What the hell is the difference between reality TV and game shows?

[notfred]

I've always thought that if you're trying to win something, it's a game show. This makes American Idol, Survivor, etc, game shows. They're more elaborate than past game shows but they're still game shows.

 

[melly]

reality shows tend to be interactive and/or intrusive on the contestants' lives. the camera films your moves, and more often than not the audience gets a chance to sway the results.

 

[Jzero]

I would classify reality shows as a subset of game shows.

There are a few different types of game shows if you think about it...
Quiz shows like Jeopardy
Product shows like Price Is Right
and Reality shows

 

[LeeTJ]

about the same.