Reality TV is no longer a guilty pleasure. What was once discussed in hushed tones only on message boards or around the cooler has evolved to the point where it is now considered a case study in human nature. Now it seems everyone is watching reality TV out loud, praising their favorite stars on Twitter, and making podcasts about the history of this art form. This is all thanks to the last decade of innovative new reality shows that are fun to watch and thought-provoking.

The same goes for the new reality shows coming in 2022. Several popular franchises will be back, while new shows and documentaries will shed light on life experiences we've never seen before. Ahead, here are some of the best reality shows to check out this year.

After a tumultuous, franchise-changing year, The Bachelor returns to the status quo. The contestants are back in the mansion, and the star of the show is Clayton, who has revamped The Bachelor since Michelle's season. The new host is former football player Jesse Palmer, who takes Chris Harrison's place. For those who miss the pre-Pandemic Bachelor, this season is definitely one to watch.

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The 2003 reality show "Joe Millionaire" existed in a completely different world: there was no social media for contestants to explore whether the lead actor was really rich. (Thus, it was a bold move to bring it back in 2022. ) The revived version featured two protagonists, one a millionaire and the other working class, and the contestants had to figure out which one was the protagonist while also falling in love (except for the woman who noticed one of the men in "Hinge" and immediately dropped out).

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Our favorite abstinence-promoting dating show is back for a third season. Season 3 features some of the most promiscuous contestants ever, as they struggle not to have sex at a vacation home in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

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If getting involved in your own mother or father's love life doesn't sound like the most awkward thing ever, this new dating show is for you. For the adult contestants, "My Mom, Your Dad" is like "Bachelor in Paradise" for the older crowd. Contestants have no idea that their children are watching their dates behind the scenes and manipulating events to bring them closer or keep them from dating.

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Black-ish and Little star Marsai Martin hosts this new room renovation show. For each episode, the young geniuses design their dream spaces with the help of female designers and carpenters, surprising other teens who are doing big things in their communities.

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Discovery+'s new answer to "Sell the Sunset" realtors may be familiar with the short-lived Netflix show Million Dollar Beach House. In the show, agents from Nest Seekers International enliven the drama of selling a mansion in the Hamptons, a popular East Coast vacation home destination, during a market surge that has resulted in record-high sales. [In this six-part series, CNN journalist Lisa Ling will provide documentary coverage of Asian restaurants in America, introducing viewers to the people and families who run them. The series will showcase family-owned establishments that support entire communities and are not often recognized as the backbone of the American food industry.

Premieres January 27

Star of Queer Eye, Jonathan Van Ness, has turned his hit podcast into a new show that follows personalities as they explore a variety of topics, including wig-making, ice skating, and entomology (the science of bugs). With this show, Van Ness wants to celebrate his "relentless curiosity," and anyone who feels the same way is encouraged to check it out.

Premiere Jan. 28

This new "90 Day Fiancé"-style dating show explores whether love can survive outside civilization: four ordinary people move in with a homesteader who lives in an environment without running water or electricity. Will the couples get along in their new environment or will they break up because of their radically different lifestyles?

Premiere: January 30 on Discovery+

Netflix's dating show and social experiment, Love is Blind, finally returns with a group of singles ready to fall in love with strangers. In case you missed the first season, the participants, who met and became a couple in the pod, have never met each other.

Premieres February 11

Another popular Netflix dating show returns this year. The show follows Sima Taparia, an elite Indian matchmaker who guides her new clients to the perfect marriage partner. Details are scarce at the moment, but we can't wait to see the new episodes.

Premiere: undated