Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV

Not every November reality TV show premiere deserves your time, so let me help by highlighting some must-watches and gonna-skips. Coming Attractions November reality TV show premieres Big Brother's Aaryn is back on Bravo Recommendations Taskmaster on YouTube Taskmaster season 22 Taskmaster season 21 Credits Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV  is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC. Fi...

Step behind reality TV's scenes with me, Andy Dehnart, a TV critic, creator of reality blurred, and "the pioneer of reality TV criticism," according to the very discerning YouTuber Barfbag. I pull back the curtain on reality shows—Survivor, The Traitors, Big Brother, Couples Therapy, 24 in 24, American Ninja Warrior, and so many more—for candid conversations about how people are turned into entert...

Why is Bravo trying to make Big Brother 15 ’s Aaryn Williams—who's best known for her racist, homophobic, and other vile comments on the CBS show—a star? She's returning to TV on Bravo's Small Town Trouble: Texas . In this episode of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV, I ask why Bravo would cast someone with her history, and explore what we should do when networks platform people like her. A...

NBC's The Traitors: New Blood has been a baffling mess, and I think there's one thing to blame more than anything else: episodes that are much shorter than the ones on Peacock. Yep, I'm blaming the editing! Except: The Edit! My Traitors: New Blood recaps Recommendations The Real Housewives of New York City, Bravo SNL UK: "Great Big Crab Man" Ponder Club Life Advice from Reality TV Kristin on Survi...

This week, into the Great British Baking Show tent we go to discuss its Audience Choice week. How does it fit in to the pattern of reality TV shows—from American Idol to Survivor 50—blaming viewers for what are ultimately producers' decisions? Analyzing the Analysis Survivor 50: What choices were in the Hands of the Fans? Bake-Off series 17's Audience Choice Week recap Great British Bake Off's tim...

Bravo's Below Deck Mediterranean season 11 is over, and I break down what made this season great—and horrifying. Nathan vs. Joe, Aesha's growth, and Chef Joy's joy, and how much the production has to do with all of it. Review Review: Below Deck Med season 11 Below Deck’s semen-stained sheet is gross. Is it hazardous? Nathan convicted of horrific domestic violence, now wanted in Australia and Irela...

The Amazing Race has an iconic, simple format. But the reality is that, during season one, many of the decisions were made while filming was underway—or after it was over. Behind the Scenes Amazing Race behind the scenes: an oral history of CBS’s first race around the world Recommendations The Amazing Race season 39's premiere , CBS The Swan: Behind the Mirror , Hulu Credits Made from Humans: How...

It's a new season of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV , and today I'm looking at my expectation versus reality of Survivor 51 ’s premiere, and Wonka's The Golden Ticket. I Was Wrong : Wonka's The Golden Ticket and Survivor 51 What in the chocolate river is AI slop doing in Netflix’s Wonka competition? My Wonka's The Golden Ticket review Survivor 50 finale's preview of season 51   Survivor...

In this quick episode: An update on the premiere of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV season 6, which is coming the morning after Survivor 51 ’s premiere. Also, a recommendation: Nation's Dumbest on Fox

In this special episode: My husband Nick and I chat about our wedding, some highs and lows, with Emily Post's great-great grandchild, Lizzie Post, in this excerpt from the podcast Emily Post Wedding Stories. Listen to the full episode here , and also check out Emily Post Wedding Stories and Awesome Etiquette —and our great photographers, Live Happy Studio . Credits Made from Humans: How Reality Be...

After this week’s Big Brother 28 elimination, I’m revisiting an interview I did with Big Brother producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan about the show’s format. Has anything changed in 12 years? What still needs to change? Plus: recommendations for two shows and one podcast episode, and stick around to the end for life advice from reality TV, once again from Mister Rogers. Great Tape : an inter...

Two words in a reality TV star's contract can change their post-show life—but also may not be that big of a deal? A dive into exclusivity clauses. Plus: news I broke about Love is Blind, recommendations, and life advice from Canada's Drag Race. Unscripted Updates , where I discuss something from the news The Love is Blind assault lawsuit was settled—days after a judge ordered these disclosures Rea...

In this very special episode: A Project Runway 22 episode 2 recap and review, with a special guest star! Plus: news about The Challenge and a reality TV couple, plus recommendations for two shows that are polar opposites. Unscripted Updates The Challenge: Cutthroat is on Paramount+, not MTV, starting Aug. 5 Matt Rogers and ‘Below Deck’ Star Fraser Olender Break Up A Couple of Recappers My Project...

This week: A dramatic reading of my very first reality TV recap—to celebrate reality blurred’s 26th birthday today! Also: recommendations, and, at the very end, life advice from a Survivor 50 player who’s on Big Brother 28! Intro: Join me July 8 at 8 p.m. ET for a special AMA on Bluesky and/or Surf! BB28’s cast: Salina EsTitties, Rick Devens, Dee Valladares Big Brother Watchtower on Surf Social &n...

Love Island and Big Brother have a history of casting hot dummies who sometimes turn out to be people who behave badly and maybe shouldn’t be on TV. How do they find them? How does casting work? We'll dive into two parts of the process.  Also: recommendations, including for some podcasts, and stick around to the end for life advice from reality TV, this time from The Real Housewives of Rhode Islan...

On this week’s episode: Before Casa Amor, Love Island USA ’s hottest couple were two guys! Is this finally queering up a hetero show, or just queerbaiting? And how can we tell? Plus: reality TV news you have missed and recommendations for some great social media videos you shouldn't. And stick around to the end for life advice from reality TV, this time from drag queen Delta Work. Unscripted updat...

On this week's show: We’ve rolled into a new season of Below Deck Med, one I was dreading, but it’s actually refreshing—for the franchise and reality TV. Plus: What Love Island USA and Survivor have in common, recommendations, and life advice from reality TV, this time from Captain Sandy. I Was Wrong: Below Deck Med season 11 edition Guess what's back after Below Deck Down Under? Below Deck Med se...

On this week’s episode:  Top Chef Carolinas is over, and no spoilers here as I look at the season and the franchise to ask: is Top Chef deserving of the title of top culinary reality show? Plus: two Kristen Kish related recommendations, and stick around to the end for life advice from reality TV, also from Top Chef host Kristen Kish!  Curtain Pull Top Chef doesn't want you to see this 'sensitive i...

26 years ago, just one week after Survivor premiered, I was live on TV, competing for an audience’s vote, and it was broadcast thanks to C-SPAN. Here’s the story—and video! Plus: hilarious recommendations and stick around to the end for life advice from Tiffany Pollard. Curtain Pull Reality TV contracts Story Time : Great American Think-Off C-SPAN C-SPAN broadcast: "Is Democracy Fair?" (watch belo...

In this episode of  Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV , I dive into the production of Showtime’s Couples Therapy , from the set design to b-roll to editing choices, all of which create an authentic experience, not fake drama. Curtain Pull: How Couples Therapy hides its cameras From Vulture : Couples Therapy Built the World’s Most Convincing Reality-TV Set Inside the Big Brother house Behind...

Coach Probst may be tanking Survivor , but in this episode of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV , I share how my love of Survivor persists, because I am like a fan of a beleaguered sports games team thing. Plus: Survivor costumes! Mentioned Survivor clothing rules: How clothing players can bring is chosen for them Variety's Untold Tales of ‘Survivor’ Jeff Probst's quote Watching Survivor wi...

On this week's show: America’s Culinary Cup and Padma Lakshmi’s dream of shaking up the cooking competition genre. Did it work? And how did it come together? I have insight from Padma and its showrunner. I also have reality TV recommendations for you, and stick around to the very end for life advice from reality TV, this time from Padma herself. Plus: Why this show has a new name! Mentioned 2026 N...

On this week's show: More reality TV shows are showing us their scaffolding, literally and figuratively. Some examples, and a plea for more. Plus: a bunch of recommendations; an update on the next month of this podcast; and life advice from TV, once again from Mister Rogers.   Mentioned Is Flavortown's town square inside Guy's Grocery Games? An investigation RuPaul's Drag Race and Guy's Grocery Ga...

On this week's show: Once again, fans and media are piling on a person instead of the corporations and systems. Can we hold Taylor Frankie Paul accountable for her behavior but not lay the blame for the franchise's implosion at her feet? Plus: a non-Bachelorette recommendation, and life advice from reality TV from Iman. Mentioned ABC is trashing The Bachelorette season 22 The Bachelorette’s PR nig...

On today's show: Why Survivor 50 is working for me, especially compared to the past nine seasons! Plus: three recommendations for fictional films, and life advice from the Oscar-winning director of a nonfiction film. Mentioned My Survivor 50 recaps Did Boston Rob just out himself as MAGA Rob? What choices were in the hands of the fans? How Survivor became a game of cheerful mercenaries, and why Ro...