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 Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV podcast is a captivating and thought-provoking exploration of the impact and significance of reality television. As someone who has often found myself defending the genre to skeptical friends, this series provided me with compelling arguments and a deeper understanding of the social questions it raises. Over the course of ten episodes, The Unreal expertly dissects various reality TV shows, shedding light on their cultural relevance and offering fresh perspectives on subjects that I thought I had already exhausted.
One of the standout aspects of this podcast is its ability to present a comprehensive analysis while remaining engaging and empathetic. The hosts skillfully weave together interviews, personal anecdotes, and expert commentary to provide a multifaceted examination of each show. This approach creates a connection between the listener and the individuals involved in these reality TV programs, making it easier to understand their motivations and experiences. Through this lens of empathy, The Unreal effectively highlights the complex dynamics at play within these shows, forcing listeners to question their own preconceived notions about reality television.
Furthermore, The Unreal tackles its subject matter in a critically important manner. It delves into serious topics such as race, gender, class, and representation within reality TV shows. By meticulously analyzing episodes from popular series like "The Real Housewives" franchise or "Jersey Shore," this podcast brings attention to subtle yet significant social issues embedded within these programs. It challenges listeners to consider how reality TV both reflects and perpetuates societal norms, giving rise to important conversations about media influence and cultural dynamics.
While The Unreal excels in many areas, there are some minor drawbacks worth mentioning. Occasionally, certain episodes may require prior knowledge or familiarity with specific reality TV shows. For example, the TOWIE (The Only Way Is Essex) episode may be challenging for listeners who aren't familiar with accents from different regions in England. While this particular instance doesn't detract significantly from the overall quality of the podcast, it does highlight the potential for some episodes to be less accessible to a wider audience.
In conclusion, The Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the significance and impact of reality television. With its compelling storytelling, empathetic approach, and critical analysis, this series offers a fresh perspective on a genre often dismissed as trivial. It challenges listeners to question their assumptions, raises important social questions, and ultimately proves that reality TV matters. Whether you are an avid fan or a skeptic like myself, The Unreal will undoubtedly leave you with a newfound appreciation for this cultural phenomenon.
weekly
every other week
weekly
monthly
weekly
weekly
weekly
infrequent
infrequent
Join Chi Chi Izundu as she looks back on the world of The X Factor, where contestants perform in front of celebrity judges to realise their dream. It's a world of glamour and excitement, but also of hard truths, hard words and hard work. For our hopefuls, the first step is the audition process. We go behind the scenes to look at how the process unfolds, and what staff and contestants remember about the beginning of their road to stardom. Offstage: Inside The X Factor captures the emotion, the excitement and the drama of the show and features some of the captivating characters that led to its enduring success. But it also looks beyond the glitz and glamour revealing how contestants and staff felt, the toll it took on some of them and what they say happened behind the scenes. Presenter: Chi Chi Izundu Producers: Rob Brown, Jo Adnitt, Lucy Burns, Joe Kent Editor: Clare Fordham Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Archive: The X Factor series 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 (Fremantle/Syco/ITV) Youtube/nats89
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. Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: The Victoria Derbyshire Show, BBC Love Island, ITV Studios/Lifted Entertainment/Motion Content Group This Morning, Granada Television Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death, Curious Films 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave, BBC Sophie Gradon On Internet Trolls, Radio Aire Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee meeting 14 September 2021, Parliamentary Recording Unit The Great British Bake Off, Love Productions The Voice, Wall to Wall Big Brother, Endemol UK
Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale analyse how Love Island became a finishing school for influencers and a commercial juggernaut through its association with fast fashion. Featuring interviews with Megan Barton-Hanson, Dr Alex George, and many more. Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: Love Island, ITV Studios/Lifted Entertainment/Motion Content Group Sausages, Adam Buxton Trying on Love Island x I Saw it First outfits… is it worth the money!?, Roxxsaurus Ethical Fashion, Brett Staniland The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, Steven Bartlett Let's Talk Business: Meet My Manager (Finally), Molly Mae Hague Blindboy Undestroys the World, Rumpus Media for BBC 3 Olivia Attwood video on influencers flying to Dubai for work
Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes slip into the moneyed world of the Californian 0.01% with the help of a Real Housewife and a Selling Sunset realtor, to examine property porn, toxic wealth, and why audiences want schadenfreude. Featuring interviews with Real Housewife's Taylor Armstrong, Selling Sunset's Mary Fitzgerald, plus the show creators and more. Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Evolution Media Dallas, Lorimar Productions Desperate Housewives, Cherry Productions Selling Sunset, Done and Done Productions ABC News, ABC
Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale look at how these BAFTA-winning reality shows became national treasures and explore why the ingredients for a good reality show are the same, wherever they are set. Featuring interviews with Spencer Matthews, Georgia Toffolo, James Lock, plus many more. Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: The British Academy Television Awards: 2011, Whizz Kid Entertainment The Only Way is Essex, Lime Pictures Made in Chelsea, Monkey Kingdom Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Hot Sauce The Reality of Reality TV with Fleur East, Bauer Media What We Don't Post, Nicola Hughes and Tiffany Watson I've Been There: Amy Childs and Cosmetic Surgery, Nine Lives Media
Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes delve into the story of America's First Family, the Kardashian-Jenners, and how they leveraged reality tv to redefine beauty ideals and create an entirely new category of uber-celebrity. Featuring interviews with Keeping Up With The Kardashian's executive producer for all 20 seasons, plus @NorisBlackBook creator, and many more.Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Bunim-Murray Productions Oprah's Next Chapter, Harpo Studios X17onlineVideo's video of Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian with paparazzi Kim Kardashian's Business Advice, Variety
Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale tread a nostalgic path back to their teenage years and The Hills, which birthed reality's first wave of lifestyle influencers. Featuring interviews with Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, and many more.Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: The OC, Wonderland Sound and Vision Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, Go Go Luckey Productions The Hills, Done and Done Productions Nightline, ABC News Productions Velvet's Edge with Kelly Henderson, Nashville Podcast Network
Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes explore how the rise in cosmetic surgery collided with reality TV, and laid the foundations for our current preoccupation with self-improvement. Featuring interviews with The Swan's show creator and contestant, and many more.Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: The Swan, Galan Entertainment What Not to Wear, BBC Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Hot Sauce Parkinson, BBC
Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale deep-dive into some of reality TV's most controversial shows in the early 2000s, exploring how the explosion in the genre caused ethics to fly out of the window. Featuring interviews with There's Something About Miriam's show creator and winning contestant, and many more.Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: There's Something About Miriam, Brighter Pictures The Farm, Endemol UK Shattered, Endemol UK Who's Your Daddy, 10 by 10 Entertainment Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera, Wondery Big Brother, Endemol UK Have I Got News For You, Hat Trick Productions
Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes look at how three men called Simon are responsible for the gold rush of talent shows in the early noughties and why the format no longer feels fit for purpose. Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: The X Factor, Fremantle Media Britain's Got Talent, Talkback Thames Star Search, 2929 Productions Popstars, Warner Bros. Television Pop Idol, 19 Television A Better Me: The Official Autobiography, Bolinda Publishing Misha B video discussing her experiences on and after The X Factor Cher Lloyd's video on her X Factor experience Walk The Line, Syco Entertainment
Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale wind back to Britain's first ‘official' reality show, to look at how it became a global phenomenon, the importance of authenticity, and how Jade Goody created a new type of celebrity - famous for simply being herself. Featuring interviews with housemates Nick Bateman aka 'Nasty Nick' and Brian Dowling, and Big Brother's Creative Director Philip Edgar Jones, plus many more. Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: Big Brother, Endemol UK Candid Microphone, Colombia Pictures Candid Camera, ABC Television The Family, BBC The Late Review, BBC The Reunion, Whistledown Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain, Blast! Films Stars in Their Eyes, Granada Television Celebrity Big Brother, Endemol UK Prime Ministers Questions, Parliamentary Recording Unit Bigg Boss, Endemol Shine India
The dumbest genre in entertainment, or the one that tells us the most about ourselves? Since its conception, reality TV has divided its viewers. Introducing Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV, a new 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 questions raised by the format. Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits: Love Island, ITV Studios Big Brother, Endemol UK The Only Way is Essex, Lime Pictures The Late Review, BBC The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Evolution Media
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
