Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV podcast

Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV

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

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

 

#11

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 tr... more

18 May 2022

52 MINS

52:47

18 May 2022


#10

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

Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale analyse how Love Island became a finishing school for influen... more

17 May 2022

46 MINS

46:29

17 May 2022


#9

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

Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes slip into the moneyed world of the Californian 0.01% with the... more

17 May 2022

53 MINS

53:01

17 May 2022


#8

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

Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale look at how these BAFTA-winning reality shows became national... more

17 May 2022

51 MINS

51:13

17 May 2022


#7

6. Climbing The Ladder: Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes delve into the story of America’s First Family, the Kardashia... more

17 May 2022

50 MINS

50:45

17 May 2022


#6

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

Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale tread a nostalgic path back to their teenage years and The Hi... more

17 May 2022

50 MINS

50:17

17 May 2022


#5

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

Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes explore how the rise in cosmetic surgery collided with realit... more

17 May 2022

53 MINS

53:36

17 May 2022


#4

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

Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale deep-dive into some of reality TV’s most controversial shows ... more

17 May 2022

44 MINS

44:50

17 May 2022


#3

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

Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes look at how three men called Simon are responsible for the go... more

17 May 2022

49 MINS

49:42

17 May 2022


#2

1. The Social Experiment: Big Brother Is Watching You

Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale wind back to Britain's first ‘official’ reality show, to look... more

17 May 2022

56 MINS

56:43

17 May 2022


#1

Introducing Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV

The dumbest genre in entertainment, or the one that tells us the most about ourselves? Sin... more

10 May 2022

04 MINS

04:45

10 May 2022