Candid Camera was where it all began (Picture: CBS via Getty Images)
All you need to do is have a quick scroll of the TV guide, or a flick through the titles on offer on any streamer, to see there’s one genre that’s working overtime.
Reality TV dominates hours of our lives, but before it became the juggernaut that it is today, the category of progammes had much humbler beginnings.
From the first time someone suggested filming ‘everyday people’ to the debut of set-up situations, it’s continued to evolve. But it was Candid Camera and American Family that made the mould that’s gone on to be broken, divided and reinvented endlessly.
Now we’re blessed (or cursed, depending on who you ask) with titles such as Towie, Big Brother, The Housewives of *insert state*, Love Island or the latest offering, Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends. But how did it all begin?
Let’s take a look at the shows that changed TV forever…
Candid Camera
Bart was one of 12 housemates (Picture: Veronica)
Big Brother is often credited as being the first of its kind, with people assuming they invented the wheel.
The series, which puts a group of strangers inside a house to see how they cope, launched into the world in 1999. The Netherlands were the first to conduct the social experiment, with Bart Spring in ‘t Veld winning after 106 days.
It was an instant hit, and the UK followed behind one year later. When ‘Nasty Nick’ told people whom to vote to evict by writing on scraps of paper, it became a major news story and talking point. The rule break helped launch the series into the stratosphere – it’s gone on to have 21 series (and counting) as well as 23 celebrity editions.
While Big Brother often takes the credit for being number one, the earliest evidence of a programme in the reality genre actually came decades earlier. Candid Camera landed on America’s ABC in 1948 and started the phenomenon.
Candid Camera began in 1948 (Picture: CBS via Getty Images)
While it began as a radio show, Candid Microphone, a year earlier, it wasn’t until it got the TV treatment that it really captured attention. The series proved popular and ran all the way through to the 1970s. It has since returned on multiple occasions, with its most recent episodes airing in 2014.
The longevity means it has achieved an impressive 1000+ episodes over 38 seasons. Six other countries got in on the action too with their own versions — the British edition aired from 1960 to 1976.
But what exactly did the series entail?
The programme used hidden cameras to document members of the public’s reactions to setup situations.
It was originally presented by the late Allen Funt, who also created and developed the show. His son Peter Funt presented the most recent outing with Big Bang Theory actress Mayim Bialik as co-host, making it a family affair.
The unsuspecting stars would often be subject to practical jokes. They …read more
Source:: Metro
