The Real World (known as Real World from 2014 to 2019) is an American reality television series produced through MTV and Bunim/Murray Productions that aired on MTV from 1992 to 2017 and Facebook Watch in 2019. It was originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family. The Real World is one of the longest-running programs in MTV history, one of the longest-running reality series in history, and is credited with launching the modern reality TV genre.Gorman, Bill. "MTV's 'The Real World' Is Turning 25 And Returning To Sin City As Seven Roommates Take Over Hard Rock Hotel & Casino In March 2011" TV By the Numbers; September 17, 2010 Seven to eight young adults are picked to temporarily live in a new city together in one residence while being filmed non-stop.
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 immaturity and irresponsible behavior.Thompson, Richard. "Real World New Orleans: Toothbrush-as-toilet scrubber sickens housemate, triggers police action" Nola.com; March 21, 2010 The series has generated two notable related series, both broadcast by MTV: Road Rules, a sister show, which lasted for 14 seasons (1995–2007), and the ongoing spin-off reality game show The Challenge, which has run for 41 seasons since 1998, thus surpassing The Real World.
On June 8, 2018, it was announced that MTV and Bunim/Murray were working on a revival of The Real World, with the hopes of selling the new version to a streaming platform. In 2018, it was announced that the revival had been sold to Facebook Watch for a new American season, plus a Mexican and a Thai version of the show. The thirty-third season was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia and premiered on June 13, 2019, along with the first new international localized versions since 1996: El Mundo Real in Mexico City and The Real World: Bangkok.‘MTV’s The Real World’ Reboot Gets Premiere Date On Facebook Watch Deadline Hollywood, May 20, 2019 A reboot of the original show for Paramount+ was mentioned in the press in 2021 but never materialized.
On March 4, 2021, the spin-off The Real World Homecoming: New York premiered on Paramount+. The series reunited the cast of The Real World: New York to live in the same loft they lived in for the original series. Two more reunion seasons followed. All three seasons were removed from the streaming service in 2023.
History
The Real World was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family.Roberts, Michael (March 14, 1996). "The Unreal World" . Denver Westword. It focuses on the lives of a group of strangersEach cast consisted of seven cast members, except for the twenty-first through the twenty-fourth seasons, which featured eight. In addition, replacement cast members are sometimes brought in when a member of a season's original cast leaves the show prior to its conclusion, and in later seasons additional cast members have been added without replacing anyone. who audition to live together in a house for several months, as cameras record their interpersonal relationships. The show moves to a different city each season. The footage shot during the housemates' time together was edited into 22-minute episodes for the first 19 seasons, and into 44-minute episodes beginning with The Real World: Hollywood, the series' twentieth season, before shortening to a 30-minute length for its thirty-third season. The narration given over the opening title sequence used during the first 28 seasons by the seven housemates states some variation of the following:
The Real World was originally inspired by the popularity of youth-oriented shows of the 1990s like Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place. Bunim and Murray initially considered developing a scripted series in a similar vein, but quickly decided that the cost of paying writers, actors, costume designers, and make-up artists was too high.Blake, Meredith (June 6, 2011). "This is the True Story...". The A.V. Club. Bunim and Murray decided against this idea, and at the last minute, pulled the concept (and the cast) before it became the first season of the show. Tracy Grandstaff, one of the original seven picked for what has come to be known as "Season 0", went on to minor fame as the voice of the animated Beavis and Butt-Head character Daria Morgendorffer, who eventually got her own spinoff, Daria. Dutch TV producer Erik Latour claims that the ideas for The Real World were directly derived from his television show Nummer 28, which aired in 1991 on Dutch television.Van den Boogaard, Raymond (September 28, 1996). "Zeven werklozen samen op zoek naar een baan". NRC Handelsblad. (Dutch). Bunim/Murray decided upon the cheaper idea of casting a bunch of "regular people" to live in an apartment and taping their day-to-day lives, believing seven diverse people would have enough of a basis upon which to interact without scripts. The production converted a massive, 4000-square-foot duplex in Soho, cast seven cast members from 500 applicants, and paid them $2,600 for their time on the show. The cast lived in the loft from February 16 to May 18, 1992. The series premiered three days later, on May 21, 1992.
At the time of its initial airing, reviews of the show were mostly negative. Matt Roush, writing in USA Today, characterized the show as "painfully bogus", and a cynical and exploitative new low in television, commenting, "Watching The Real World, which fails as documentary (too phony) and as entertainment (too dull), it's hard to tell who's using who more." The Washington Posts Tom Shales commented, "Ah to be young, cute, and stupid, and to have too much free time...Such is the lot facing the wayward wastrels of The Real World, something new in excruciating torture from the busy minds at MTV." Shales also remarked upon the cast members' creative career choices, saying, "You might want to think about getting a real job."
Nonetheless, the series was a hit with viewers. One early sign of the show's popularity occurred on the October 2, 1993 episode of the sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live, which parodied the second-season Los Angeles cast's recurring arguments over cliquism, prejudice and political differences."Shannen Doherty/Cypress Hill". TV.com. Retrieved November 7, 2011.The Real World Diaries. 1996. Pocket Books. Page 5 Introduction by Mary Ellis-Bunim and Jon Murray.
The show also gained widespread attention with its third season, The Real World: San Francisco, which aired in 1994, and depicted the conflict between David "Puck" Rainey, a bicycle messenger criticized for his poor personal hygiene,The Real World Diaries. Page 131Fretts, Bruce. (July 21, 1995). The Real World returns for fourth season. Entertainment Weekly and his roommates, most notably AIDS activist Pedro Zamora. As the show increased in popularity, Zamora's life as someone living with AIDS gained considerable notice, garnering widespread media attention. Zamora was one of the first openly gay men with AIDS to be portrayed in popular media,Heigl, Alex. "Twelve Crucial Moments in the Evolution of MTV". Nerve. August 2011. and after his death on November 11, 1994 (mere hours after the final episode of his season aired), he was lauded by then-President Bill Clinton. Zamora's friend and roommate during the show, Judd Winick, went on to become a successful comic book writer, and wrote the Eisner Award-nominated graphic novel Pedro and Me, about his friendship with Zamora, as well as high-profileWinick appeared on Phil Donahue's MSNBC program to discuss his gay-related storylines on August 15, 2002. Source and controversial storylines in mainstream superhero comics that featured gay and AIDS-related themes. Zamora's conflicts with Rainey were not only considered emotional high points for that season, but are credited with making The Real World a hit show, and with proving that the infant "reality" television format was one that could bring considerable ratings to a network.Webley, Kayla. "32 Epic Moments in Reality-TV History: 7. The Real World: Puck vs. Pedro". Time magazine. Retrieved December 24, 2021. By July 1995, the series surpassed Beavis and Butt-head as the network's top-rated show during the fourth season, The Real World: London. In 1999, MTV agreed to license off-net syndication rights to the series to October Moon Television.
Cast member successes Appearing on the program has often served as a springboard to further success, especially in the entertainment industry.Weinstein, Steve. "TELEVISION – A 'Real World' of Difference". Los Angeles Times. September 19, 1993. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
Eric Nies of the New York cast went on to become a model, actor, and television host. His housemate, Kevin Powell, became a successful author, poet,Salvatore, Rosanne. "'The Real World' cast members: Where are they now?". Daily News. April 1, 2011. Page 4 of 44 journalist, and politician.Hicks, Jonathan P. "Brooklyn Congressman and Veteran of Tough Primaries Faces New Fight". The New York Times. April 28, 2008 Their housemate Heather B. Gardner went on to become a hip-hop music artist under the professional name Heather B.AbduSalaam, Ismael. "Heather B. Returns With DJ Premier For 'Open Bar'". AllHipHop. March 12, 2010
Los Angeles cast member Beth Stolarczyk has produced men's and women's calendars and television programs featuring reality TV personalities, including herself and other Real World alumni, including Tami Roman (who became a cast member on Basketball Wives and spinoff Basketball Wives LA), 2002–2003 Las Vegas' Trishelle Cannatella, 2002 Chicago's Tonya Cooley and Back to New York's Coral Smith. Stolarczyk, Cannatella, and Miami's Flora Alekseyeun appeared in the May 2002 Playboy magazine,"Girls of Road Rules & Real World". Playboy May 2002."Beth Stolarczykof Real World LA Booking Appearance". MM Agency. Retrieved November 7, 2011.The E! True Hollywood Story: Bad Girls of Reality TV. Broadcast January 3, 2008. with later issues spotlighting Cannatella's 2002–2003 Las Vegas housemate, Arissa Hill.Playboy: Girls of Reality TV. 2003. Playboy Home Video. Cooley appeared on playboy.com. In addition to Playboy magazine, Cannatella has also posed for the online Playboy Cyber Club, as well as for Stuff magazine.
San Francisco alum Judd Winick is a noted comic book writer and artist, with the majority of his work appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, including writing such well known characters as Batman, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern. Winick also published Pedro and Me, a graphic novel about his friendship with fellow castmate Pedro Zamora, who died of AIDS related complications not long after his experience on the show.
London cast member Jacinda Barrett's acting career includes films such as Ladder 49, The Namesake, The Human Stain, and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.
Boston cast member Sean Duffy was elected to the United States House of Representatives for in 2010 as a member of the Republican Party and became the 20th United States Secretary of Transportation in January 2025. He is married to San Francisco alum Rachel Campos-Duffy, a conservative TV news personality.
Lindsay Brien of the Seattle cast became a radio and CNN personality."People Enjoy Music in Atlanta". CNN. May 5, 2002
Hawaii cast member Tecumseh "Teck" Holmes III appeared in films such as National Lampoon's Van Wilder and in TV series such as Friends.Beard, Lanford (May 21, 2012). "'The Real World': 20 years later, seven strangers who made their mark". Entertainment Weekly.