The Best Reality TV Concepts That Will Never Be Made: Reality television changed how the world saw entertainment. As big-name networks began producing some of the world’s most ill-advised reality TV shows in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it looked like the future of television.
From dating shows like Average Joe to spine-tingling challenges like Fear Factor, reality TV pushed the boundaries of what audiences expected, or even wanted, to see.
By the 2010s, reality TV had changed. Production studios shifted away from selecting contestants who were apt to fly off the handle.
They began to create more unique premises to hook audiences, including programs like the survival show Naked and Afraid and the romance show 90 Day Fiancé. Rather than a no-holds-bar romp, reality TV looked to follow real-life people into the weeds—whether the literal weeds or a high-stakes international marriage.
Since the heyday of reality TV, networks and studios are thinking through their premises with more care than ever before.
Unfortunately, that means the following killer reality TV concepts aren’t likely to come to fruition anytime soon.
The Pro Circuit
One of the world’s most intriguing professions is gaming. After all, not many people have the mental skills and internal discipline to succeed in playing games like poker, blackjack, and even roulette.
Today, the world’s top players mix it up online, which adds another intriguing layer for audiences to chew on. After all, how do these professionals make a living in such a competitive space?
Let’s cover roulette as an example. Today, most online sites offer four different options for players to choose from, including American and European roulette. The game involves hard-boiled strategic approaches based on probabilities, from the Martingale to the Fibonacci sequence.
So, why won’t reality TV pick up a pro-circuit series? Today’s top gamers simply aren’t willing to part with their secrets.
The Everyman Olympics
One of the most popular genres in reality TV is adventure, survival, and other physically demanding premises. The idea is to see how far competitors can push their bodies to accomplish the seemingly impossible—all for viewers seated on their couches at home.
But one of the most intriguing premises that have gained steam with pop culture and reality TV fans is an everyman Olympics.
The idea is to combine the Olympic Games with a national lottery system that randomly selects people to compete in the long jump, butterfly, and more. Unfortunately, the Olympics doesn’t seem interested—and neither do any major networks.
CEOs Making Hourly
Back in 2010, one of the most unique and promising reality TV shows hit headlines, Undercover Boss, which took CEOs of successful businesses straight to the front lines. The showrunners asked these high-earning CEOs to step into the shoes of their employees… at least, for a few days.
Many viewers who enjoyed the show have been waiting for an even grander reboot. Rather than ask CEOs to stick around for a few days, audiences would love to see a CEO survive for a month (at minimum) making what their hourly employees make.
In other words, what happens when the camera crew leaves? What happens when the CEO isn’t just hearing stories of hardship from their employees, but also living them out?
Flight Crew Tell-All
Shortly after Undercover Boss was released, Below Deck offered viewers another highly intriguing look at reality. This time, it was through the eyes of a private yacht crew.
From the captain to the housekeepers, Below Deck showcased some of the world’s most beautiful destinations, neediest visitors, and most hapless crews.
But what has been a smash hit has started to generate interest in a very similar premise… one that takes place high in the sky.
If a camera crew can follow around a superyacht crew throughout a season, what’s stopping them from doing something similar for a private jet? And why stop there—what about a space crew for the increasingly popular tours to space? Unfortunately for space crew hopefuls, this type of reality show seems at least a decade away.
