Real People

…accepting an offer to cohost Real People, a precursor to modern-day reality programs. The show, which debuted in 1979, featured ordinary Americans with unconventional hobbies and jobs.

With the appearance of Real People (NBC, 1979–84), however, the genre began to thrive. Called “infotainment” by some critics and “schlockumentary” by others, Real People presented several short documentaries per episode featuring “real people” who did unusual things: one man ate dirt, for example, and another walked only backward.…