When one hears the term “reality” applied to a
television show, one might expect that the events
occurred naturally or, at the least, were not scripted, but
this is not always the case. Many reality shows occur in
unreal environments, like rented mansions occupied by
film crews. These living environments do not reflect what
most people understand to be “reality.” Worse, there
have been accusations that events not captured on film
were later restaged by producers. Worse still, some
involved in the production of “reality” television claim
that the participants were urged to act out story lines
premeditated by producers. With such accusations
floating around, it’s no wonder many people take reality
TV to be about as real as the sitcom.