Summary
While reality TV has been one of the most rapidly growing genres in the last several decades overall,the reality TV genre wouldn’t be as popular as it is without the influence and work of MTV. Throughout the last several years, reality TV has found entire networks, like Bravo, dedicated to unscripted content. Before it was so widely accepted, though, reality TV had homes on very few networks, as it wasn’t as popular as it’s become in recent years.
Despite knowing thatreality TV was frowned uponduring the 1990s and early 2000s,MTV took a risk on the genre and began to create shows that appealed to their audience. Though its original aim was to bring music videos to TV, MTV’s demographic got wider throughout its first decade, and in its second, the viewership broadened further. With interest in reality TV on the rise in the younger generation, MTV added some unscripted content to their roster.
Beginning with shows likeThe Real WorldandRoad Rules, the content that MTV was producing was groundbreaking and revolutionary. Bringing people together from all walks of life and discovering what would happen when they were faced with circumstances that weren’t entirely in their control,people were able to grasp the true breadth of human nature while being entertainedat the same time.Reality TV created a niche of entertainmentwhere the people were real, which made every decision more nuanced, and every comment more dissect-able.
OnceThe Real Worldbegan to take off andmore reality TV shows were popping upon other networks, MTV was able to begin to expand its reality roster. Ushering in the most reality TV heavy time in entertainment history, the network began producing other shows and bringing different concepts to their viewers. From observational content likeTrue Lifeto aspirational content likeMTV Cribs,the network had shows for everyone and everything. Though the market began to change in the late 2000s and early 2010s, MTV always had its finger on the pulse of reality TV.
After the tremendous success of shows likeLaguna BeachandThe Hills, as well asJersey ShoreandThe Challenge, MTV has become one of the premier networks for reality TV. Sharing authentic stories and riveting competitions,the network knows how to appeal to its audience and continually revamp its content from season to season. Here are some of the most incredible MTV reality shows, both past and present.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.
20The Real World
33 Seasons Available
A landmark reality TV series that pushed the boundaries of what the genre could be,The Real Worldbegan its long run in 1992. The concept of the series is simple: a group of strangers are picked to live in a house together, work together, and have their lives filmed as they navigate their way through personal and professional conflicts.The Real Worldtook place in different citiesall over the world, beginning in New York during its first season.
Throughout the 90s, 00s, and early 2010s,The Real Worldwas one of the most sought-after reality TV shows in the world. Creating celebrities early on in its run,The Real Worldwent on to introduce the world to some of the most notable reality TV stars into the industry. The series ended after 33 seasons, but many feel thatThe Real World is still the best reality TV show MTV has created.
the real world
Cast
The Real World is a reality television series that premiered in 1992, bringing together seven young adults from diverse backgrounds to live in a shared space in a major city. This pioneering format captures their interpersonal relationships and life challenges, exploring themes of identity, culture, and social dynamics.
19Teen Mom
19 Seasons Available
A spin-off of16 & Pregnant, Teen Momhas become one of the most beloved shows on MTV. Following the lives of women who originally appeared on its parent show,the series documents teen mothers' real-life struggles as they and their children grow up. Originally documenting the lives of16 & Pregnant’s Maci Bookout McKinney, Catelynn Lowell Baltierra, Amber Portwood, and Farrah Abraham, the series set out to be open and honest about the difficulties of teenage motherhood.
While the show has expanded to shows likeTeen Mom 2, Teen Mom 3, and eventually transitioned into the catch-all show,Teen Mom: The Next Chapter,the premise has been the same. Following some of the most notable cast members of16 & Pregnant as their lives shift and change,the show has been an authentic look at young motherhood. As the cast members have left the show and returned, MTV audiences are attached to theTeen Momcrew.
Teen Mom: The Next Chapter
Teen Mom: The Next Chapter is an MTV reality television show that premiered in 2022. The supersized series follows the lives of Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2 stars Amber Portwood, Catelynn Baltierra, Cheyenne Floyd, Maci Bookout McKinney, Ashley Jones, Briana DeJesus, Jade Cline, and Leah Messer, as they experience parenthood at various stages.
18Jersey Shore
13 Seasons Available
Likely one of the most notable MTV reality shows of all time,Jersey Shoreis a long-running show that’s created its own place in the cultural zeitgeist. Originally following a group of people through their summer vacation in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, the show has evolved into an entirely different series. The show, which brought together stars like Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, and DJ Pauly D DelVecchio, was meant to document the lives of people who live and party at the summer hot spot.
As it continued,Jersey Shoretook its cast to placeslike Miami and Italy, allowing the cast to create drama wherever they traveled. Though the show wasn’t always taken seriously by audiences, the cast was happy to contribute their time and energy into making things entertaining. Althoughthe originalJersey Shoreended in 2012, the series returned asJersey Shore: Family Vacationin 2018, and is still running.
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation
The cast of Jersey Shore is back for this installment in the long-running reality TV franchise. In Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, cast members like Pauly D, Snooki, Jwoww, Mike, Vinny, Angelina, and Deena all reunite to take various vacations across the United States with one another.
17True Life
21 Seasons Available
One of MTV’s original reality TV shows,True Lifeshared the real stories of people dealing with specific issues or working in specific areas.True Lifewas a docu-series that documented particular topics, like participating in pageantry, operating in a love triangle, and training to be a muay thai fighter. There have been over 140 topics covered on the show, which has done some of the most fascinating investigative journalism in reality TV history.
True Liferan for nearly 400 episodes, lasting for almost 20 years of MTV’s history. With new episodes airing from 1998 to 2017, the breadth of topics and people that are covered onTrue Lifeis massive. The series has broken new ground on topical issues that weren’t socially acceptable at the time they aired,giving voices to those who were struggling to speak up for themselves.
16The Challenge
39 Seasons Available
The first ever cross-over MTV reality series,The Challengewas the first competition of its kind. Originally putting together stars fromThe Real Worldand its sister series,Road Rules, in a head-to-head competition, the show has changed throughout the years to become one of the most-watched reality TV competitions on the air. A strategic game,The Challengecombines tests of physical strength and fortitude with mental strategy. With cast members from all over the world, it’s become a global game.
Throughoutthe nearly 40-season run ofThe Challenge, the cast members have been able to experience different countries and cultures as they complete increasingly difficult physical competitions. With stars like Chris “C.T.” Tamburello, Wes Bergman, Cara Maria Sorbello, and Aneesa Ferreira,The Challengehas been able to bring stars from different shows together to compete. Still on the air,The Challengeseason 40 is the next set to air.
15MTV Cribs
MTV’s most aspirational series,MTV Cribs, invites the general public into the luxurious homes of celebrities. Though the show originally aired from 2000 to 2010, it was revived in 2017 and 2021 for different types of new episodes. Joining various celebrities, entertainers, athletes, and personalities in their homes,Cribsgives viewers a tour of the luxurious spaces their favorite stars inhabit.
WhileMTV Cribswas, at times, fabricated,Cribswas able to give an insider-esque feelingto viewers who were excited to learn more about the luxurious way their favorite stars lived. Episodes always featured a look into the stars' kitchens, especially the refrigerators, living areas, garages, and bedrooms, beforemoving into the more unique parts of their homes. From stars like Mariah Carey to Martha Stewart,MTV Cribswas able to get in the front doors of some incredibly elite celebrities.
14Laguna Beach
3 Seasons Available
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, typically shortened toLaguna Beach, wasMTV’s answer to the popularity of the FOX teen drama,The OC. Rather than following fictional high school students,Laguna Beachwas a docu-series that filmed a friend group at Laguna Beach High School, documenting their real-life drama as they moved through their teen years. The show, which became a cultural phenomenon, launched the careers of Lauren Conrad,Stephen Colletti, and Kristin Cavallari.
The first season ofLaguna Beachdocumented the second semester of the class of 2004, with the infamous love triangle between Lauren, Stephen, and Kristen ruling the drama of the season. The second season, after Stephen and Lauren had graduated, documented the class of 2005 and introduced Kristin’s group of friends, including Jason Wahler. Throughout the run of the show,Laguna Beach’s soapy drama kept audiences captivated.
13The Hills
6 Seasons Available
A spin-off ofLaguna Beach,The Hillsdocumented Lauren Conrad’s life as she moved from her Orange County hometown to Los Angeles, California. Lauren, who attended a semester of college in San Francisco before returning home and regrouping, moved to LA to study fashion at FIDM. Lauren had already experienced some MTV fame due to her high school years being documented on the show, but the level of fame that would come to her because ofThe Hillswas unpredictable.
The first season ofThe Hillsintroduced viewers to Lauren’s friendand roommate, Heidi Montag, along with co-star Audrina Patridge. After the first season, Heidi’s boyfriend Spencer Pratt came into the picture and changed the entire series.The issues between Lauren and Spencer and Heidi became massive, creating an irreconcilable rift in their friendship that was documented throughout the show.
The Hills
The Hills is an American reality TV show that began in 2006 with MTV’s The Hills. The original series ran for six seasons until 2010. The series focused on various women living in Los Angeles, California, and is a spinoff of Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. The Hills led to three spinoffs series: The City, The Hills: New Beginnings, and Kell on Earth.
12Jackass
A reality TV stunt series,Jackassfeatured a group of men who did extreme stunts and controversial pranks. Starring Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, and several other members of theJackasscrew, the series was one of the most controversial on MTV for years. Each episode would feature the cast members participating in highly dangerous stunts, and though there were disclaimers and warnings put onscreen throughout the episodes asking viewers not to attempt the stunts, viewers still disregarded the warnings.
Jackasswas one of the most controversial showson the network for years, with the cultural footprint that the series created spreading with each season. The US Government even reached out to MTV with their concerns about the series, making it clear that the show had been responsible for major injuries in the young people who watched the show.Jackassspanned just three seasons but made a huge impact.
Jackass
Jackassis a media franchise that originated from an MTV reality television series created by Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, and Jeff Tremaine in 2000. The show features dangerous stunts and pranks performed by a group of friends. Following its success, the franchise expanded into feature films, TV specials, video games, and more. The latest installment,Jackass Forever(2022), continues the chaotic and comedic antics that defined the series.
11Next
MTV’s lineup of dating shows has always been an interesting mix, butNextwas one of the funnier concepts the network came up with over the years. OnNext,one single chose their date from a group of singles who were waiting on an RV bus. Each single walked off the bus and introduced themselves, knowing that at any moment, the single in charge could say “next” to end their date and invite another single from the bus to take their place.
While the concept ofNextwas simple, it caused some hilarious moments for the contestants and viewers. The contestants aboard the bus were typically open to sharing more about themselves as they waited to see if they would be invited on the date. Because of how open they were, theNextbus would sometimes be wilder than the dates themselves.
