Fox Reality TV Shows

Fox reality TV shows are a constant draw that has helped the network rise to the top of the ratings. The wildly popular American Idol has made recording stars out of its winners. Millions have tuned in to the network's successes, such as the long-running Cops, as well as disasters like Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire. Whether it's singing, dancing, dating, cooking or being arrested, Fox has carried a reality show on the subject. Here are some highlights and lowlights from the network's reality TV offerings.

• America's Most Wanted. This ongoing reality show highlights a criminal who is still at large, dramatizing the crime that the person is wanted for and giving current information in the hope that someone watching will provide information leading to the fugitive's arrest. Since its debut in 1988, America's Most Wanted has led to the arrest of more than 1,000 fugitive criminals.
• Cops. This is one of television's earliest reality shows, which tapes police officers in the line of duty. Each week the producers travel to a different city in America and ride along with local law enforcement. High-speed chases, foot pursuits and strange encounters with animals have all been featured through the years. Rough language and scenes of violence and drug abuse make this show popular, but also make it inappropriate for the kids.
• American Idol. Each year, this show goes in search of the best singers and performers, then puts them through the paces as America chooses a final winner. Thousands of potential American idols audition for the show, which has several episodes featuring the weirdest and worst. The winners receive recording contracts, and even some runners-up have gone on to successful singing careers.
• Hell's Kitchen. This cooking contest goes beyond cooking and forces contestants to run a restaurant from the kitchen, under strict and critical chef Gordon Ramsey. With an emphasis on teamwork and doing a job perfectly, the Hell's Kitchen reality show preaches a strong work ethic while showing the stress that comes with kitchen life. Ramsey is quick to praise a job well done, but it's his scathing attacks on contestants who fail to meet his expectations that keep viewers coming back.
• Kitchen Nightmares: This reality series also features Gordon Ramsey. Each week, he visits a restaurant that is on the verge of going out of business. Ramsey assesses the problems, creates a new menu, renovates the restaurant and tries to get to the bottom of personnel problems that are obstacles to the restaurant's success.
• So You Think You Can Dance? This series features unknown people, rather than stars, who believe they have dance talent. The dancers perform each week, with voting by the viewers that narrows down the list and chooses a winner.
• Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? Scandal rocked Fox with this series in 2000 after a purported multi-millionaire named Rick Rockwell selected Darva Conger from 50 contestants, and married her. It turned out he was not as rich as promised, or even truly named Rick Rockwell. The marriage was an"ed shortly afterward.
• The Swan: Taking America's obsession with surface appearances to new lows, this series converted "average" women into ready-for-modeling bombshells with a combination of plastic surgery, makeovers and finishing-school classes. At the end of each show, one two contestants who had been transformed was declared the winner.
• The Littlest Groom: This Bachelor variation featured dwarf Glen Foster trying to choose a wife from among a group of dwarves and a group of average-sized women. The show sparked no shortage of outrage when it aired, and like The Swan, it only lasted for two episodes.