Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV

A podcast by BBC Radio 4

Categories:

Society & Culture

12 Episodes

  1. Offstage: Inside The X Factor - Episode 1

    Published: 2/1/2024

  2. 10. A Format In Crisis & The Future of Reality TV: Love Island, Part 2

    Published: 5/18/2022

  3. 9. The Influencer Sausage Factory: Love Island, Part 1

    Published: 5/17/2022

  4. 8. Lifestyles of The Mega-Rich: The Real Housewives & Selling Sunset

    Published: 5/17/2022

  5. 7. The British Docusoap: The Only Way Is Essex & Made In Chelsea

    Published: 5/17/2022

  6. 6. Climbing The Ladder: Keeping Up With The Kardashians

    Published: 5/17/2022

  7. 5. The Birth of Scripted Reality: Laguna Beach & The Hills

    Published: 5/17/2022

  8. 4. The Makeover Era: The Swan and What Not To Wear

    Published: 5/17/2022

  9. 3. The Wild West Years: There’s Something About Miriam and Who’s Your Daddy

    Published: 5/17/2022

  10. 2. The Talent Show Boom: Pop Idol and The X Factor

    Published: 5/17/2022

  11. 1. The Social Experiment: Big Brother Is Watching You

    Published: 5/17/2022

  12. Introducing Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV

    Published: 5/10/2022

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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