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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A raw look at three teenage pregnancies and the effects it has on their families as everyone prepares for the arrival of the babies.
A diverse group of people from America’s biggest cities move to the heartland of Waverly, Kansas, where they’ll live and work alongside some very traditional locals.
Based on the hit Danish format, “Married at First Sight” is an extreme social experiment following six brave souls who are yearning for a life-long partnership as they agree to a provocative proposal: getting legally married the moment they first meet. Four specialists – sexologist, Dr. Logan Levkoff; spiritualist, Greg Epstein; psychologist, Dr. Joseph Cilona; and sociologist, Dr. Pepper Schwartz – will create what they believe are three perfect couples, based on scientific matchmaking. The couples will never meet or know each other until they walk down the aisle and see each other face to face, for the first time, when they get married. Each episode of “Married at First Sight” will follow the classic lifestyle stories of newlyweds – from the honeymoon to early nesting to other relatable events of married life. After several weeks together, each couple must make a decision: do they remain together or decide to separate?
The Contender is a reality television series that follows a group of boxers as they compete with one another in an elimination-style competition, while their lives and relationships with each other and their families are depicted. Produced by Mark Burnett, the show is hosted by Sugar Ray Leonard, who shared hosting duties in the first season with actor Sylvester Stallone. Leonard also serves as a trainer on the show, along with Tommy Gallagher. During the first season, boxing manager Jackie Kallen also served as counsel to the boxers.
The show ran for fifteen weeks through 2005 on NBC in the United States of America. The show ran in the UK on ITV2 and was repeated later in the week on ITV1, and now airs on ITV4. It also aired on AXN in India, and on the Spanish language network Telemundo. The second season, featuring welterweight contenders, premiered in the U.S. on Tuesday, July 18, 2006, at 10 pm ET/PT, on ESPN. The third season, featuring super middleweight contenders, premiered in the U.S. on Tuesday, September 4, 2007, at 10 pm ET/PT, on ESPN. The fourth season, featuring cruiserweight contenders, premiered in the U.S. on Wednesday, December 3, 2008, at 10 pm ET/PT, on Versus.
Three humans do battle with three grizzly bears in a competition of speed, strength, and strategy, and one of the men finds out the hard way what it means to have skin in the game.
Viva La Bam was an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. The show was a spin-off from MTV’s Jackass, in which Margera and most of the main cast had appeared. Each episode had a specific theme, mission, or challenge which was normally accomplished by performing pranks, skateboarding, and enlisting the help of friends, relations and experts. Although partly improvised, the show was supported by a greater degree of planning and organization.
American Restoration is an American reality television series airing on the History channel. Produced by Leftfield Pictures, the series is recorded in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at Rick’s Restorations, an antique restoration shop, with its owner Rick Dale, his staff, and teenage son, as they restore various vintage items to their original condition.
Hosted and executive produced by Grammy and NAACP Image Award winner Ice-T (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), the series spotlights shocking true stories involving sex, money, murder – or a fatal cocktail of all three. Told through in-depth interviews, reenactments and archival footage, each hour-long episode delves into an edgy mystery filled with expert detective work, unexpected turns and stunning revelations.
