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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Total Wipeout is a British game show, hosted by Richard Hammond and Amanda Byram, which first aired on 3 January 2009. Each week, 20 contestants compete in a series of challenges in an attempt to win £10,000. These challenges are based in large pools of water or mud and generally involve large assault courses that participants must cross.
Total Wipeout is a licensed version of Wipeout, the Endemol show that originated in the United States in 2008, with the name slightly altered to avoid confusion with the BBC version of the earlier game show of the same name.
On 29 March 2012, BBC confirmed that they are to axe Total Wipeout after its sixth series. The Daily Mirror reported that a BBC spokesperson said: “After four very successful series of Total Wipeout, and one series of Winter Wipeout, the BBC has taken the decision that the next series, due to transmit later this year, will be the last.” The remaining 10 episodes from Series 5 began airing on 18 August 2012 and ended the show’s 4-year run on BBC One before 2013.
RuPaul has made the trip across the pond in search of a queen with the most charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent in all the land.
Elite street racers from around the world test their limits in supercharged custom cars on the biggest, baddest automotive obstacle course ever built.
A Swedish sport competition based on “Eeuwige roem” (Eternal Glory.)
When rent is not paid on a storage locker for three months in California, the contents can be sold by an auctioneer as a single lot of items in the form of a cash-only auction. The show follows professional buyers who purchase the contents based only on a five-minute inspection of what they can see from the door when it is open. The goal is to turn a profit on the merchandise.
Like other teens in California, the lives of the Laguna Beach teenagers are filled with sandy beaches, beautiful friends and love triangles. But unlike other teens, they had cameras following them around. It may look like fantasyland, but they’re not acting: they really are this rich and beautiful. For them, life really is a day at the beach.
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.