Reality TV most likely originated from the likes of Konstantin Stanislavski, a famous Russian dramatist. He was considered the "father of
realism" as he ventured strongly into realistic and naturalistic
drama as a reaction to the hyped
melodrama preceeding his movement in Russia.
Realism /
naturalism in drama has been about for somewhere about 100 years now, and it is only natural that it now venture to the
TV screen as a new type of media. Shows such as "
Big Brother" follow a very naturalistic approach trying to show life exactly as it is, while renovation shows and so on form a more realism structure.