Reality TV shows are all over your TV channel lineup. The unscripted shows took over because with fewer professionals hired, they were inexpensive and because viewers like them. And we've learned that "unscripted" does not always mean "reality." But before every channel had a lineup of unscripted shows, there were precursors of the genre that were much less planned out, whether they were documentary style dramas, hidden camera pranks, or competitions. A list of early reality shows (with video evidence) at TVOM goes back to the beginnings of each reality TV genre, from twenty, thirty, and even forty years ago.