What started out as a lark in 2000 with a little show known as Survivor has now exploded into a veritable platinum mine for the networks. Mark Burnett must be laughing all the way to the bank. A quick IMDB query for Mark Burnett lists a total of 34 shows under his belt; The Survivor franchise, The Apprentice, and Rock Star are some of his more successful ventures.

Each year brings an ever-growing crop of new reality shows, which compete directly with the numerous sitcoms and dramas released. New seasons mean new spins on the reality show, as it mutates and evolves.

The reality television has been around longer than we think. One could argue that reality television started with An American Family, the landmark 1973 weekly series which chronicled a turbulent period in the Loud family, which included an on-air demand for divorce and a gay son coming out to his parents.

In the early 1990s, MTV brought us The Real World, a show which put together a group of eight complete twenty-something strangers and videotaped their life over a couple of months. Still on the air after thirteen years, it has become a part of pop culture.

Is the viewing audience turning to reality to indulge in voyeuristic pleasures? Are these average Joes more relatable? Are we getting kicks seeing how the other half live? Do we enjoy seeing others being put down in cruel and unusual terms and revel in their personal embarrassments? Is it the proverbial rooting for the underdog, reflecting the Seabiscuit within?

Whatever the reason for its success, reality television is right at home and doesn’t want to budge. It is hard for struggling series like Arrested Development to find support when networks feel they can make more money and get more viewers with some reality show. There is a reluctance to allow shows to grow and mature. Will we remember the days of free of this phenomenon? Will they still exist in another ten years or will the airwaves be overwhelmed with constant doses of reality?