Thesis
The future of reality and unscripted television: a genre not here to make friends
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jun 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011528
Abstract
Reality television has advanced from a niche, scattered mix of oft looked at "lower class" genre to a dominant form of media in the business and culture of entertainment. With the industry changes formed by the rise of social media, streaming models and genre dismantlement, reality television is at the center of change rooted in audience habits and large-scale business shifts. This thesis intends to examine how the unscripted genre has developed, why, and measure the potential success for the future of reality-based media. The main subtopics will question the impact of fluxes in the television industry and their long-term future, the attributes that make the genre both what it is and what makes it successful, and if genre is affected by the medium in which it is consumed. The research will quantitatively and qualitatively analyze viewer preference within the genre and compare it to the most popular programming outside of the genre. Through wide-ranging looks at the people working in the space, the data driving the decisionmakers and projections to the adaptability of the genre within a medium upheaval, this thesis will determine the viability for the future of reality television as a whole.
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Details
- Title
- The future of reality and unscripted television
- Creators
- Benjamin Kessler
- Contributors
- Joseph R. Marsini (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- iv, 130 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Television (and Media) Management; Cinema and Television; Drexel University; Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Other Identifier
- 991022200955304721