What was the first ever reality TV show?

Although reality TV’s popularity exploded in the 21st century, the genre is nearly as old as television itself. The hidden-camera show "Candid Camera," often identified as the first reality TV show, premiered on the ABC network in 1948 with the title Candid Microphone, reflecting the show’s roots as a radio program (various versions of the TV show aired from 1948 to 2014). Candid Camera surreptitiously filmed unsuspecting people reacting to elaborate practical jokes, such as a telephone booth that levitates during a call and a two-way mirror at a barbershop that surprises customers with startling images.

Do you want to be Queen for a Day?" For over 20 years, this question could be heard in American households five days a week, as it introduced one of the most popular television shows during the 1950s and 60s. Queen for a Day was a daytime television program that served as a precursor for reality television today. Hosted by Jack Bailey, the show first aired as a radio program in 1945. It began airing on local Los Angeles television in 1947, until it was picked up by NBC in 1956. The Show remained with NBC until1960 before moving to ABC, where it remained until 1964.