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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Focusing on five disparate characters who each toil and/or party well into the night (hence the title), this latenight entry takes the “city that never sleeps” line and runs with it. The result is visually provocative but only mildly entertaining, and never for a moment truly convincing.
A group of the best survival experts in the world take on an un-survivable situation: 40 days. 40 nights. No food, water or clothes. To survive they’ll need to master the environment, pushing far beyond the breaking point. Will even one be able to finish?
The daily lives of a group of racing wives in Lake Norman, N.C., where the who’s who of stock car racing live. Go inside the personal and professional lives of the women as they support their husbands, friends and one another, both on and off the raceway.
Online dating, mobile apps, and matchmaking through friends may be viable options for some, but not all. When the modern ways of dating don’t work, four singles go to the two people who know them best—their parents—in hopes of finding their soulmates and walking down the aisle.
An elaborate cake can become the centerpiece of a party if it’s done well, so it is important for the party host to choose a designer who can create the cake of his or her dreams. In each episode, three cake designers compete to earn a job for a client looking for the perfect pastry for a wedding, family reunion or other bash. When a client picks a cake, the designer quickly learns that making the cake is just half of the battle; it then has to make it to its destination, which can be a tall task for an elaborate pastry. Each winning cake must make it to the party on time and in one piece before the designer’s job is done.
Follows Caitlyn Jenner living her life as a transgender woman. The docu-series also explores what her transition means for the people closest to her, including her children and stepchildren, and how those relationships are affected.
Polar opposite friends Luke Caldwell and Clint Robertson take an unconventional approach to house flipping in their hometown of Boise, Idaho. While refined designer Luke likes to reach for the stars, rugged contractor Clint remains focused on their bottom line. With an endless inventory of old houses to choose from, the only decision this dynamic duo needs to make is which house to transform next.
Hosts and judges Duff Goldman and Valerie Bertinelli will lead eight talented kid bakers through challenges designed to find the most-impressive and creative young baker. In each challenge the contestants, ranging in age from 10 to 13, will be tested on their baking skills and originality as they whip up delectable desserts, including creative cakes, mouthwatering cookies and pastries.
When Marcus Lemonis isn’t running his multi-billion dollar company, Camping World, he goes on the hunt for struggling businesses that are desperate for cash and ripe for a deal. In the past 10 years, he’s successfully turned around over 100 companies. Now he’s bringing those skills to CNBC and doing something no one has ever done on TV before … he’s putting millions of dollars of his own money on the line. In each episode, Lemonis makes an offer that’s impossible to refuse; his cash for a piece of the business and a percentage of the profits. And once inside these companies, he’ll do almost anything to save the business and make himself a profit; even if it means firing the president, promoting the secretary or doing the work himself.
Worst Cooks in America is a reality competition show on the Food Network. The show takes 12 to 16 contestants with poor cooking skills through an eight-week culinary boot camp, to earn a cash prize of $25,000. The recruits are trained on the various basic cooking techniques including: baking, knife skills, temperature, seasoning and preparation. The final challenge is to cook a restaurant quality three-course meal for three food critics.
This provocative series follows the families of three church pastors to offer a first ever behind-the-altar look at what happens at home after the sermon ends. It’s a revealing, hard-hitting and often humorous look at how the daughters try to balance typical teenage temptations with their parents’ strict, faith-based expectations. Lifetime® gives you an unvarnished peek into each family’s dynamics as they grapple with universal issues all households with teenage girls face – personal freedom, relationships and trust– while trying to adhere to their often-rigid religious traditions. What happens will surprise viewers and change these families forever.
