15 Reality Shows You NEED To Start Watching

Whether you love it or loathe it, reality television is definitely here to stay. Some of the most jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring moments in recent TV history have been part of the reality genre. And we can't get enough. Reality TV is for sure a guilty pleasure of ours. Let's face it, who wouldn't want to watch unscripted arguments, scandalous hookups, and over-the-top antics? When sitcoms and soap operas become too much of a snooze, reality TV is where the real action is. Aside from its seriously high entertainment value, reality programming has turned unknowns into overnight sensations in the blink of an eye. After all, where would the Kardashians be without the ability to exploit themselves on a national platform? Whether reality stars sign up for these shows in search of finding love, fame, or a small fortune, we consistently keep on tuning in to watch how their lives play out on the small screen. We can't help but be fixated on all things reality TV related, and we're not ashamed to admit it. Take our word for it: here are 15 reality shows that you NEED to start watching!

15 Bachelor In Paradise

Are you watching the super popular spinoff of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette? The premise is basically that castoffs from both shows get together on a secluded beach in Mexico with one shared goal: making a love connection. Well, at least that's what they want us to believe! Some people totally sign up for paradise in order to stir up drama or to extend their fading fifteen minutes of fame, but the end result is still some seriously quality programming. This show has been in the spotlight recently thanks to a super controversial allegation of misconduct that suspended production for two weeks and could have rocked the franchise to the core. Two cast members were engulfed in a he-said/she-said scandal that almost resulted in the show being cancelled, but after no evidence of foul play was discovered, the contestants were sent back to resume filming their quest for love. There's no way that this season of Bachelor In Paradise won't be jam-packed with drama, hilarious hookups, and maybe even an unexpected engagement or two. It's a relief that bachelor in paradise will be returning this August as originally planned and we can't wait to see what this reality show has in store this time around!

14 Famously Single

Whoever decided to put eight hopelessly single celebs inside a house together to work on their ability to form meaningful relationships is a bonafide genius. Now in its second season, Famously Single is one part reality show, one part dating show. The cast enters the house with a shared goal of working on themselves and figuring out why they have been so unlucky in love, but of course, there's much more to the show. There are both fights and hookups brewing amongst this group of famous faces, and this is one mashup you definitely don't want to miss! Last season birthed a romantic relationship between singer Aubrey O'Day and DJ Pauly D that is still going strong, and this year's bunch is ready and willing to begin their quest for love. So who exactly can be seen on this season of Famously Single, you ask? Plenty of polarizing personalities and delightfully vindictive villains, of course! We have resident bad-boy Chad Johnson of The Bachelorette, Tiffany Pollard from Flavor of Love and I Love New York fame, Karina Smirnoff from Dancing With The Stars, Dorothy Wang from Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, and controversial model/TV personality Calum Best are all signed on to make this season our guiltiest pleasure yet. And did we mention we get to watch a rollercoaster romance brew between Jersey Shore's Ronnie Magro-Ortiz and Keeping Up with The Kardashians supporting star Malika Haaq!? Umm, yeah… pass the popcorn, please!

13 Big Brother

Big Brother is a voyeuristic reality show that puts an eclectic group of people together in a house for three months with one goal in mind: to be the last person standing and taking home the half-million dollar prize. Now in its 19th season, this summer sensation has been a smash hit for nearly two decades. The show's tagline is "expect the unexpected" and Big Brother makes sure to always keep the houseguests and viewers guessing. Between the lying, manipulating, backstabbing, shocking twists, and the making and breaking of alliances, this is one show that you wouldn't want to miss. Possibly the most interesting aspect of the series is that the houseguests are not only featured on the episodes that air three nights per week - their lives inside the BB house are also broadcast online through a 24 hour live feed. Needless to say, the show has developed a massive following over the years and viewers are obsessed with watching the contestants every move. With the live feeds, there leaves little room for privacy, giving viewers an introspective look at the houseguest's good and bad qualities. Those who win challenges, form relationships with important allies, and have a masterful social game walk away with a nice chunk of change - and those watching at home have a totally hot reality TV obsession all summer long. There's no doubt that if you haven't seen Big Brother yet, now is the perfect time to start!

12 Dance Moms

Sure, the always controversial Dance Moms reality series has been on air for several seasons now, but things are about to get even crazier for the talented young dancers and their overbearing stage parents. While the show has always focused on super abrasive dance teacher Abby Lee Miller, the crass trash-talking star has stepped away from her role after a falling out with the show's producers. Oh yeah… did we mention she's also been sentenced to serve a year in prison due to tax fraud? We're sure that Abby's absence will be a hot topic for the current season, especially since most of the moms will be glad to see her go. Taking over the coveted role of dance instructor this year is none other than seasoned professional Cheryl Burke of Dancing With The Stars fame. With so many changes being made at the studio and so much venom still coming from Miller, there's no way you'll want to miss out on this season. Because let's face it: when it comes to entertaining reality TV, Dance Moms has never been one to disappoint!

11 Life Of Kylie

Let's be honest, Keeping Up with the Kardashians should be considered reality TV royalty, but it's the show's many spinoffs that really make us jump for joy. The successful reality series has been responsible for offshoots including Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami, Khloe & Lamar, and more recently, Rob & Chyna. As if all those weren't enough, we can officially add Life Of Kylie to the long list of Kardashian-Jenner themed reality series. Naturally, the show focuses on the star-studded life of the infamous Kylie Jenner. While the youngest Jenner assures fans that they will get a more personal understanding of her busy life, we're pretty certain that the show will mostly consist of watching Kylie take selfies of herself while bragging about how many followers she has on Instagram. The show is set to debut in August, and even thought Kylie might not have the biggest personality in her famous family, she's definitely becoming one of the biggest celebs on the planet. The need to check out Life Of Kylie is simply obvious… and even if this spinoff is a total train-wreck you can bet that we'll all be watching!

10 The Real Housewives Of Orange County

Needless to say, the long-running Real Housewives franchise is an absolute phenomenon and has created some of the most insane moments in reality television history. But the unstoppable franchise wouldn't even exist if it weren't for the original series that started it all: The Real Housewives of Orange County. The current and twelfth season of the uber-successful series is currently airing, and this one is sure to be a real doozy! As usual, tensions run high in the O.C., where the weather is always sunny and there's always a strong chance that drama will surely ensue. This season, former cast member Lydia McLaughlin will make her return to the series, Shannon Beador will deal with the emotional turmoil of her husband's affair and her tumultuous relationship with Vicki Gunvalson, and Megan King-Edmonds is a first-time mother. As if that wasn't enough, Tamra Barney and Kelly Dodd will clash with various other housewives and we will be introduced to a brand new OC housewife, Peggy Sulahian. The Real Housewives of Orange County never fails to deliver the drama and we cannot wait to see what this latest installment has in store!

9 Eric & Jessie: Game On

We're just going to come right out and say it: Eric and Jessie James Decker are that sickeningly sweet couple that everyone just can't seem to get enough of! The professional football player and the country music star first ventured into the realm of reality television in 2013 with the debut of Eric & Jessie: Game On. The show focused on the couple's impending wedding and the arrival of their first child, Vivianne. It was a hit but the couple stepped away from the small screen to focus on their family and careers. Eric and Jessie have since added a son to their brood and Jessie has been juggling her multiple businesses while Eric has been busy on the football field. The Deckers have millions of social media followers and their popularity has been increasing. Earlier this year, the couple took fans by surprise by announcing that they would be returning to TV for the revival of Eric & Jessie: Game On… and we couldn't be more excited! With a budding music career, a national tour, a surprisingly successful clothing line, and multiple endorsement deals, and taking care of two young kids, Jessie has her work cut out for her. On top of that, viewers will surely see Eric getting cut from the New York Jets and his scramble to sign with a new team. Did we mention that Jess's younger sister, Sydney, has also recently gotten married and has a baby on the way? With so much happening for the Deckers, this year is sure to be a big one for this unstoppable family. You already know we have our DVRs set to record their reality show reboot once it premieres this fall!

8 The Challenge

The Challenge has become a staple show for MTV… and for good reason! The reality game show mixes aspects of The Real World with competitive components of Road Rules to create one seriously intense guilty pleasure. Of course, the series brings back most of our favorite (and least favorite) faces from past challenges, and with the recent introduction of throwing former Are You The One? contestants into the mix, the show has been taken to new heights. Now entering its impressive thirtieth season, the theme for this installment of The Challenge is “Dirty Thirty” featuring some of the most ruthless contestants the series has ever encountered. Of course, staple veterans such as Johnny Bananas will be present, but this year's show brings back even more vintage Challenge beasts such as CT Tamburello, Darrell Taylor, and Derrick Kosinski. What already makes this season possibly the greatest ever is that the grand prize has been upped to a whopping $1 million. With such a huge jackpot, we're sure that the fight to stay in the game will be all the more savage. Yup, this is one show you definitely need to start watching.

7 Teen Mom 2

Seriously, do the girls of Teen Mom 2 ever pump the breaks when it comes to bringing the drama?! The incredibly popular Teen Mom franchise has always been a source of controversy, and this year is definitely no different. The upcoming season brings back Chelsea Houska, Leah Messer, Kail Lowry, and Jenelle Evans to continue sharing the details of their fast-paced lives. Of course, viewers will get a deeper look at the star's rocky romances and daily dealings with deadbeat baby daddies, and this season MTV has added a fifth mom to the mix: Briana DeJesus. The show will be comprised of weddings, custody battles, and naturally, pregnancies. In fact, four of the five girls will welcome new bundles of joy during the course of the season. We're pretty positive that Chelsea will have to deal with her ex's lack of involvement in her daughter's life, Kail will struggle with having a third child with a third man, and Jenelle will continue her contentious (and often pointless) battles with her mother Barbara. We don't know how they manage it all… we're exhausted just thinking about their hectic lifestyles! With a never-ending supply of baby mama drama, Teen Mom 2 is one show that you just can't afford to miss.

6 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?

Unless you've been living under a rock, there's a pretty good chance that you've seen or at least heard about the widely talked-about series 90 Day Fiancé. The show basically follows several couples who are trying to go through the rigorous K-1 visa process in order for their international significant others to gain citizenship. The pairs have only three months to get married and it makes for some pretty interesting programming. Of course, some of the couples are genuinely together for the right reasons (love, duh!) but it's abundantly clear (at least to viewers at home) that some of them are just in it for a green card. While 90 Day Fiancé documents their journey to down the altar, 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? follows up with several couples from the original series and continues their stories about what happened after they said “I do.” Now in its second season, the show has received some obvious fanfare, and viewers of the show totally know why. While it's sweet to see the great lengths that some couples will go to in order to stay together in the US, the drama that unfolds between the couples who clearly got married for selfish reasons makes for reality TV gold. Even better, this season features two of the most controversial couples the franchise has ever encountered: Jorge and Anfisa, along with Daniella and Mohammed. To anyone who has never seen an episode of this show, we recommend you make yourself a comfortable spot on the couch and start binge-watching this very second.

5 WAGS & WAGS: Miami

Yup, the E! Network has really outdone themselves once again with the addition of WAGS and WAGS: Miami to their prime reality television lineup. First thing's first: if you aren't familiar with the term “WAGS,” it stands for wives and girlfriends of professional athletes. The show features a group of women who are attached to pro-sports stars in one way or another, whether they're wives, girlfriends, or one of their side chicks. These ladies have zero shame when it comes to admitting one thing: they will all do whatever it takes to land a pro athlete and they don't care who knows it. The stars on both shows make it well known that naturally, the baller wives are the top tier when it comes to ranking the levels of WAG-hood. The wives tend to stick together and they even look down upon the girlfriends and they especially hate the thirsty girls who are only trying to sleep their way to the top. The girls are super proud of their WAG status and there are probably more catfights on this show than most others. These ladies are very vocal about exclusively limiting their dating pool to professional football, basketball, and hockey players. And if you don't have the multi-million dollar contract and the elite level fame that comes along with sports superstardom, you definitely don't make the cut to earn any of their attention. Clearly, this is one show you just have to see to believe.

4 Total Bellas

Finally, the E! Network has given the people what they really want: a show all about former WWE superstars Brie and Nikki Bella. These tenacious twins have earned their fan base from competing as professional wrestlers over the past several years, and now they have branched out to expand their careers (and their personal lives). While of course, the ladies were pretty much the stars of another reality show, Total Divas, we really don't need to waste our time watching anyone else. We are all about the Bellas, and we can't wait to see what they have been up to outside of the ring. In its upcoming sophomore season, Brie is set to give birth to her first child with her wrestler husband Bryan Danielson while Nikki is celebrating her surprise engagement to WWE superstar John Cena. As always, there will be plenty of sibling rivalry between the girls as well as some drama about whether or not the girls will ever return to the wrestling ring. Brie and Nikki are such likable celebs and we seriously can't wait for Total Bellas to return to the small screen in the fall.

3 Single AF

Do you like D-list celebrities? Do you enjoy dating shows? Are you single and looking? Are totally terrible reality shows your obsession? If you answered yes to all of these questions, then Single AF is the new reality series for you! The show will chronicle the desperate dating lives of several famous faces who will use social media apps to make a potential love connection. The MTV series will feature none other than Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham, Marnie Simpson from Geordie Shore and Irish pop singers “Jedward” to name a few. These “celebs” will use their social media accounts as a guide around the world in search of finding Mr. or Mrs. Right. It's really an interesting concept and portions of the series have already begun streaming on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, but if you're looking for the full monty you'll have to wait until this Fall for it to air. We'll be honest here, this reality show could either be a hit or miss, but either way, it's got our attention. Plus… Farrah Abraham always makes for some seriously volatile moments reality TV that we couldn't miss if we tried!

2 Marriage Bootcamp

The upcoming season of Marriage Bootcamp is already rumored to be the most tantalizing one yet and they're not even done filming yet! The premise of the show is pretty simple: multiple famous couples are put together in a house to either work out their differences and live happily ever after… or realize that they aren't right for each other and to go their separate ways. This series has already featured dozens of toxic twosomes who's arguments were reality TV magic, but this season rumor has it that Amber Portwood and her on-again/off-again fiancé Matt Baier have signed on for some screen time. The Teen Mom OG star was originally asked to be on the show several seasons ago but said no, but with her romantic relationship is officially on the rocks, it's no secret that Amber and Matt are going to be the couple to watch this time around. While filming is still taking place, Portwood has already taken to Twitter to disgust her disdain with her currently unknown house guests, calling her a “blonde bimbo” and then some. While we will just have to wait to find out who's pushing Amber's buttons inside the Marriage Bootcamp mansion, one thing is already certain - she and Matt appear to be done for good following their stint on the show. The star took to Twitter once again to bash her former beau and suggesting that he “lawyer up” because he owes her a whole lot of money. Anyone who has witnessed Amber and Matt's relationship on Teen Mom OG already knows that the guy is a total con artist, but with Amber finally opening her eyes to how Matt really is, we're positive that this season of MBC will be one for the record books.

1 The Real Housewives of New York City

Let's face it; The Real Housewives of New York City is a total slam-dunk in every sense of the word! This show never stops delivering the drama, the epic catchphrases and the all-around craziness. The cast is better than ever and the amazing dynamic between these ladies is sometimes too good to be true. For starters, Bethenny Frankel is the gift that keeps on giving. She's loud, opinionated, and doesn't care who she offends… and we completely love her for it! We also have another classic housewife returning this season and that's none other than Ramona Singer. This girl has been riding the crazy train ever since we met her on the show's debut and like a fine wine, she has only gotten better with time. RHONY also features Sonja Morgan and Luann D'Agostino who have always been incredibly quote-worthy pretty much every time they make an appearance on screen. This season, the two are continuing to bicker back and forth over the fact that Sonja used to be romantically involved with Luann's now-husband, Tom (and it's quite a spectacle). This season also brings back Carole Radziwill, who is the other refreshing voice of reason amongst the ladies and Bethenny's go-to gal. Of course, we couldn't forget the legendary Dorinda Medley who has surely become a fan favorite this year. Like we said before, The Real Housewives of New York City is the cream of the crop of indulgent reality television… so start watching!