Ever since the format exploded in the late '90s and early 2000s, plenty of reality TV shows have come and gone without a trace, much less a satisfying conclusion. However, when it comes to the online community on websites like Reddit, long memories will disallow some of the most ephemeral reality TV shows from fading into obscurity.
In fact, some Redditors are clamoring for both popular and long-forgotten reality TV shows to make a rousing comeback at some point in the future. Though none of these could likely the ranks of the best reality TV shows of all time, there are interesting concepts that arguably deserve a second chance. From culinary competitions, adventurous game shows, reality dating fare, and more, find out which canceled reality TV shows still have legions of fans on Reddit.
The Colony (2009-2010)
On a Reddit thread posted by ChloeJoy88 asking specifically what reality TV shows need to make a comeback, ColonelBy launches into a fully ed essay on why the 2009 reality show The Colony is the number one answer. The show gathers a collection of strangers who spend three months together in a post-apocalyptic environment attempting to build a civilization from the ground up.
"This one was fun conceptually," ColonelBy writes, adding "at its best the show was a really interesting look at the kinds of things that are possible with limited resources and how even simulated high-stress conditions can take a real toll."
The Mole (2001-2008)
On the same thread, several Redditors voice their undying love for The Mole, a reality TV game show in which several contestants travel around the globe and solve puzzles to win cash prizes. The real challenge is identifying the secret saboteur in the group. Redditors like boomtronic and JohnnyReeko put forward The Mole, with original poster ChloeJoy88 jumping in to say "Oh yes, I loved The Mole too."
Running five seasons from 2001 t0 2008, The Mole was hosted by Anderson Cooper and had an immersive element that allowed viewers to actively guess along with the contestants. If the show returns, so should Cooper.
Dog Eat Dog (2002-2003)
According to long-forgotten reality TV show that should return to the airwaves. The series follows six strangers who compete in mental and physical challenges before voting off the weakest link each ing week. Those who are eliminated go to the Dog Pound, who can be saved by the Top Dog if they choose to spend their prize money to help a friend or keep it for themself.
Aside from a handful of ive upvotes, OneManFreakShow adds to the discourse by stating "Dog Eat Dog was simultaneously very of its time and ahead of the curve. I think it'd be a huge hit if it came back and I'm surprised it hasn't yet."
The Joe Schmo Show (2003-2004, 2013)
Created by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, The Joe Schmo Show was a comedic reality TV gameshow that lasted three seasons. Poking fun at the reality TV format, the show used real actors to prank unwitting non-celebrity contestants to think they were on a real program.
Redditor uknolickface gets the party started by saying "I could always do a Joe Schmo show. Season 1 was the best season of TV possibly ever." Samhain13 s the notion, calling it "a wonderful show," while phatelectribe adds "I hate reality TV but the Joe Schmo Show was legitimately some of the most entertaining, and the last episode was just a rollercoaster."
On The Lot (2007)
Similar to Bravo's Project Greenlight, Fox's short-lived reality show On The Lot followed 16 budding filmmakers as they went through the process of production and compete for a DreamWorks contract. KingEuronIIIGreyjoy hopes the show improves upon a return, saying "I wish On The Lot could have been a better show because watching amateur filmmakers work on their craft was kind of fun."
The Redditor adds a wise point, saying "any show with that subject matter could be interesting, especially in the age of YouTube filmmakers." Several others ed both sentiments with upvotes.
Cutthroat Kitchen (2013-2017)
ChloeJoy88 begins their post by saying "These are the shows I really miss and would love to see more episodes of" and listing a series of reality shows, with Food Network's Cutthroat Kitchen and its summertime spin-off Camp Cutthroat making the list. Alton Brown hosts the culinary reality competition, throwing severe curveballs that hamstring the cooks mid-meal.
For the summery spinoff, Alton hosts a series of outdoor campers and makes them do wildly inappropriate activities while cooking meals, leading to a series of hilarious mishaps and unappetizing pratfalls.
Kid Nation (2017)
With 14 upvotes ing the notion, Eriosyces simply names Kid Nation as their number one canceled reality TV show that ought to return. Lasting a single season in 2007, the show follows a gaggle of children who learn to forge a self-sufficient society without adult supervision.
As the show progresses, the weak links are weeded out and the alphas take charge, leading to social strata that mirror the real world. In one of the most dangerous reality TV shows, AV Club reports that four kids drank bleach during production, which could certainly be a reason why the show was canceled.
Cha$e (2008)
Not to be confused with the trivia game show The Chase, Cha$e was a live-action Pacman-like reality TV game show that OneManFreakShow wants to see make a comeback. In order to win prize money, players must outrace a clock as well as relentless hunters out to eliminate them from the competition.
The Redditor states "There was this game show on SyFy of all places called Cha$e that was a lot of fun... It was really interesting but definitely on the wrong network." Perhaps with a revival, Cha$e could find a better-suited home.
Beauty And The Geek (2005-2008)
Surprisingly, not many reality dating shows were named by Redditors as favorite return candidates. However, the beloved reality dating show attempts to pair a beautiful woman with a nerdy man with a genius-level IQ and see if the sparks fly.
While several spinoffs have been made in other countries, a U.S. version would be ideal for a comeback given the success of such similar shows as Love is Blind.
Treasure Hunters (2006)
Lasting just one season and 12 episodes in 2006, Treasure Hunters followed groups of teams who traveled the globe in search of hidden clues and ciphers that need to be cracked in order to find buried gold. The hook is that none of the teams know they have competitors.
With a handful of ive upvotes, Uncharted, now is a perfect time for Treasure Hunters to return.