Which Talent Reality Series Is Fans' Favorite? - Nicki Swift Survey

Reality television has expanded a great deal since "The Real World" premiered on MTV in 1992. And though producers have since launched every type of reality show under the sun, reality talent shows have always captivated audiences. This past Summer, "America's Got Talent," which first premiered in 2006, dominated its competition in its Tuesday time slot, according to Deadline. And although "American Idol" has evolved far past its hey day, when it catapulted singers such as Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson into successful careers, it was still beating out other reality shows in 2019, per TV By The Numbers (via Gold Derby) — and that was without former judge Simon Cowell's charming wit. 

Newer generation programs like "The Voice," "The Masked Singer," and "X Factor, " have also cemented themselves as much-watch TV and contributed to some of the biggest reality TV moments of all time. Just think about the excitement you feel as you watch "The Voice" judges fight over which contestants will join their team, or the thrill of seeing the costume on "The Masked Singer" each week. Of course, we can't forget about fans' elation that comes when an "America's Got Talent" judge presses the "golden buzzer," sending the lucky contestant straight to the live performance phase. With so many to choose from, we asked Nicki Swift readers to vote on their favorite reality talent show to find out which one reigns supreme.

As it turns, out Nicki Swift readers really love "America's Got Talent." Of the 582 readers who responded to the survey, 39.52% chose the NBC talent show as their favorite. Unlike some of the other reality shows on the survey, "American's Got Talent" doesn't focus on a singular skill such as singing or dancing; it welcomes people with talents of all kinds, which may contributed to its widespread appeal. Plus, the show's got a great lineup of judges and hosts, including "American Idol" alum Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel, and Terry Crews, per NBC.  

The next most popular reality talent show is "American Idol," which scored 17.01% of the votes. Like much of its competition, "American Idol" has changed a lot since its 2002 premiere, including losing its original lineup of judges, which in addition to Cowell, included Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, and also switching from Fox to ABC, per Buzzfeed News. However, Nicki Swift's readers have proven that it's still near and dear to their hearts.

Garnering 16.67% and 11.86% of the votes, "The Voice" and "The Masked Singer" come in third and fourth place, respectively. Finally, rounding out the list are "So You Think You Can Dance" and "X Factor," with 9.28% and 5.67% of readers' votes, which makes sense given that the former went on an extended hiatus, per Cinema Blend, and the latter has been cancelled completely, per Forbes.