This MA dissertation traces the origin of public debate within the public sphere from the coffee houses of Jurgen Habermas to talk radio, into talk shows, and ultimately reality television. It optimistically considers the democratising effect of greater access to televisual platforms for debate and offering a space and voice to the otherwise voiceless - stopping short of the digital spaces now offered by the internet. The dissertation was written in 2003 as part of the MA in Film and Television Studies at Dublin City University.