Often, reality television is attributed with the lowest in society. People think, "What kind of people would submit themselves to this?" But, the truth is that some shows...actually aren't that bad. Some are actually good, promoting important character traits, testing the strength of the human population or allowing individuals to achieve their dreams. While some of the shows on list may have, as seasons went on, lost some of their charm, at the very least they all, at some point, gave society something...interesting.

•1. American Idol (FOX): After auditions in several different cities and seeing several thousand people, judges Simon Cowell (record exec), Paul Abdul (singer/dancer) and Randy Jackson (producer) choose 25 lucky singing hopefuls to come for further auditions in Hollywood. Then, the numbers cut to the top 12 who sing live in front of America. Each contestant is assigned a phone number that people can call to vote for him or her. The person with the fewest votes gets kicked out until only one American Idol is left. Why does this show rank in the Top 10? Though Star Search came before Idol in the talent show realm, Idol was the first to allow America to voice its opinions. More importantly, the people who win actually do sell records and achieve their dreams.

•2. Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (VH1): Nine celebrities whose lives have been ruined by drug addiction check into a drug rehabilitation center supervised by Dr. Drew Pinsky. Viewers watch the celebrities in their drug-using element, going through detox and talking about their problems in group and individual therapy sessions. Why does this show rank in the top 10? Celebrity Rehab is, for most of America, a rare look into the world of drug addiction. What is shown on this show is, almost to the tee,what rehab is like. The emotions are raw and real, unlike most "reality" TV today.

•3. Survivor (CBS): Often attributed as starting the reality TV craze, Survivor is still thriving in its 16^th season. The show takes more than a dozen contestants to an isolated, exotic locale to compete for the grand prize of $1 million and the title of Sole Survivor. Players must rough it, forced to find their own food (often rats) and shelter. During the game, competitions are played giving winners necessity (water-proof matches) and luxury items (bedding). Why does this show rank in the Top 10? Before Survivor premiered, most if not everyone was unfamiliar with this genre of TV. It shows city-slickers just how hard surviving in isolation is and just how much they take for granted.

•4. Real World (MTV): The grandfather of all reality shows put seven strangers in a tricked-out house where they would be filmed 24 hours a day. The strangers live, work and play together for about 5 months. As the opening says, viewers get to find out what happens "when people stop being polite and start being real." Why does this show rank in the top 10? So, maybe this show isn't as real as it could be with the over-supplied liquor and product placements, but it's still real enough. Everyday issues that aren't often talked about in polite society are broadcast on Real World; issues of sexuality, prejudice, religion and politics are discussed nearly every season. The Real World has always been able to stir the pot and give people something to talk about.

•5. The Amazing Race (CBS): This show paired teams of two people who had preexisting relationships with each other on a race around the world. At each location, teams must complete different tasks to get clues on how to get to the next location and the "pit stop" where they will spend the night. The last team to reach the pit stop is eliminated and out their chance to win $1 million. Why does this show rank in the top 10? This show promotes team work as one member of a team cannot move on without the other. Also, the series has shown the strength and diligence of many different types of people as past team relationships include parent/child, siblings, dating couples, married couples, friends, homosexual couples, separated couples and even a team with a little person.

•6. Road Rules (MTV): Could be called Real World on an RV. Five to six strangers (depending on the season) are forced to complete different missions to win a handsome reward at the end. Each season changed locales, and toward the last few seasons, cast members were forced to vote off cast members who weren't pulling their weight. Why does this show rank in the top 10? Unlike later competitive reality shows, when the Road Rules crew voted off a cast member a new one would show up. It was not a last man standing competition, but instead promoted the idea of teamwork.

•7. Little People, Big World (TLC): Little People follows the daily life of the Roloff family from Portland, Oregon. The family includes Matt and Amy, the parents; Zachary and Jeremy, the twins; and Molly and Jake, the youngest children. The way this family is different is that Matt, Amy and Zach all have a form of dwarfism, while the other kids are regular height. Why does this show rank in the top 10? This show is sweet as a cupcake but not without conflict. It gives an inside look at how much more work it can be for little people to do things viewers take for granted, but also shows how little people are like everyone else.

•8. Wipe-out (ABC): Okay, okay, this show just premiered on June 24^th, 2008, but it's pretty awesome. Each week 24 contestants compete in what is billed as the "world's largest obstacle course." After each stage of the competition, players are eliminated based on their times until one person is left to win $50,000. Why does this show rank in the top 10? Unlike a lot of reality shows or shows in general, this one is something that adults and kids of all ages can enjoy together. Nothing like a family night where everyone wants to watch the same show. Besides that, it's probably the funniest show on TV. Laugh out loud, hurts the abs funny.

•9. Legally Blonde: The Search for the Next Elle Woods (MTV): As Laura Bell Bundy, the current lead in Legally Blonde: The Musical, is not return as Elle Woods on Broadway, 15 contestants were chosen out of thousands to compete for the role. Each week, the women (ranging in age from 18 to 18) attend classes to help them with the role and the best performer gets a leg-up for the audition by meeting with an original cast member. Every episode finishes with an audition where the women sing a song from the musical and at least one of them is eliminated. Why does this show rank in the top 10? The women on this show are actually talented. Just like Idol, Search is going to give someone their dream.

•10. Ghost Hunters (Sci-Fi): By day, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson are plumbers, but by night, they are the lead investigators of a team of ghost hunters. Each week the team goes to a different supposedly haunted spot not trying to prove the haunting but actually to disprove it. Using technology, they try to find answers. Why does this show rank in the top 10? Rather than just believing locations are haunted, the team says only evidence lead to that conclusion. It's much more realistic than other ghost shows. On top of this, when the team goes to famous places, viewers get to come along for free, and when they go to private homes, they try to help the homeowners not be scared in their own houses.

I'd like to add that I wanted to include the series Lock Up, which looks inside prison life at several different prisons, but it is technically considered a documentary.