Reality Killed the Sitcom.

After recently watching 2011's MTV Movie Awards, there was one memorable line that fell out of Reese Witherspoon's Hollywood gob. Before taking home this years MTV Generation Award, the celebrated actress stated: "It's also possible to make it in Hollywood, without a reality show." However, although I'm partial to a bit of Legally Blonde and Water for Elephants was an incredible watch, I do have a soft spot for reality TV.

Undoubtedly, shows like TOWIE, The Hills, Geordie Shore and Made in Chelsea present the bizarre and somewhat disgusting lifestyles of today's 'stars', but it is an addiction. Crooner 'Arg' is my drug fix; who needs heroin to destroy lives, when you can watch the melt-down of others right from your sofa? Sure, it's wrong, but who can deny they didn't slightly enjoy the ever-changing face of Heidi Montag? After 6 series' of The Hills, viewers have been following her life from teens to twenties. Starting as a sweet girl from Colorado, minus the plastic, resulting in a typical LA barbie. The reality star was reported to have a mammoth 10 surgery procedures in one day, including bum implants, boob enlargements, back reshaping and far more ridiculous treatments. Married to a lunatic husband, we saw the gradual break-down of Heidi's relationships and mental state. It almost felt like we shouldn't be watching, but that's Hollywood.

So it seems after Laguna Beach hit our screens in 2004, the worlds gone bonkers for the bizarre. Mixed with true life and plotted story lines, contemporary audiences have become fixated with the lives of LA's rich and famous. But after 7 years of these American productions, it was time for us Brits to entertain. With satsuma skins and sparkly vaginas, 2010 welcomed The Only Way is Essex. The cheeky chappies of Chigwell, along with their fake-breasted girlfriends, was the perfect potion to guarantee an outrageous watch. TOWIE received mixed reviews, however love it or hate it, the show was a success in TV ratings. Earlier this year, the Marmite show even took home a BAFTA, much to their surprise!

The climbing fortune of reality TV has had a domino effect in the realm of British television, notably the 'upmarket' version, Made in Chelsea, has followed in its footsteps. Meanwhile, Geordie Shore has bombarded our screens with threesomes, hot tubs and St Tropez covered bedsheets.

So, if video killed the radio star, then it seems reality killed the sitcom. Time for my next fix? I think so ;)