2. The Talent Show Boom: Pop Idol and The X Factor

How three men called Simon are responsible for the gold rush of talent shows.

• 49 mins

3. The Wild West Years: There’s Something About Miriam and Who’s Your Daddy

How the explosion of reality TV in the early 2000s caused ethics to fly out the window.

• 44 mins

4. The Makeover Era: The Swan and What Not To Wear

How the rise of cosmetic surgery collided with reality TV.

• 53 mins

5. The Birth of Scripted Reality: Laguna Beach & The Hills

The shows that birthed reality’s first wave of lifestyle influencers.

• 50 mins

6. Climbing The Ladder: Keeping Up With The Kardashians

America’s First Family and how they created an entirely new category of uber-celebrity.

• 50 mins

7. The British Docusoap: The Only Way Is Essex & Made In Chelsea

How these BAFTA-winning reality shows became national treasures.

• 51 mins

8. Lifestyles of The Mega-Rich: The Real Housewives & Selling Sunset

Property porn, toxic wealth, and why audiences want schadenfreude.

• 53 mins

9. The Influencer Sausage Factory: Love Island, Part 1

How Love Island became a finishing school for influencers and a commercial juggernaut.

• 46 mins

10. A Format In Crisis & The Future of Reality TV: Love Island, Part 2

How one of TV’s most popular shows became mired in tragedy and controversy.

• 52 mins