TV Talent Competitions and Game Show Contestants

Talent Competitions and Elimination Shows are two of the most popular forms of reality television.

Types of reality TV involving talent competitions or elimination shows have proven consistently to be crowd favorites both historically and in modern televised reality programming.

Talent Competitions

It is almost impossible to mention talent competitions as a type of reality TV and not mention American Idol. This reality based television show was the brain child of Simon Cowell and is one of the single most largest grossing reality based television shows historically and on-air today. American Idol is the perfect modern example of a talent based reality show contest because it involves every day people doing and trying to become an extraordinary thing. The fact that this particular show has garnered such a huge following even furthers the example of how many people enjoy watching talent competition reality based television. Like American Idol, talent based reality programs usually involve everyday people doing or trying to become something special. There are cases such as in Dancing With The Stars where celebrities are competing for a prize, however for the most part, talent competition in reality television are almost exclusively about ordinary people with extraordinary talents.

Talent competitions are particularly entertaining because they usually involve showcasing something special. Seeing a particularly funny comedian (Last Comic Standing), top designers (Project Runway), everyday talents (America’s Got Talent), singing (American Idol), dancing (So You Think You Can Dance), cooking (Hells Kitchen) and beauty (Pageants) are in and of themselves, entertaining to watch.

Talent based reality television combines this entertainment and throws in high drama by making the show a competition. The prize usually involves money and or, a segue into the industry in which the competition is based around. For example: the winner of a singing competition wins a record deal, dancers earn top gigs, designers win money to start their own fashion line and comedians earn high ranking gigs. In recent years this type of reality television has become increasingly popular with almost everything under the sun being turned into a talent-based or competition based program.

Elimination and Game Shows

Types of reality TV such as elimination shows are more popular than ever. Elimination or Game shows in realty TV almost exclusively involve a group or individual competing to win a prize. There are almost an innumerable number of different formats ranging from game shows to strategy shows in reality TV. Even talent-based shows are commonly posed as elimination shows as well because the pool of talent is reduced each week based on a peer or audience vote. Game shows are also considered Elimination Shows because the contestant is either eliminated before winning the prize, or eliminated after winning the game show prize. Some examples of game shows in modern day reality TV are Deal or No Deal, The Price Is Right, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Am I Smarter Than a 5th Grader. Where as examples of strategic elimination shows that contain the same actors each week are: Survivor, The Amazing Race and Big Brother. Regardless of the show, elimination and game shows involve earning a prize or garnering some sort of acclaim that is valuable for the actor.

Talent Competitions and Elimination and Game Shows in reality TV are perhaps some of the most popular on television today. In almost every reality television setting involving average people, there is some sort of prize to be earned based on luck, love, strategy, talent, intelligence or persistence. The shows in this category are some of the most popular shows in television today, proving whole-heartedly that reality TV when people are competing for a prize is just solid good entertainment.