For as much criticism as the genre receives, there’s no denying that television would be a lot less enjoyable without binge-worthy reality content. This year saw the release of new breakout shows, the resurgence of old favorites, and the continuation of iconic franchises. We spent hours glued to the screen watching all 33 episodes of Love Island. We cried with Lindsay Hubbard during her Summer House breakup. We cheered for Joey Graziadei as he presented his final Bachelor rose to Kelsey Anderson.
Reality TV is addicting because it’s, well … real. We know that some (most?) of the situations are scripted, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t see ourselves in these humans. Their conflicts and drama might even make us feel a bit better about what’s going on in our own lives. We empathize, we criticize, we compare, and we relate to these people. It’s more than just an entertaining watch. Reality TV pulls us inside the screen and into other people’s stories. It’s funny, interactive, and it may even make us feel less alone.
Let’s be real—amidst a tense political year, we all needed a good laugh. Here are some of my personal favorite reality shows of 2024 that kept me smiling and coming back each week for more.
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Love Island USA (Peacock)
It’s no wonder Season 6 of Love Island more than doubled the series’ previous viewership record, with over one billion minutes watched in one week. Love Island has been around since 2015 but quickly became a cultural phenomenon this year. The Peacock series, hosted by Ariana Madix, follows a group of singles in a luxury villa hoping to find love. The islanders go through a series of challenges throughout the show that test their loyalty to each other. There’s romance, friendships and shocking betrayals. Not all couples wound up together, but fans fell in love with the cast (namely breakout stars Leah Kateb, Miguel Harichi, Rob Rausch, Serena Page, Kordell Beckham, JaNa Craig, and Kenny Rodriguez).
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The Traitors (Peacock)
It’s the ultimate real-life murder mystery game—and you may even see some familiar famous faces along the way. Love Island’s Bergie Bergersen, Big Brother’s Dan Gheesling, and The Bachelor’s Peter Weber compete in Season 2 of the Peacock reality series. Hosted by actor Alan Cumming at a castle in Scotland, all 20 cast members work together to secure a cash prize up to $250,000. The catch: among these contestants are the Traitors, who have a separate mission to “murder” the Faithful and take the money for themselves. Faithful competitors attempt to banish the Traitors, but if a Traitor reaches the end of the series, they claim all the money.
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The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu)
A group of Mormon mom influencers is thrust into the spotlight after getting caught in a swinging sex scandal. The Utah-based crew, dubbed “MomTok,” navigates their complicated lives of social media stardom, sin and secrets. Friendships are tested, and loyalties are shaken. Jennifer Affleck, Taylor Frankie Paul, and Mayci Neely all star in the captivating series, which broke records as Hulu’s most-watched unscripted season premiere in 2024.
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The Valley (Bravo)
At what cost would you give up a glamorous lifestyle? In this Vanderpump Rules spinoff on Bravo, cast members abandon bottle service and parties with Lisa Vanderpump to navigate a “normal” life. They sacrifice Hollywood luxury to move to the Valley and face some harsh realities: unstable friendships and relationships, the pressure of running a business, and the challenges of raising children.
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Summer House (Bravo)
Summer in the Hamptons is not for the weak. A group of nine friends share a house for the summer in the glamorous Montauk beach town. Their lives may be filled with luxurious brunches and charity galas, but not without drama. There are hookups, makeups, breakups and lots of secrets. One of the biggest scandals of the season: Carl Radke calling off his engagement with Lindsay Hubbard less than three months before their wedding.
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The Bachelor (ABC)
It’s one of those shows that continues to reinvent itself and never gets old. 2024 was a year of firsts for the Bachelor franchise: the first Asian Bachelorette, the first Golden Bachelorette, and the first Bachelor to go on to win Dancing with the Stars. On The Bachelor, a single man dates multiple women in hopes of finding his one true love to propose to at the end. The Bachelorette follows the same premise with a female lead, while Golden Bachelor/Golden Bachelorette focuses on people looking for love later in life.
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The Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo)
Another oldie but goodie: Season 15 is airing now on Bravo, and it’s chicer and more scandalous than ever. A group of friends navigate their busy, luxurious lives in New York: birthday parties, Hamptons vacations, dates and new apartments. But it’s not all glamorous. The show doesn’t shy away from more serious topics, including marriage counseling, fertility issues, and childhood trauma. Racquel Chevremont, Erin Lichy, Rebecca Minkoff, and Ubah Hassan lead Season 15.
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Southern Charm (Bravo)
Glance inside the lives of Charleston’s elite as they navigate their personal lives and careers in the South. Friendships get heated, relationships are challenged, but the cast must contain their composure—their family’s name depends on it. Several Southern Charm stars return for Season 10 on Bravo, including Shep Rose, Rodrigo Reyes, Venita Aspen, Leva Bonaparte, Craig Conover, Taylor Ann Green, Austen Kroll, Madison LeCroy, and Jarrett “JT” Thomas.
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House of Villains (E!)
Just when you thought their screen time was over, they’re back with a vengeance. Reality TV royalty comes together to compete for a cash prize and the title of America’s Ultimate Supervillain. Some of the most memorable villains return for Season 2 on E!, including Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa Giudice, Real Housewives of Miami’s Larsa Pippen, The Bachelor’s Victoria Larson, and RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Kandy Muse.
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Owning Manhattan (Netflix)
Escape into a world of glamorous New York real estate—each home presented on this Netflix series is aspirational and jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Ryan Serhant leads a real estate firm in New York, where he challenges his team of agents to sell luxury listings on the market, including the most expensive penthouse in the world.
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The Circle (Netflix)
Who would you be to win $100,000? In this strategic game, contestants must play themselves or disguise as someone else in an interactive digital space called “The Circle.” It’s more or less a popularity contest: each week, players must rank each other based on strategy, friendships or romantic connections. The person who secures the top spot at the end of the series wins the grand prize. The Netflix show succeeds with its amalgamation of personalities: a mom catfishing as a college girl, a woman disguising as a man in a rock band, and twins pretending to be one of their girlfriends.
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The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Bravo)
In this installment of Real Housewives on Bravo, six women live lavishly in Salt Lake City. Season 5 features a girl’s camp, a 25th wedding anniversary, and even an adult bat mitzvah. There is no shortage of drama between Lisa Barlow, Angie K, and Meredith Marks. Case in point: when Angie K unveils a scroll listing all the wrongdoings she would like an apology from Marks about.
The post The Top 12 Reality TV Shows of 2024: ‘Love Island USA,’ ‘The Traitors,’ and More appeared first on Decider.
