MTV Reality Shows
From LoveToKnow Reality-TV
MTV reality shows have long been popular with teens and twenty-somethings, as they document real life with plenty of suspense and drama. Below are a few of MTV’s most popular programs, and why they continue to endure.
The First in MTV Reality Shows
The Real World, a program first broadcast on MTV in 1992, can be credited as one of television’s first unscripted reality shows. Its opening tagline, “This is the true story, of seven strangers, picked to live in a house…” has become a part of pop culture history. Each season consists of seven complete strangers thrown together to see what would happen, and oftentimes the show seems suspiciously cast with personalities that obviously will cause everything from interesting dialogue to outright friction when placed under the same roof.
The Real World has been on for twenty-one seasons, and since its first turn in New York, has been in the following cities:
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- London
- Miami
- Boston
- Seattle
- Hawaii
- New Orleans
- Chicago
- Las Vegas
- Paris
- San Diego
- Philadelphia
- Austin
- Key West
- Denver
- Sydney
- Hollywood
- Brooklyn
Many of the cast members featured on the show went on to further greatness in the entertainment industry, and some raised awareness for others sharing their very personal struggles. An example of this was Pedro Zamora, who was openly homosexual during filming of the San Francisco house, and eventually succumbed to AIDS in 1994, after a long battle with the disease and plenty of activism credited to his name.
Frankie Abernathy, an alum of the San Diego season, died of cystic fibrosis in 2007 after the show closely documented her illness. Finally, Irene McGee shared her battle against Lyme disease, a condition not previously covered on a television reality show.
Like many other reality TV shows, The Real World has been questioned regarding its level of authenticity, and several cast members through the years have stated incidences with producers who have asked them to act or speak a certain way to liven up the show.
The Ultimate Drama
Laguna Beach is another MTV hit that enjoyed a much shorter run than The Real World. With basically the same concept, Laguna Beach hit gold among MTV reality shows by documenting the lives of a group of wealthy Orange County teenagers. It ran for three seasons, followed by a fourth set in Newport Harbor.
While Laguna Beach itself hasn’t been on the air in a few years, its successful spin off show, The Hills, continues to thrive on MTV’s airwaves. The show follows Laguna Beach alum Lauren Conrad’s journey through the fashion design world as she received her education, interned for Teen Vogue, and now has her own designing endeavors.
A Total Transformation
A third long running MTV show is Made, in which teenagers are transformed into their dream persona. Geeks become super models, weaklings become star athletes, and shy violets play the lead in their school play, to name only a few of the morphs that take place on this show.
Target Audience
MTV reality shows have a target demographic of ages 18-25, which also happens to be the age requirement for participants on many of their reality shows including The Real World and Road Rules. Many other cable stations, including VH1, have attempted to create similar programming for a slightly older viewing audience, but this 18-25 set continues to be the prime target area for such endeavors.
Reality shows have revolutionized the way we watch television, as America has shown a much stronger interest in observing real life struggles and conflicts, as opposed to the sitcom series format popular in the 1970s and 1980s. As TV programs continue to evolve, we will undoubtedly encounter even more reality shows, and MTV is sure to be a strong contributor in this arena.
For a complete list of MTV reality shows currently on the air, visit MTV.com.
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