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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From the producers of Jersey Shore comes the most outrageous Party Down South. Follow eight young, brazen adults for one wild summer of extreme fun. Their summer vacation spot, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, may never be the same after these fast friends work, party and bond with one another over their common love of the South.
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King of the Nerds is the ultimate nerd-off. The series follows fierce competitors from across the nerd spectrum as they set out to win $100,000 and be crowned the greatest nerd of them all. King of the Nerds takes the glory of geekdom to a whole new level as the competitors live together in “Nerdvana.” Each week, they must face challenges that will test their intellect, ingenuity, skills, and pop culture prowess. One competitor is eliminated each week until one nerd stands alone as the ultimate champion of all things nerdy.
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.
Gordon Ramsay drives to struggling restaurants across the country in his state-of-the-art mobile kitchen and command center, Hell On Wheels, and tries to bring them back from the brink of disaster – all in just 24 hours.
A show for Fanboys by Fanboys. Set in uber-geek Kevin Smith’s iconic comic shop Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, the show explores every nook and cranny of Fanboy culture from A to Z. Endless circular debates about the technical accuracy of the USS Enterprise’s warp-core schematics? Snarky comic aficionados with an encyclopedic knowledge of every Marvel back issue? You bet.
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There’s undiscovered treasure in the bayous of Louisiana and Charles Handler knows how to find it. From a 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible to a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT, Handler and his team find long-forgotten piles of junk into dazzling custom cars. He searches all over Louisiana for one-of-a-kind classics, invests his own money to fix them up, and then sells them at auction. These treasures can sell for big money so there’s a huge profit to be made, if everything goes according to plan. Each episode, based in New Orleans, will feature amazing vehicle restorations and high stakes auctions where everything’s on the line.
Pawn Stars is an American reality television series, shown on History, and produced by Leftfield Pictures. The series is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, a 24-hour family business opened in 1989 and operated by patriarch Richard “Old Man” Harrison, his son Rick Harrison, Rick’s son Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, and Corey’s childhood friend, Austin “Chumlee” Russell. The show, which became the network’s highest rated show, and the No. 2 reality show behind Jersey Shore, debuted on July 26, 2009. Reruns can be seen on History as well as its sister network Lifetime, which added the show in December 2010.
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