logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2022
40m 52s

A Ridiculous History of Reality TV, Part...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

As reality TV continued to grow across networks and genres, it also spread across the planet. In the second part of this two-part series, special guest Anna Hossnieh joins Ben, Noel and Max to break down the evolution of massive hits like The Bachelor, The Real Housewives empire, and more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Don’t Be a Schmo Yo, Try a Yoyo!
Most people think of yo-yos as a fun, old-school toy for kids: a pretty simple, clever device leveraging physics with a string and a weight. Yet as Ben, Noel and Max discover in today's episode, the story of the humble dates back into antiquity -- and the story of its evolution i ... Show More
42m 22s
Mar 24
The Ridiculous Secret of "Supreme" Pizza
The results are in: pretty much everyone loves pizza... but what doth a pizza make varies from place to place. Obsessed with a game-changing message from a former pizzaiolo on the inside, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the delicious (and arguably disturbing) conspiracy of what makes ... Show More
48m 45s
Mar 21
CLASSIC: When West Virginia Begged the USSR for Foreign Aid
In this week's Classic episode: Were it not for the coal mine, the town of Vulcan, West Virginia may well have never existed. As a rural and geographically isolated community, Vulcan relied on a single, small bridge for its connection to the larger world. When the bridge failed, ... Show More
29m 53s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2022
MTV's The Real World and the rise of reality TV | 67
In the early 1990s reality TV as we know it today didn’t yet exist. Then everything changed when a cable channel known for music videos put cameras inside a New York loft with 7 strangers. The Real World which premiered on MTV in 1992 set the stage for the scores of reality shows ... Show More
33m 16s
Jan 2021
Spectacle: An Unscripted History of Reality TV Trailer
Reality TV is dismissed as guilty pleasure, low brow... even trash. But whether you want to admit it or not, you probably have heard of Snooki, Lisa Vanderpump or Kim Kardashian. Over the past 30 years, reality TV has become a place to see the social and political moment play out ... Show More
3m 13s
Jan 2024
Caelynn's Pop: The Real Housewives of SLC
Caelynn is back with her take on the latest in pop culture news! She’ll get you up to speed with everything that went down at the Emmy’s and why the finale of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City was one of the most shocking episodes of reality television!See omnystudio.com/list ... Show More
17m 8s
Apr 2022
Part Two: The Bastards of Reality Television
Robert is joined again by David Bell to to discuss why reality television is a bastard.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
56m 53s
May 2022
10. A Format In Crisis & The Future of Reality TV: Love Island, Part 2
Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes look at how one of TV’s most popular shows became mired in tragedy and controversy. Where did it all go wrong? And is this the end for reality TV? Featuring interviews with Megan Barton-Hanson, Dr Alex George, Jake Cornish, Rachel Finni and many more. ... Show More
52m 47s
Nov 2021
Introducing: Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera
It was supposed to be a reality show with a twist. In a sun-drenched villa in Ibiza, six hot guys compete for a cash prize and for the love of the beautiful and mysterious Miriam. It’s meant to be her big break: the moment she becomes the superstar she was born to be. But this is ... Show More
3 m
Dec 2023
Editing Reality (2023)
We live in divided times, when the answer to the question 'what is reality?' depends on who you ask. Almost all the information we take in is to some extent edited and curated, and the line between entertainment and reality has become increasingly blurred. Nowhere is that more ob ... Show More
52m 20s
Feb 2021
Reality TV | 1. An American Family
In the first episode of season 1 of Spectacle, we'll go back to the show that started it all -- An American Family. Most probably haven't heard of the 1973 PBS docuseries but many argue it inspired reality TV. The series that followed the Loud family of Santa Barbara became part ... Show More
43m 5s