Although the genre existed since the early years of television, the popularity has gained momentum only recently.

The never ending soaps and similar story lines on almost all channels have ensured that audiences take a liking to the reality television.

Observers say that the trend to take to reality shows came in a big way after Nach Baliye, Jhalak Dikhla Ja and Indian Idol. These shows along with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa revolutionalised the television programming with more and more channels trying to cash in on their success.

Ustaado Ke Ustad, Mr and Miss TV (Sony), Comedy Ka King Kaun (SAB), Jo Jita Wohi Superstar (Star Plus) are some of the recent new shows.

Anooj Kapoor, business head of SAB TV said that trends are common in television and films. "We give people what they like as their tastes and liking is important for our survival. Fatigue factor is creeping into daily soaps.

Reality shows give a break from the fatigue factor. This scenario gives channels tremendous opportunities to try innovative content and give variety." Antakshri and Sa Re Ga Ma were the most popular formats of reality shows on Zee TV when satellite television first made an advent in the early 90s.

Many feel that spurt in reality shows has nothing do with the daily soaps getting boring but has much do with the success formula that clicks with the viewers.

Television actors like Megha Gupta, a newcomer who has bagged her first major role Main teri parchayi hoon on NDTV Imagine does not find anything wrong in television producers repeating success formulas.

She said television content is as good as it is bad. It is afterall the question of viewers' choice. TRPs are the main reason for using tried and tested formulas on small screen, she says.

In films too, the case is same. Channels do not wait for a second to pull off a show which is not doing well, Megha said.

Filmmaker and TV producer Ravi Chopra feels that television is still in the nascent stage. He did not agree that unconventional stories do not work on television and said that "a good subject always works."

Chopra said success cannot be replicated. "To succeed, you need to break new paths," Chopra whose serial Mahabharat was a huge success, said.

He said after Ramayan and Mahabharat, there was a splash of TV serials based on mythology, as a result of which people lost interest in the genre. Programming should be story oriented and not genre oriented, he felt.

However, Anupama Mandloi, Senior Creative Director, STAR Plus rejects that fatigue factor is entering into daily soaps.

"I doubt we can make such generalisation. There is a natural fatigue factor that comes into play with long running soaps. The other reason could be the similarity of treatment and storylines across channels that impacts viewer fatigue. However, the success of any show is really based on how well it is crafted," she said.

According to Mandloi, Star Plus show Bidaai is a recently launched soap and is already topping the charts. She feels it is really more a function of presentation, characterisation and an involving storyline one can relate with.

Speaking about the sudden surge of reality shows on television, Unpaid said a successful reality show gives an incremental edge to the channel, creates huge buzz and provides a platform for all other properties on the channel.