Why are reality shows so popular? I am guilty of tuning into Survivor every Thursday night, American Idol every Tuesday and Wednesday and I will be tuning into Big Brother when it comes back on this summer. So why are we so captivated by these types of shows?

Admittedly, I can only think of about four singers that I thought did well from the girls and guys these past few nights, and although my singing ability does not hold a candle to any of the current or past singers, I can remember many other seasons were the talent was not that great, but I still looked forward to watching.

I am not the only one that is intrigued and attracted to reality TV. Per Wikipedia, American Idol brought in 29.8 million viewers on its premier night, and it is still a trending topic on twitter 12 hours after the last show. Per TV by numbers, other shows bring in numbers not quite as high but high enough, with the last Survivor pulling in 14.11 million viewers and Big Brother averaging 6.85 million viewers.

What do these shows have that others don’t?

Authenticity – The show is not scripted you are seeing real people react to real situations, maybe not everyday situations, but real nonetheless.

Interactive - We are no longer just viewers; we are part of the action, part of what makes things happen. On American Idol, we vote for who we want to stay, on Big Brother we have control through America’s Player, and on Survivor we get to vote for who we want to win the extra cash prize.

Rooting for the Underdog -  We like to see the person that is not expected to do well wind up doing great things. We like to root for the person that is being ostracized by others, the ones the judges don’t like and say won’t succeed.

Relatable -  There is usually always someone we can relate to, that we identify with and we want them to do well for that reason, it also takes us to a place where we think of what we would do in that situation.

Success Stories -  We want to be privy to others stories, and see where they come from which makes watching them succeed even more appealing.

Nosey-  We are just nosey, we like to see what we normally would not be able to see, what is behind closed doors, specifically when this includes drama and controversy.

Why do you enjoy watching reality shows, which ones doe you like and why?