The Real World (1992-present)

This is the true story of seven strangers who were chosen to live in a loft and have their lives taped in order to discover what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real. The surprising thing at the time of its premiere in the summer of 1992 was that it was just people living on tape. When it's time for their confessional interview, they're talking, fighting, and laughing, and they never know where to look. (From today's perspective, the idea that anyone would have started being polite is shocking.)

If you go back to the first season, you'll think you're watching a thought-provoking documentary. Scenes go on for a long time, relationships develop, and the seven strangers discuss serious issues—racism, privilege, and the closet—in an earnest and thoughtful manner. Those first seven housemates may have been the last seven guileless people in America; from season two on (and in every reality show since), participants arrive knowing exactly who they're playing. This show set the tone, and it's easy to forget that its heart was in the right place at the start.

Nowadays, cast members' parents have never known a world without The Real World, the show exists primarily as a triple-A league for The Challenge, and housemates make their initial entrances through a hot tub drain if I'm not mistaken. But for a brief moment, it was real and spectacular David Holmes

Genre: Reality

Running time: 30 minutes (1992–2008, 2019) - hour (2008–2017)
Production company: Bunim/Murray Productions

Original release: May 21, 1992 –August 29, 2019

IMDb rating: 5.1/10