When it comes to successful reality television, Survivor is the gold standard. With more than forty seasons, the CBS series shows no signs of slowing down. It's a feat that's all the more impressive when considering how many reality shows it outlasted, and there are quite a few.
Survivor helped spur the reality television craze in the United States, and inspired networks to try a number of shows that, sadly, didn't catch on quite as well. Here are some of the more notable ones from years passed, some of which I wouldn't mind seeing return.
Joe Millionaire
Women vied for love in a 2003 series with a bachelor who was, to their understanding, a millionaire. In reality, Evan Marriott was just a working class construction worker hoping whoever he picked still accepted him when they learned the truth. While the show celebrated success in Season 1, following seasons and even a spinoff in 2021 with a unique twist didn't have quite the same impact but was still pretty fun.
Flavor Of Love
Public Enemy Flava Flav was looking for love, and 2006's Flavor of Love was his way of doing so for three seasons. Unfortunately, he never actually dated anyone from the series, but what we lost in seeing a relationship we gained in the world saying "Yeah boyyy" for a while. We also were introduced to Tiffany Pollard, who has been a gem to reality television since her arrival on the scene.
A Shot Of Love With Tila Tequila
Tila Tequila, formerly known as the most popular person on MySpace and was even famous enough to collaborate with Jennifer Aniston, was offered a reality show that centered around her alleged bisexual orientation. Both men and women competed for her love in 2007's A Shot Of Love With Tila Tequila, which ran for two seasons. The reality star has led a pretty tumultuous life since, with many questions surrounding just how much of her show was actually reality.
The Mole
In the 2000 series The Mole contestants competed for money that only one of them will win. In the end, they were working against "the mole" who was designated by producers as a saboteur intent on working against the other contestants at every turn. The series was revived in recent years, so former viewers who miss it should fire up their Netflix subscription to see the new series.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
While 2003's I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! is a big hit in the United Kingdom but somehow never got off the ground in its two seasons in the United States. The premise put a lot of celebrities in the jungle and had them compete for the honor of "King" or "Queen." As mentioned, the show hasn't had a ton of luck in the U.S.A., which is odd considering we love Survivor.
Rock Of Love With Bret Michaels
VH1 went through a string of love-based reality shows with celebrities, and 2007's Rock Of Love With Bret Michaels was certainly one of them. While it never quite hit the levels of Survivor, the Poison singer's dating show did get three seasons and a spinoff that once involved former President Trump, which puts it well above many entries on this list.
Boot Camp
Similar to the current reality series Special Forces, Fox's 2001 series Boot Camp took a bunch of non-military civilians and showed them what it was like to prepare for missions. The series only lasted one season, but I'm sure the $500,000 prize winner isn't too upset about that.
Beauty And The Geek
Beauty and the Geek was a 2005 series that paired "beauties," who were stereotyped into being ditzy, with "geeks," who were stereotyped into being socially inept. Together these polar opposites would compete in challenges, and look to be the couple that avoided elimination each week. It wasn't the most progressive show, but did find an audience for five seasons.
Treasure Hunters
If The Amazing Race and the movie National Treasure had a baby, it would be 2006's Treasure Hunters. Groups of three contestants traveled to various locations and competed against each other with eliminations at each leg. In the end, the winners received a three million dollar prize. The series only lasted twelve episodes, but I sure wish it had lasted a lot longer.
Unan1mous
Unan1mous was a one season 2006 series very similar to Big Brother, but with a few key differences. Players would live in isolation in a bunker, and be eliminated by other players, but with the catch that the vote had to be unanimous. if it wasn't punishments were handed out until folks were swayed one way or another. The series only lasted one season, and ran on Fox for eight episodes.
Pirate Master
Pirate Master was a Survivor-esque show that aired in 2007, but with a twist the reader might find rather obvious. Unfortunately, the world wasn't as crazy about a pirate treasure hunting reality series as CBS hoped, and the show was transitioned to an online series after its cancellation midway through the season.
King Of The Nerds
Based on the movie Revenge of the Nerds, King of the Nerds was a 2013 TBS series revolving around, you guessed it, nerds. Challenges, typically called "Nerd Wars," granted immunity to the winners, and people were eliminated week after week until a winner was crowned. It lasted for three seasons before being canceled.
The Quest
It isn't often that fantasy medieval elements are worked into reality television, and perhaps 2014's The Quest is a reason why. Paladins competed in quests for favor, and the least favored Paladin was eliminated. Basically, it's a standard Survivor-style series but with a medieval twist. Disney+ eventually tried to revive it, but it didn't take.
Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge
Stone Cold Steve Austin is a tough dude, so it's little surprise that 2014's Broken Skull Challenge was one of the toughest reality shows out there. One might equate the series more to something like American Gladiators, however, as peak athletes did obstacle-course like challenges for a chance at prize money. The show went for five seasons on CMT before it ended.
Hunted
Do you think you could go on the run and evade capture from the government? That's exactly what the premise of 2017's Hunted was, with contestants going on the run in an attempt to make it to an extraction point while evading capture from experts. If they successfully made it to their goal city, they won $250,000. The CBS series only ran for one season, and only had two couples make it to the end and win the prize money out of nine teams of two.
Home Free
The 2015 series Home Free was a reality show with a pretty awesome twist. Each set of competing couples worked on renovating homes, with one couple being eliminated each week. What they didn't know is that every couple received a new home regardless of when they were eliminated, with the winning couple getting a luxury dream house. Unfortunately this Fox series only ran for two seasons, though I'm sure some readers wish it ran for longer.
Battle Of The Ex Besties
Oxygen dove into the reality television game in 2017 with Battle Of The Ex Besties. The series centered on pairs of former best friends competing to win $100,000, which is enough to help mend any broken relationship I'd imagine. The series only ran for one season, but I see the vision of it
Cannonball Run 2001
If you've ever seen the movie Cannonball Run, the title of this show says it all. The series, which was filmed in 2001, looked to replicate the real life nationwide race originated by Brock Yates, who felt the show fell short of the mark. The series was canceled, and Yates' attempt to make a more authentic series afterward never got off the ground.
Murder In Small Town X
True Crime fans would've loved Murder In Small Town X, where contestants worked to solve a series of fictional murders. Alas, the 2001 Fox series only lasted for eight episodes before cancelation, though I'd reckon a reboot would fare well today.
Beg, Borrow, & Deal
ESPN did a reality series in 2002 that, unsurprisingly, centered around sports. The other half of Beg, Borrow, & Deal, however, is that the contestants had to rely on the hospitality of others for meals, transportation, and lodging as they moved across the country.
Endurance
This might be the most Survivor show on the list that isn't the actual show, because the only real difference was the contestants were kids. Sure, 2002's Endurance wasn't quite as grueling as starving out on an island in the elements, but the contestants did compete in various mental and physical challenges to "outlast" competitors. The series lasted for six seasons on Discovery Kids before ending, which is a solid run.
Dog Eat Dog
NBC's 2003 show Dog Eat Dog involved four competitors competing in challenges with a unique twist. Contestants voted on who would compete, and if the chosen person lost, they were sent to the Dog Pound and lost. If they won, however, they would then choose who to eliminate from the competition and get back in the mix. In the end the Dog Pound would square off against the "top dog" with cash money going to the victor, or split between the previously eliminated group. The show lasted two seasons on NBC before cancellation.
Paradise Hotel
Fox has brought back Paradise Hotel a few times over the years after its 2003 debut, but it's never gotten real legs as a reality series. The show revolves around pairs living together in a hotel, and one person ultimately deciding to leave while the remaining person joins a new competitor. In the end the winning pair had to decide to split $250,000 or one of them keep it for themselves. The series saw three seasons with long gaps in between, so it could always come back!
Mad Mad House
Imagine Big Brother, but only if the house was loaded with people who skate on the edge of cultural norms. That's what Syfy's 2004 show Mad Mad House was, though the premise sounds a lot more interesting than it apparently was in execution. Reviews for the series weren't great, and it quietly exited television after ten episodes.
Solitary
Solitary went for four seasons on the Fox Reality Channel after its premiere in 2006, and it sounded absolutely bonkers. Contestants sat in solitary confinement and endured uncomfortable challenges and limited stimulation until the final person remained. The winner walked away with $50,000, which feels like far too little given this show sounds arguably harder than Survivor. I guess in this case, we should be thankful it didn't get as popular.
I Survived A Japanese Game Show
I Survived A Japanese Game Show tapped into the 2008 American perception of game shows in the Land of the Rising Sun, and flew families from the United States to Tokyo to compete on a game show. The series featured all sorts of bizarre and offbeat challenges, but even so, only lasted for two seasons over on ABC.
13: Fear Is Real
2009's 13: Fear Is Real forced contestants to face their fears in an effort to walk away with $66,666. Contestants had to overcome their own fears, while also preying on the fear of their competitors in what was a standard elimination style show. Well, as standard as terrifying people for profit can be. The series lasted for one season on The CW.
I Love Money
VH1 saw such success from its celebrity dating shows that it created a spinoff for all of the best stars of each series to compete against each other. 2008's I Love Money was similar to The Challenge in that regard, except the contestants were from shows like Flavor Of Love, I Love New York, and Rock Of Love. The series ran for four seasons, though the third season remains unreleased after cast member Ryan Jenkins was linked to the murder of his wife, Jasmine Fiore.
Moolah Beach
2001 series Moolah Beach was yet another short-lived Survivor-type show that took took all the elements of the CBS series, but made it for kids. Young contestants competed over the course of six episodes for $25,000. The Fox Kids series didn't run for long, but surely there are some out there show remember it.
Whodunnit?
Whodunnit is a 2013 series similar to the game Clue, but if players would get murdered/eliminated depending on how poorly they played the game. It sounds awesome, but unfortunately, it only lasted for one season on ABC.
The Benefactor
The Apprentice was a reality television success, and when it took off, it was only natural that competitors tried to compete with their own versions. 2004's The Benefactor was an ABC show, and was made with the help of billionaire and occasionally mean Shark Tank panelist Mark Cuban. The series didn't quite scratch the same itch of the show it hoped to replicate however, and was quickly canceled after one season.
The Joe Schmo Show
This may be slightly more believable given the release of Jury Duty on Amazon, but there was once a point where Spike TV attempted to make a scripted reality show. In 2003's The Joe Schmo Show, contestants were duped into believing they were on a reality show. In actuality, every other person competing was an actor, and producers intentionally manufactured situations to see how the contestant reacted. The series ran for three seasons, and is reportedly returning once again via TBS.
These shows are no longer around, but there are still plenty of new and long-running reality TV shows out there to enjoy on TV and streaming.
