Reality TV shows, especially those in the competition subgenre, have become a dominant force in global entertainment. These shows have captivated audiences with their unscripted drama and raw human interactions. However, the origin of many of these successful, popular reality TV shows and formats were imported, having been conceived in other parts of the world before making their way to American screens.
Although the genre has been existing since the mid-1900s, its popularity grew in the 1990s. Never one to miss an opportunity for successful entertainment, Hollywood began importing and adapting foreign reality TV show formats to fit local tastes and culture. In some cases, these shows were initially met with skepticism, only to evolve into cultural milestones that later redefined reality competition television.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise is one of the longest-running quiz game shows on television. The franchise is one of its subgenre’s most successful shows, and it has several international versions. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (American version) premiered on August 16, 1999, with Regis Philbin as host. However, despite its popularity and success, the show was imported and adapted from its British counterpart for American television. The ITV British game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is the origin series in the franchise. The American version was revived for the sixth time on July 10, 2024, and is still on air.
Survivor
The Jeff Probst-hosted American reality competition Survivor redefined the subgenre in many ways. Since its premiere on May 31, 2000, the CBS reality Comp show has run successfully for 48 seasons. Although it’s a known fact that there are several other international versions, its American version isn’t the original show. Survivor was adapted from the Swedish reality game show Expedition Robinson. It was from this Swedish show, the American version based on its format. Although Expedition Robinson is still on-air, its spin-off show, Survivor, has gained more popularity and international success.
Big Brother
The American version of the show is known as Big Brother USA. The show premiered on CBS on July 5, 2000, and has successfully aired for 26 seasons. Like these other famous reality TV shows, the Big Brother franchise has several international versions. However, as popular and successful as Big Brother USA is, it isn’t the original version of the series. The franchise, as it is known today, originally began with the Dutch version. The original version was created by Dutch media proprietor John de Mol Jr.
American Idol
American Idol premiered on Fox on July 11, 2002, with Ryan Seacrest as host. Although the show initially chose the four-judge format, the first season began with three judges, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson, after Stryker dropped out. While the show moved to ABC in 2018, 23 seasons down the line, American Idol is one of the reality singing competition shows that redefined the subgenre on television. However, American Idol was adapted from the original British music competition show Pop Idol, which, surprisingly, only lasted for 2 seasons from 2001 to 2003. With American Idol as its first spin-off show, Pop Idol has birthed several other international versions.
Hell’s Kitchen
The Gordon Ramsay-hosted cooking competition TV show is one of the top cooking shows on television. It premiered on Fox on May 30, 2005, and has aired for 23 seasons. Audiences who have followed the show closely know it wasn’t the original cooking show, as it was adapted from a similar British cooking show. The spin-off was an instant success, particularly because it was also hosted by Gordon Ramsay, whose reputation precedes him. MasterChef is another similar cooking show that was imported into American television.
Dancing with the Stars
About a month before the American-originated So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) premiered on Fox, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) was already becoming an audience favorite. DWTS premiered on June 1, 2005, with Tom Bergeron as its host. Today, with 33 seasons and counting, the show has attracted some of Hollywood’s top stars. However, while the name was first coined for American television, DWTS was based on the British dance contest show Strictly Come Dancing.
Deal or No Deal
Another famous reality TV show that premiered on American television in 2005 was the game show Deal or No Deal. It premiered on December 19, 2005, with Howie Mandel as host. Although revived twice after it was canceled in mid-2009, the American version of Deal or No Deal aired its finale on CNBC on August 7, 2019. The show, despite its popularity and success, wasn’t an original American show. Its format was adapted from the Dutch game show Miljoenenjacht (Hunt/Chase for Millions). Its Dutch counterpart was also created by John de Mol Jr.
The Voice
Like American Idol, The Voice has produced several musical stars since it premiered on April 26, 2011. It has also had a star-studded list of judges, with several Grammy-nominated singers and musicians on the list. The Voice was adapted from the Dutch singing reality TV show The Voice of Holland. Since 2011, the franchise has expanded worldwide, having several international versions. The American The Voice has aired for 27 seasons.
The X Factor
A few months after The Voice premiered on American television, Fox’s singing competition show The X Factor premiered on September 21, 2011. The show was based on the original British reality TV show, which Simon Cowell also created. The show, which lasted only for 3 seasons, was quite popular. Steve Jones hosted the first season, with Khloe Kardashian and Mario Lopez hosting the second and third. The X Factor USA’s original judges were Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Cheryl Cole, and L.A. Reid. Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones joined as co-hosts.
The Masked Singer
Fox’s The Masked Singer (TMS) is one of the biggest reality singing competition shows currently running on American television. The show premiered on January 2, 2019, and is in its 13th season. The show’s format was an instant hit for audiences, attracting several A-list entertainers to perform in it. However, regarding origin, The Masked Singer is an imported show adapted from the South Korean King of Mask Singer TV show. Since its inception in 2019, Nick Cannon has hosted the American version. Besides these shows, there are several others that, although imported, have found success on American television.
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