Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV

Pulitzer Prize–winning television critic Nussbaum (I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution) offers a comprehensive chronological investigation of the evolution of reality television, reaching as far back as radio call-in shows and 1948’s Candid Camera. Nussbaum examines reality television’s impact on entertainment history from the perspective of industry professionals, divulging the industry’s best-kept secrets and analyzing its trends and significant milestones over the years. From the very beginning, with a precarious start in radio and a dramatic climb to popularity with The Real World and Survivor, reality television was always a polarizing form of entertainment. Audiences have been fascinated, even as creators struggled to get the shows into production; the stars indelibly impacted the future of television. Narrator Gabra Zackman skillfully navigates interviews with crew members, producers, and the participants. Her confident, matter-of-fact tone creates an engaging listening experience, making this detailed, descriptive breakdown read like a gossip magazine.