Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV

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...

On today’s show: The Amazing Race took off 25 years ago this week, and I have some amazing behind-the-scenes stories for you! Also, two recommendations, and reality TV life advice from an icon. Mentioned Amazing Race behind the scenes: an oral history of CBS’s first race around the world 20th Anniversary Retrospective w/ Team Guido - "The Game Show" Recommendations Age of Attraction (Netflix) Rose...

On today's episode: A journey through blind judging. I love blind judging but not Love is Blind, and I'm glad some viewers are no longer blind to unconscious biases on The Traitors and I wish I had a different word here than "blind." Mentioned Why Padma Lakshmi didn’t want blind judging on America’s Culinary Cup Blind judging, Tournament of Champions’ best idea, should become reality TV’s norm Tra...

This week, a quick look at this wild week of competition reality TV—and what to watch during it. Mentioned First time watching Survivor? 50th? Some behind-the-scenes things to know! How four Survivor 50 players thought about their games 30 seasons ago Two Survivor experts* pick Survivor 50 fantasy teams How Survivor became a game of cheerful mercenaries, and why Rob Cesternino is responsible Recom...

Survivor has survived for 50 seasons in no small part because it's been willing to evolve and change over the years. So what would you change about it now, if you could change just one thing? In this episode of my podcast, I share my answer. Also: recommendations and life advice from Kristen Kish! Mentioned Dear Jeff Probst: Thanks for Survivor. Please change these 3 things RIP Survivor, murdered...

On this week's show, I read from reality TV-related legal documents—including one NBCUniversal tried to keep secret—in character voices that my husband called "totally fucking bonkers" when he heard it. Plus: recommendations and life advice from TV. Mentioned The Profit’s secret settlement, Marcus Lemonis’ $14 million penalty, and me Is The Profit coming back? Marcus Lemonis’ answer—and The Profit...

This week: Below Deck Med and Below Deck Down Under , and why producing isn’t scripting. Also: my usual recommendations, plus reality TV stars band together to show us how community and working together is the way through all of this. And stick around to the end for life advice from an iconic reality TV cast member. Mentioned We Stand with Minnesota Owen Knight's Instagram post How Survivor’s Owen...

On this week's show: Two Survivor legends, two conversations for you to eavesdrop on. Plus: recommendations for free and entertaining streaming TV! Mentioned Survivor’s Sandra Diaz-Twine on Extracted, her reputation, and waiting to pounce Survivor’s Stephen Fishbach on turning ‘an insane human experience’ into a novel Stephen's book Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire (American Masters) trailer Recommendati...

On today’s show: Watching, noticing, and turning those things into video instead of writing. Am I helping or hurting—them and me! Also, I have three recommendations for you and self-care advice from the very first episode of Sesame Street.  Mentioned Register for the free Stephen Fishbach Q&A Watch my Michael Rapaport eating video: Instagram , TikTok My short-form videos: TikTok , Instagr...