Reality Shows are shows where the public can enjoy watching other people's lifes unfold each week.
Reality shows are like soap operas, only that in reality shows, what goes on is going on for real.
It could be said that sports shows and news shows were the first reality shows. However, the phrase reality show wasn't really used until MTV came up with The Real World during the early 80's
The Real World really didnt start getting an audience until The Real World San Francisco hit the airwaves in 1994. That was the Real World season where Pedro Zamora became a famous AIDS activist and everybody became interested in his legendary arguments with another of the house's guests as well as the message he was spreading. Zamora unfortunately died in 1994, but producers realized they had hit a gold mine with reality shows.
Subsequently, Reality shows have grown to include series like Survivor, Fear Factor, Road Rules, The Osbournes, The Anna Nicole Show and many others. As their names suggest, reality shows have broadened their horizons and now include from the most basic 'living in a house with a few strangers' situation to the wildest adventures, to portraying the daily lives of the rich and famous.
Currently, there are plans on the table to bring some more different reality shows to tv.