Reality TV Quiz

1. Survivor, one of the most successful reality TV franchises ever, first aired in which year?

1. 1997
2. 2000
3. 2002
4. 2004

2. The first season of Big Brother aired in which country in 1999?

1. Germany
2. Netherlands
3. United Kingdom
4. United States

3. American Idol launched in 2002. Which artist from its first season became the most commercially successful Idol contestant ever?

1. Carrie Underwood (Season 4 winner)
2. Jennifer Hudson (Season 3 contestant)
3. Kelly Clarkson (Season 1 winner)
4. Ruben Studdard (Season 2 winner)

4. Keeping Up with the Kardashians ran for how many seasons before ending in 2021?

1. 12
2. 16
3. 20
4. 22

5. Love Island UK is filmed at a villa in which country?

1. Cyprus
2. Greece
3. Italy
4. Spain (Mallorca)

6. The Real Housewives franchise is one of Bravo's biggest. Which city had the first edition?

1. Beverly Hills
2. New Jersey
3. New York
4. Orange County

7. Which reality competition show features contestants baking in timed challenges with judges Paul Hollywood and (originally) Mary Berry?

1. Hell's Kitchen
2. MasterChef
3. The Great British Bake Off
4. Top Chef

8. RuPaul's Drag Race has become one of the most acclaimed reality competition shows. What is the prize for winning?

1. $100,000, a year's supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills make-up, and the title of 'America's Next Drag Superstar'
2. $250,000 and a Netflix special
3. $50,000 and a drag performance residency in Las Vegas
4. A record deal with RuPaul's label

9. The Bachelor franchise has the famous tradition of giving out roses. What does a rose signify?

1. A marriage proposal
2. The contestant is eliminated
3. The contestant wins the week's challenge
4. The lead chooses to keep the contestant — they continue to the next round

10. MasterChef was originally a UK show before becoming a global franchise. In which year did Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen premiere in the US?

1. 2002
2. 2005
3. 2007
4. 2009

11. Shark Tank (US) / Dragons' Den (UK) features entrepreneurs pitching to investors. What happens when a deal is made on the show?

1. The deal is legally binding immediately
2. The deal must be approved by a TV network board
3. The deal shown is not the final deal — it is subject to due diligence after filming
4. The investor hands over cash on the spot

12. The Amazing Race is a reality competition where teams race around the world. What do teams win?

1. $1 million
2. $250,000 and two first-class international tickets
3. $500,000
4. $500,000 and a trip around the world

13. Which reality show pioneered the 'confessional' format where contestants directly address the camera in private moments?

1. Big Brother
2. Jersey Shore
3. Survivor
4. The Real World (MTV, 1992)

14. Jersey Shore (MTV) ran from 2009–2012 and popularised certain phrases. Which term, used on the show, entered mainstream vocabulary?

1. 'Fist pump'
2. 'GTL' (Gym, Tan, Laundry)
3. 'Smush'
4. All of the above and more

15. I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is a UK show filmed in which country's jungle?

1. Australia (Queensland)
2. Brazil
3. Costa Rica
4. South Africa

16. Squid Game: The Challenge (2023) was Netflix's reality competition based on the hit Korean drama. What was the cash prize?

1. $1 million
2. $10 million
3. $3.5 million
4. $4.56 million

17. What was the cultural significance of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (2003) and its 2018 Netflix reboot?

1. It was purely a fashion show with no cultural impact
2. It was significant only for its fashion advice
3. The original broke ground in mainstream US television for LGBTQ+ representation; the reboot expanded the concept to emotional makeovers addressing deeper personal struggles
4. The reboot was more successful but less culturally significant than the original

18. The Voice (singing competition) features a 'blind audition' format. What makes it 'blind'?

1. Coaches face away from the stage during auditions and can only hear, not see, the performer — turning their chair signals they want that contestant
2. Contestants don't know which coach they will get
3. Contestants perform with blindfolds on
4. The voting is conducted anonymously

19. Survivor's gameplay concept introduced the 'alliance' strategy. Who was the first to systematically use this in Season 1?

1. Jeff Probst (the host)
2. Kelly Wiglesworth
3. Richard Hatch
4. Rudy Boesch

20. Love Is Blind (Netflix) has a unique format. What is it?

1. Contestants are matched by algorithm with no say in selection
2. Contestants choose partners based only on personality tests
3. Couples get engaged without ever seeing each other — meeting only in 'pods' through walls
4. Couples meet blindfolded and must marry within 24 hours