'The Real World Homecoming: New York': How original 1992 cult show became blueprint for all things reality TV
Love it or hate it, there's no two ways about it — you can't escape reality TV. The format of following people as they go about their real lives and having real situations play out on camera grabs your attention in a way not all scripted TV shows can.
That's not to say reality TV isn't scripted — we all know it is, in a sense. While there might not be an actual script, storylines and post-production do help shape a narrative. But that's not what helps make these shows work as well as they do.
What often guarantees the success of a good show is the people on it. Think of it this way — where would 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' be without the Kardashians themselves? And where would the Kardashians be without the format of reality TV?
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The format of reality TV series hasn't changed much, alter all, it relies on interactions and personal dynamics, along with a combination of confessionals. The format hasn't really changed over the years — even if it a contest-based reality show, confessionals are still very much a part of the mix, it's a sure-shot way of getting participants to be candid, honest and, if we're lucky, to rant their hearts out.
The original reality TV show was...
While there is no shortage of choice when it comes to watching reality shows, you can pick from home makeovers to literal makeovers, drag contests to cook-offs — there is something for everyone. Which has us wondering — where did it all begin?
If your first guess was UK's 'Big Brother' then, unfortunately, you missed the mark, by a couple of decades. While the show did propel seemingly average people into stardom, the 2000 show that monitored the daily lives of contestants cooped up in one house wasn't the first reality show.
As reported by The Guardian, the first reality show was 'An American Family' which aired in 1973. The series followed the everyday lives of a family which eventually broke the family up — the mother Pat asked her husband Bill for a divorce halfway through (she was unhappy and he was cheating on her) and all of this played out while 10 million viewers watched.
There was a positive side to it — their son Lance went on to become an LGBT activist while Pat and Bill reconciled and lived as roommates, however, they never remarried. And for what it's worth, cameras didn't follow them the second time around. The UK was not to be left and produced its own spinoff, 'The Family'.
This time, it was the lives of the Wilkins from Reading whose lives were on full display. The family was given a rather ominous warning: “It’ll be a huge invasion of your privacy … we can film you any time, anywhere.”
Before they knew it, 8 million people watched their family come undone as they fought over money, their kids and infidelity. As Margaret put it, it wasn't about the money but a chance to “see ordinary people on telly”. And with 10 million viewers and 8 million for the US and UK version respectively, turns out, it was exactly what people wanted.
'The Real World' was the holy grail
When 'The Real World' hit the screens in 1992, the show already knew for a fact that reality TV as a genre is where the fame was at. What the show ended up becoming the blueprint for all things reality TV — it literally created the standardized format, one that is still followed today.
Created by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray, the concept of constantly being filmed, confessionals, shady edits and even house layouts, for that matter, all find its roots back to 1992 cult hit. And seeing that the series clocked in at 33 seasons, they were clearly doing something right.
What made the show so popular?
But formats and blueprints aside, 'The Real World' tapped into something far greater — the fact that otherwise, mundane life could be far from boring, it had the potential to be a drama-infused mess. Be it loving personas, hating them or even identifying with them, people soon realized they had an opinion about the show, be it love or hate.
And regardless of if you wanted to trash it or were fully invested, looking away seemed unlikely. The show also was incredibly smart with its casting. With every archetype in the book covered on the show — the innocent one, the drama queen, the fire starter, the kind of people you definitely know or even relate to, the show allowed for some of the strangest interactions, ranging from romantic to volatile and everything in between.
But then again 1992 was along time ago. Which has us wondering — if the cast was real people, keeping it real, what would their interactions be like today, if kept under the same circumstances as they were 29 years ago. Turns out, we might just find out.
'The Real World Homecoming: New York' sees the original cast get back together for round two of sorts, where seven of the cast members reunite once again to show us the world through their unique perspective.
According to the show's synopsis: 'Almost 30 years later, the original 'seven strangers' that paved the way for modern reality TV are moving back into the New York loft where it all began. Viewers will be reunited with the cast from the very first season of The Real World in a brand new multi-episode docu-series to find out, once again, what happens when they stop being polite... and start getting real.
You can stream 'The Real World Homecoming: New York' on Paramount+ On March 4.