Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV Podcast
Journalists Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale explore how reality TV shapes our lives and the ethical questions raised by the format, featuring iconic shows and stars.
The dumbest genre in entertainment, or the one that tells us the most about ourselves? Since its conception, reality TV has divided its viewers.
Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV is a 10-part audio documentary written and presented by journalists Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale. They've been fans of reality TV since they first watched Big Brother as pre-teens and they've spent a fair amount of time defending reality TV when people are snobby about it, or dismiss its importance in our wider culture. But they've also been troubled by what they've seen in the genre: the exploitation; the lack of aftercare; the impacts of sudden fame.
Using interviews with the creators, producers and stars of some of the most iconic reality shows of the last two decades, and leading cultural critics of today, Unreal explores how reality TV has shaped entertainment, fashion, beauty, celebrity and even politics - and some of the ethical issues raised by the format.
Producer: Hannah Hufford
Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes
Executive Editor: James Cook
Content Producer: Hannah Robins
Technical Producer: Giles Aspen
Episodes to download
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10. A Format In Crisis & The Future of Reality TV: Love Island, Part 2
Tue 17 May 2022
How one of TVβs most popular shows became mired in tragedy and controversy.
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9. The Influencer Sausage Factory: Love Island, Part 1
Tue 17 May 2022
How Love Island became a finishing school for influencers and a commercial juggernaut.
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8. Lifestyles of The Mega-Rich: The Real Housewives & Selling Sunset
Tue 17 May 2022
Property porn, toxic wealth, and why audiences want schadenfreude.
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7. The British Docusoap: The Only Way Is Essex & Made In Chelsea
Tue 17 May 2022
How these BAFTA-winning reality shows became national treasures.
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6. Climbing The Ladder: Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Tue 17 May 2022
Americaβs First Family and how they created an entirely new category of uber-celebrity.
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5. The Birth of Scripted Reality: Laguna Beach & The Hills
Tue 17 May 2022
The shows that birthed realityβs first wave of lifestyle influencers.
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4. The Makeover Era: The Swan and What Not To Wear
Tue 17 May 2022
How the rise of cosmetic surgery collided with reality TV.
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3. The Wild West Years: Thereβs Something About Miriam and Whoβs Your Daddy
Tue 17 May 2022
How the explosion of reality TV in the early 2000s caused ethics to fly out the window.
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2. The Talent Show Boom: Pop Idol and The X Factor
Tue 17 May 2022
How three men called Simon are responsible for the gold rush of talent shows.
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1. The Social Experiment: Big Brother Is Watching You
Tue 17 May 2022
How Britainβs first βofficialβ reality show became a global phenomenon.
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Introducing Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV
Tue 10 May 2022
The dumbest genre in entertainment, or the one that tells us the most about ourselves?
