To think reality shows of the early 2000s have not aged well! Doing a rewatch

There was an Educating Essex before there was an Educating Yorkshire.

Reality TV is one of the few things I’m snooty about!

I watched around the first two series of big brother before everyone became so self aware that were quite interesting, but everything since is painful.

I think it’s nothing short of exploitation, so many people on these shows are clearly not the brightest buttons, or are incredibly naive, lives have been ruined and people have killed themselves over the lack of care taken with this, but I guess that’s fine as we get to point and laugh at the entertainment and get one or two celebs out of it.

Honestly most of those shows are only a step above (if they are above) some kind of freak show carnival, with people set up to be betrayed, humiliated and hurt so we can see the ‘reaction’. It’s sick.

That was the case back then and it’s still the case now, I judge anyone who adores these programmes, not a lot, but a little bit. I imagine they’re the ones that used to point and laugh at the bearded man and the fat lady.

Reality tv is mostly junk anyway. Always was.

I think the worse one was ‘Your face or Mine’ on channel 4. The premise was you had to vote wether someone was better or worse looking than your girlfriend/boyfriend. Every time you got it right you won some money. But they threw in an ex partners or someone beautiful in the audience. People cried a lot on that show, humiliating!

Yep, that's the one.

I'd bet now that the people guessing we're told what to say by the producers. But still horrendous, either way.

I watched a documentary with real travellers and even though they sometimes marry young, the "grabbing" was over exaggerated for the programme it isn't a tradition just lads acting up.

I think it’s way worse now
virgin island
naked attraction

BOKE

I absolutely refuse to watch Love Island or any of that shite. I find it pernicious and incredibly damaging to young people's understanding of love or what is important in a relationship. I think it's way more damaging to the psyche than something like wife swap. There you were "laughing at the weirdos" which is horrible of course. The new breed of reality TV takes fakeness and tells kids it's real and what matters. Urgh.

100% I was so disappointed as an adult I have never needed a day-to-night outfit.

the magazines made out it would be an every day occurrence when I was a teen

I agree it has got a lot worse. That programme where they strip off and gawp at each other's genitals!?

The one which stand out for me was the very first series of Big Brother (2000 I think) which I watched and was fascinated by. I'd never seen reality TV before and I did find it interesting partly because the people who were on it were normal people and it was interesting to see how they interacted.

Now reality TV is a mix of cosmetically primped up freak show and sexually incontinent wannabees.

The Faking It reboot on Channel 5 is well worth watching because it's a reality format that is much more heartwarming than cruel

That's one of the reasons I liked it, @BarchesterTowels

The same applied to Home From Home on C4, a series about home exchanging experiences which my own family featured in on Series 1 and 2
Trouble is, come Series 3, they decided they wanted something much "edgier" with family arguments, kids wreaking havoc and so on, so we gave that one a swerve

I’ve recently watched the Gypsy wedding programmes for the first time and they are pretty shocking really. That ‘grab’ tradition is assault and marrying girls off at 16 to some awful guy they only got with 3 month’s earlier was a real wtf moment.

to be fair @blossomtoes I think they are both a bit crap now. I can't understand why anyone would want to flash their bits on national telly! Or have sex on telly just to get a brand deal.

Love Island is so over saturated now anyway, and it's full of people who just want to get famous

@blacksantanapkin I'd absolutely forgotten the constant references to a "waist cinching belt" 😂

and as someone else referenced up thread, the constant day-to-night dressing. An absolute mainstay in issues of Bliss and J17. I was absolutely convinced when I started work I would be headed out for drinks and cocktails straight from the office!

I wonder what people will think of Love Island and Naked Attraction in 2045?

10 years younger?

with the blonde lady - Nicky something.

they used to make them stand in a shopping centre and then have the public guess their age - and it would always be brutally many years above their actual age

They caught him red handed 😀

me too! Brendan was such an utter gem. Coach Trip was fabulous viewing

I agree too.

I remember 🤦

Something like "how to get away with being a total bastard". Which is ironic considering he didn't 🤣.

Oh I loved Brendan 😍

From 2012
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19809721

They were just as clearly awful then. Obviously exploitative, sensationalist and horrible.