation This genre takes modern-day contestants and puts them in the lifestyle of historical people or places. Living in the Past (TV series) (1978) (UK; BBC) The 1900 House (1999) (UK; PBS) Pioneer Quest: A Year in the Real West (2000) (Canada) The 1940s House (2001) (UK) The Edwardian Country House aka Manor House (2002) Frontier House (2002) (US; PBS) Lads' Army (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006) (UK) Quest for the Bay (2002) (Canada) Schwarzwaldhaus 1902 (Blackforest House 1902) (2002) (Germany) The Ship (2002) (UK) Klondike: The Quest for Gold (2003) (Canada) Le Moyen 1903 2003 (Switzerland/TSR) That'll Teach 'Em (2003, 2004, 2006) (UK) Warrior Challenge (2003) (US) Colonial House (2004) (US; PBS) Infamous (2004, E!) Regency House Party (2004) (UK) Windstärke 8 – Das Auswandererschiff 1855 (Windstrength 8 – Immigration Ship of 1855) (2004/2005) (Germany) The Colony (2005) (Australia) Die Harte Schule der 50er Jahre (The Hard School of the 1950s) (2005) (Germany) MTV's The 70s House (2005) Outback House (2005) (Australia) Tales from the Green Valley (2005) (UK) Coal House (2007) (UK) Kid Nation (2007) (US) Coal House At War (2008) (UK) Victorian Farm (2009) (UK) Edwardian Farm (2010) (UK) Turn Back Time – The High Street (2010) (UK) Victorian Pharmacy (2010) (UK) Turn Back Time – The Family (2012) (UK) Wartime Farm (2012) (UK) Tudor Monastery Farm (2013) (UK) Back in Time for... (2015) (UK)

Dating In this genre, couples or singles are brought together in dating or romantic situations. Boer soek 'n vrou (South-Africa) The Dating Game (1965) Punch de Date (パンチDEデート) (1973) (Japan) Love Connection (1983–1994, 1998–1999, 2017–2018) Neruton Benikujiradan (ねるとん紅鯨団) (1987) (Japan) Ainori (あいのり) (1999) (Japan) Blind Date (US) (1999) Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? (2000) The 5th Wheel (2001) Chains of Love (2001) Dismissed (2001) Farmer Wants a Wife (2001) (UK) Five Go Dating (2001) (UK) Temptation Island (2001) Who Wants to Be a Princess (2001) The Bachelor (2002) The Bachelor (2003) (UK) The Bachelor Canada (2012) The Golden Bachelor (2023) Bachelorettes in Alaska (2002) ElimiDATE (2002) Ex-treme Dating (2002) Meet My Folks (2002) Shipmates (2001) Streetmate (UK) Would Like to Meet (UK) Average Joe (2003) The Bachelorette (2003) The Bachelorette Canada (2016) The Golden Bachelorette (2023) Cupid (2003 TV series) (2003) For Love or Money (2003) Joe Millionaire (2003) Married by America (2003) Mr. Personality (2003) Paradise Hotel (2003) Room Raiders (2003) Three's a Crowd (2003) (UK) Boy Meets Boy (2004) Date My Mom (2004) The Littlest Groom (2004) My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance (2004) Outback Jack (2004) The Player (2004) Playing It Straight (US – 2004, UK – 2005) The Ultimate Love Test (2004) (US) Who Wants to Marry My Dad? (2004) Celebrity Love Island (2005) (UK) How to Get Lucky (2005) (UK) Next (2005) Shopping for Love (2005) (Australia) Strange Love (2005) Beija Sapo (Brazil) (2005–2007) Vai dar Namoro (Brazil) (2005) 12 Corazones (2006) Chantelle's Dream Dates (2006) (UK) Estoy por tí (Spain) Flavor of Love (2006) I Love New York (2007) Matched in Manhattan (2006) Parental Control (2006) Age of Love (2007)