At the millennium, reality-based television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) series, known as reality TV (see entry under 1990s—TV and Radio in volume 5) came to dominate the television airwaves. The pioneer of this genre (category), at least on American network TV, was The Real World (1991–), which aired on MTV (see entry under 1980s—Music in volume 5). The format of the series is simple and effective. Seven young people—all in their twenties, all from different social and economic backgrounds—live together for several months and open their lives to the video cameras. The youths are placed in a stylish house in a major city—the first five shows were shot in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, and Miami—and their every interaction is recorded on film. Additionally, each participant directly addresses the camera individually, in interviews that...