The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the longest-running reality series in history, credited with launching the modern reality TV genre.
The series was hailed in its early years for depicting issues of contemporary young-adulthood relevant to its core audience, such as sex, prejudice, religion, abortion, illness, sexuality, AIDS, death, politics and substance abuse, but later garnered a reputation as a showcase for immature and irresponsible behavior.
Following Bunim’s death from breast cancer in 2004, Bunim/Murray Productions continues to produce the program. The 28th and most recent season, set in Portland, Oregon, premiered on March 27, 2013, and ended its first run on June 12, 2013. An upcoming 29th season, set in San Francisco, California, is currently in production, and is expected to air in 2014.
The series has generated two notable spin-offs, both broadcast by MTV: Road Rules, which lasted for 14 seasons, and the reality game show The Challenge, which has run for over 20 seasons since 1998. The Challenge is mostly cast-contestant dependent on both The Real World and Road Rules, as it combines contestants from various seasons of both shows. Coordinating the series with its spin-off, MTV alternates between airing seasons of The Real World and The Challenge and ends out seasons of both shows by showing previews for the upcoming season of the other.
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25 years ago, Mick Dodge walked away from the modern world, leaving civilization behind to live alongside nature’s wonders in the Olympic Peninsula. Following a primal instinct present throughout generations of his family, Mick ventured deep into the Hoh Rainforest, making his home in the trees and hidden in the moss. Experience the wild life of Mick Dodge, a quirky character whose unique brand of Zen comes from living by his own code – off the land and off the grid.
Ghost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004, on Syfy. The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as a day job while investigating locations at night. Since the show’s success, the series now takes precedence in their lives, but they are still honorary employees with the company and continue to do jobs for them if time permits.
The show is unrelated to the original 1996 Inca Productions show Ghosthunters produced for the Discovery Channel. The format was sold to Pilgrim Films & Television in the United States to become Ghost Hunters. The only link between the two shows is presenter Ian Cashmore who anchored the UK/Europe show. Cashmore piloted the U.S. show, but chose not to remain part of the U.S. venture after he filmed the promos.
Big Brother is a television reality game show based on an originally Dutch TV series of the same name created by producer John de Mol in 1997. The show follows a group of HouseGuests living together 24 hours a day in the “Big Brother” house, isolated from the outside world but under constant surveillance with no privacy for three months. Since its television debut in 2000, Big Brother has run continuously with at least one season of the show airing each year. It is currently the second longest running version in the world to have done so, after the Spanish version. The HouseGuests compete for the chance to win a $500,000 grand prize by avoiding weekly eviction, until the last HouseGuest remains at the end of the season that can claim the $500,000 grand prize. The American series is hosted by television personality Julie Chen. Produced by Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan for Fly On The Wall Entertainment, it currently airs in the United States on CBS and Global.
The show’s debut season followed the format of most international editions of the series, in which a group of contestants live together and are voted off each week by the viewers. Following a negative critical and commercial reaction to the first season, the format for future changes was drastically changed. For this new format, a group of contestants, known as “HouseGuests,” compete to win the series by voting each other off and being the last HouseGuest remaining. One HouseGuest, known as the Head of Household, must nominate two of their fellow HouseGuests for eviction. The winner of the Power of Veto can remove one of the nominees from the block, forcing the HoH to nominate another HouseGuest. The HouseGuests then vote to evict one of the nominees, and the HouseGuest with the most votes is evicted. When only two HouseGuests remained, the last seven evicted HouseGuests, known as the Jury of Seven, would decide which of them would win the $500,000 prize. Much like the first season, the HouseGuests are still under constant surveillance and are filmed at all times. The September 5, 2013 episode marked the show’s 500th episode.
Selection for the SAS is one of the world’s toughest job interviews and physical fitness is only the starting point. What’s really being tested is psychological resilience and character as candidates undergo sleep deprivation, interrogation and a series of increasingly complex mind games. In this programme, five ex-special forces soldiers re-create tasks from the SAS’s secret selection process, putting 30 civilian men through the ultimate test of their physical and – more importantly – their psychological resilience.
Quintessential reality star couples are forced to face their personal demons in an extreme relationship boot camp, hoping to fix their broken unions. Raw, unbridled truth ensues when they are pushed to their emotional and physical limits to see if their relationships are worth saving or they should pull the plug.
Follow the passionate, volatile and hot-and-bothered-staff at Lisa Vanderpump’s West Hollywood mainstay SUR. Lisa balances her motherly instincts and shrewd business sense to keep control over this wild group of employees as they pursue their dreams and each other while working at her “Sexy, Unique Restaurant.”
Hosted by hip-hop superstar Common, ‘Framework’ is a new arc competition series exploring the compelling world of furniture design/construction. It’s not enough to design an eye-catching, unique AND functional piece of furniture, these 13 elite furniture craftsman have to build it too. The clock is ticking and the stakes are sky-high as the last competitor standing will receive an incredible prize package including the ability to launch their own line with a major furniture brand.
Jersey Shore is an American reality television series which ran on MTV from December 3, 2009 to December 20, 2012 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast winter to Miami Beach, with Season 3 returning to the Jersey Shore. The fourth season, filmed in Italy, premiered on August 4, 2011. The show returned for a fifth season, at Seaside Heights on January 5, 2012. The fifth season finale aired on March 15, 2012. On March 19, 2012, MTV confirmed that the series would return for their sixth season. On August 30, 2012, MTV announced that the Jersey Shore would end after the sixth season, which premiered on October 4. The series finale aired on December 20, 2012.
The show debuted amid large amounts of controversy regarding the use of the words “Guido/Guidette,” portrayals of Italian-American stereotypes, and scrutiny from locals because the cast members were not residents of the area.
The series garnered record ratings for MTV, making it the network’s most viewed series telecast ever. The series’ cast have also been credited with introducing unique lexicon and phrases into American popular culture.
Fred and the team roll out the red carpet and polish the silver for celebrities who are looking for love with unsuspecting members of the public.
