Reality TV gets a bad rap. I’ve said it again and again.
While the reality television genre is often looked upon with disdain by elitist TV viewers, it frequently offers a wealth of captivating stories that can hit just as hard as the most well-crafted scripted series. For proof, all you have to do is look back at the best reality shows from the past 12 months.
Without a doubt, 2023 offered some of the highest quality reality TV programming anyone has seen in the last few years. The genre provides something for every type of viewer, while also stretching the definition of reality TV itself. The shows listed below aren’t just for standard guilty pleasure viewing. None of the typical cringe-worthy reality shows most people are familiar with made the cut (sorry FBoy Island), for one big reason.
The core ingredients for great reality TV are almost identical to what you would find in a quality scripted series. The best reality shows are programs that make you think, cry, laugh, and celebrate. But in some ways, what makes them even more impactful than a traditional scripted show is none of what you experience is fabricated. With all that in mind, here are the best reality TV shows that 2023 had to offer.
10. Jury Duty
Network: Amazon Freevee
Watch on Amazon Prime (with ads)
No program blurs the lines between scripted and reality more than Jury Duty. Even though this series is nominated for 4 Emmys, it is most certainly a reality show. The program looks at the court system through juror Ronald Gladden, the one person on Jury Duty who doesn’t know the trial he’s participating in is a hoax. A blend of The Office and Candid Camera, Jury Duty pokes fun at the criminal justice system and actor James Marsden, who plays a parody of himself, but also gives viewers hope for humanity as Gladden is an everyman full of kindness and decency.
9. Wrestlers
Network: Netflix
You wouldn’t think that the lives of pro wrestlers in a regional Kentucky wrestling league you’ve never heard of would make for interesting television, but you’d be surprisingly mistaken. Regional league Ohio Valley Wrestling, where legendary wrestlers John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Dave Bautista trained early in their careers, is near financial collapse. The story of its owner doing whatever it takes while his wrestlers struggle with drugs, relationship issues, and financial hardships all set in a town that’s lost half its population in the last 30 years is a riveting one. Wrestlers offers a no-holds-barred look into a world that used to be shrouded in secrecy.
8. Family Karma
Network: Bravo
While the Vanderpump Rules drama from Scandoval may have gotten a ton of publicity this year, one of the true stars of the Bravo universe was quietly going about its business offering an inside look at a much more interesting and deeply connected community. In the criminally underappreciated Family Karma, the multi-generational cast has known each other for decades, which gives their trials and tribulations with each other real stakes. Filled with fun, family, and plenty of drama, Family Karma is one of the most authentic series on TV.
7. The Golden Bachelor
Network: ABC
It’s easy to dismiss any series from The Bachelor franchise, it’s just not a show you can take seriously anymore (if you ever could to begin with). You can’t dismiss The Golden Bachelor, however, because it has a heartfelt sincerity every other series in the franchise is sorely missing. Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner and his cast of women aged 60-75 are all in it for the right reasons and it shows in the most humorous, hope filled, and enjoyable series in Bachelor history.
6. Squid Game: The Challenge
Network: Netflix
When Squid Game: The Challenge was announced in June of 2022, there was plenty of speculation about a reality series based on the hit scripted show. Could Netflix actually pull it off? Is it actually even possible? The answer to both of those questions is a resounding yes. Despite being controversial, the reality program filmed over 16 days in an enormous London studio is massive not just in scope, but in ambition. Part of that is due to it having the largest reality competition cast ever (456 people) competing for one of the biggest cash prizes ever ($4.56 million). But more surprising is that, considering the size of its cast (don’t get too attached to any one player), the suspense and drama almost perfectly mirrors Netflix’s most successful scripted series the reality show is based on.
5. The Amazing Race
Network: CBS
The 35th season of The Amazing Race is one of the series’ best. The 23,800 mile adventure with a $1 million prize is better than ever thanks to the return of airport drama, some stunning locales, unique and crazy challenges, and best of all, some wonderful teams to root for. The Amazing Race is also at the forefront of a unique trend on competitive reality shows: the absence of a villain. This is a trend I fully support.
4. The Below Deck Franchise
Network: Bravo
If Family Karma is Bravo’s hidden gem, the Below Deck franchise is the anchor that keeps the network tethered in reality because it shows real people doing their actual, challenging jobs. While rich people sit around drinking and eating, being waited on hand and foot, this rare Bravo program offers an unvarnished look at the people who do all the dirty work: yachties. Offering a true upstairs/downstairs experience, Below Deck has more in common with Downton Abbey than the Real Housewives, and viewers are better off for it.
3. Top Chef
Network: Bravo
Judge and host Padma Lakshmi went out with a bang as Season 20 of Top Chef was one of the best in franchise history. Set in London with a Paris finale, this season not only offered up beautiful plates of food, but also a diverse group of fantastic all-stars from around the world. While Padma is departing to focus more on her Hulu series Taste the Nation and is being replaced by former Top Chef champ Kristen Kish, her final run left viewers with an all-time winner (Buddha Lo) and an unforgettable season.
2. Welcome to Wrexham
Network: FX
There’s nothing else on TV like Welcome to Wrexham, not even close. The docuseries perfectly blends sports with community, humor, and celebrity, with a touch of history thrown in for good measure. Most sports fans from the United States have much more pressing domestic concerns than following the equivalent of a Single-A baseball team in a foreign country. Yet I don’t know anyone who’s watched Welcome to Wrexham who hasn’t become addicted to it.
1. Survivor
Network: CBS
Much like a fine wine, after 23 years Survivor just keeps getting better with age. The last two seasons in the New Era of Survivor, both airing in 2023, have been absolute bangers. Season 44 featured a memorable winner (Yam Yam), some crazy characters (Carolyn!), and a legit showmance (Frannie and Matt). And while Season 45 had two people quit, its terrific cast, the first successful use of The Shot in the Dark, 90-minute episodes that add depth, and some epic gameplay have made for another amazing season.
Why 4 shows that made this list in 2022 aren’t on it in 2023:
#10. Me or the Menu (Food Network): Canceled
#9. Married at First Sight (Lifetime): An embarrassingly low success rate for the Nashville and Denver seasons may be proof that the relationship experts need to tweak their couple-picking formula.
#8. Love is Blind (Netflix): Another relationship show with a low success rate. Only three couples from the pods got engaged, one split up during the honeymoon, and another chose not to get married.
#6. Chopped (Food Network): After 55 seasons and more than 700 episodes in 14 years, Chopped is starting to show its age. The gimmick of Chopped, which Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio is not a fan of, is wearing thin.
Terry Terrones is a Television Critics Association and Critics Choice Association member, licensed drone pilot, and aspiring hand model. When he’s not applying to be on Survivor, you can find him hiking in the mountains of Colorado. You can follow him on Twitter @terryterrones.
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