Reality television exploded in the early 2000s and seeped into popular culture. This is encapsulated in this clip from Series 1 of Big Brother Australia, where the live audience's overwhelming enthusiasm speaks for itself.

As Gretel Killeen announces the second-last eviction of the series, the massive crowd screams in excitement. Most fans are dressed in outfits that reference the show, such as the ubiquitous bunny ears worn by contestant Sara-Marie Fedele, or hold signs (look out for the 'Marry me' signs). Big Brother had clearly hit television gold – and these crowd shots reflect the way reality shows created fervour in their audience through a format of in-jokes, careful surveillance and the presentation of real relationships with some TV drama padding. By this later point in the show, everyone had favourites and contestants they despised – and the elimination format successfully stoked hysteria.

It's a format that has continued to evolve and find great success in the subsequent two decades, despite Big Brother's ironic use of dystopian imagery. The industrial grind of its iconic electronica theme song announces a futuristic era of watching yourself and others, which quickly became the new normal.