Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

'90s and early 2000s reality tv shows

259 replies

ExCarer · 07/04/2023 19:29

Does anyone else remember when reality tv shows were becoming popular? Things like Driving School. Remember Maureen? And Life of Grime with Mr Trebus? He had such a sad story.

There was one about the residents of a particular street but I can't remember what it was called now.

Can anyone remember any others?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
prampushingdownthehighst · 07/04/2023 21:38

In the mid 90s there was a programme called The Village set in Bentley and had a policeman called 'Pinky' Salmon

Noseylittlemoo · 07/04/2023 21:39

I loved Faking it and Wife Swap. Not as keen on Wife Swap USA which seemed more staged and dramatic.
I remember Sylvania Waters too!
There was another one called the Fairy Godmother or Fairy job mother (?) who helped people getting back into work. I remember watching it just before I got my job which I've been in over 15 years now!
What about You Are what you Eat with Gillian McKeith where she laid out what ppl ate in a week and examined their poop? And tried to convince them that a 'pizza ' made of shredded cauliflower and sweet potato was a suitable substitute for a Take away!

AdaColeman · 07/04/2023 21:39

One of my favourites was the group of couples living in an Iron Age round house, how they managed their communal living, what hard work the life was. They were together there for months, I wonder if they have stayed in contact.

I liked one where two couples changed partners, and had to fit into a new type of life. Sometimes it was quite volatile, as they'd deliberately chosen pairs with mismatched life styles.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

TV
RealityCrack · 07/04/2023 21:40

ExCarer · 07/04/2023 21:25

Have name changed but I’ve produced some of the shows mentioned. It’s nice to know they’re remembered!

That is too cool! I'm seriously impressed.

That’s kind! I mean, ultimately it’s just another unimportant job. We’re not exactly the Emergency Services and like all, good aspects / shit aspects. But … I bloody love my job! It’s fun!

Ps the original Big Brother cast were bat shit bonkers and Big Characters! It was just more hidden!

Cheerfulcharlie · 07/04/2023 21:41

I remember the first Married At First Sights- totally groundbreaking at the time!

TerryIsAllGold · 07/04/2023 21:41

Cheeseandlobster · 07/04/2023 21:29

Does anyone remember a programme where couples would have to travel as far as they could with little money then on the Sunday they would phone the show from a phone box and people would encouraged to call and say where they might be. They had to get to the end of the show without being caught to carry on. I think it was called Wanted

Yes! Hosted by Ray Cokes with an ex Russian spy on it who wiki tells me was Oleg Gordievsky. I think I started watching it solely because of Ray Cokes who had been an MTV presenter back when I was living abroad and it was the only English language TV I could get (hence also my Real World addiction)

Lovelyring · 07/04/2023 21:46

Lakesiders

There was a really good one where they took a load of kids predicted As at GCSE and put them in a "1950s" grammar school. The following year they took less academic kids and put them in a 1969s secondary modern. I really liked it because the secondary modern kids learned things like car mechanics, sewing and brick laying and they'd never tried them before - some of them were really good at practical stuff and it changed their career plans!

Tattytaylor · 07/04/2023 21:47

Does anyone remember the original UK Farmer Wants a Wife? I've been looking to see if I can find it anywhere but alas, I cannot. A family member was on it!

LubaLuca · 07/04/2023 21:47

prampushingdownthehighst · 07/04/2023 21:38

In the mid 90s there was a programme called The Village set in Bentley and had a policeman called 'Pinky' Salmon

Yes, I remember this. It was completely uneventful, usually something like an am dram rehearsal going a little bit wrong. I loved it though.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 07/04/2023 21:50

Does anyone remember Secret Millionaire? Where a benefactor would go and work for a charity/social enterprise type organisation in a fairly lowly role to get to understand their issues, then after a fortnight or so, they'd do a big reveal and give them a massive cheque.

TerryWoganFanGirl · 07/04/2023 21:51

Is the Holiday Reps one the same as the 90s reality series about Club 18-30 holiday reps? I loved that!

Also Streetmate, Castaway, Newlyweds, Undercover Boss

Cheeseandlobster · 07/04/2023 21:51

TerryIsAllGold · 07/04/2023 21:41

Yes! Hosted by Ray Cokes with an ex Russian spy on it who wiki tells me was Oleg Gordievsky. I think I started watching it solely because of Ray Cokes who had been an MTV presenter back when I was living abroad and it was the only English language TV I could get (hence also my Real World addiction)

Show quote history

Yes! Glad someone else remembers

Lovelyring · 07/04/2023 21:52

JoanJettsMullet · 07/04/2023 21:01

Anyone remember the Tourist Trap? They set up fake situations at holiday resorts and then analysed how different nationalities reacted or something?! They had Brits, Germans, Japanese people etc. I’m sure one was they pretended that the coach driver was drunk driving.

Yes! It was good! There was one where they were invited to a banquet with brain and eyeballs and that kind of thing. The British refused to eat it. The Germans were like "we ate this during the war, no problem", and the Japanese all looked to see what their chief elder did and copied him!

Wasn't there a reality show where a load of rough girls got sent to a finishing school?

Phos · 07/04/2023 21:53

AdaColeman · 07/04/2023 21:39

One of my favourites was the group of couples living in an Iron Age round house, how they managed their communal living, what hard work the life was. They were together there for months, I wonder if they have stayed in contact.

I liked one where two couples changed partners, and had to fit into a new type of life. Sometimes it was quite volatile, as they'd deliberately chosen pairs with mismatched life styles.

Oh I remember the Iron Age one!

PrancerandDancer · 07/04/2023 21:53

Making of the Band on T4 was great
Also remember watching some show about kids on camp in America and the issues they had whilst there.

HurricaneLane · 07/04/2023 21:55

Lovelyring · 07/04/2023 21:52

Yes! It was good! There was one where they were invited to a banquet with brain and eyeballs and that kind of thing. The British refused to eat it. The Germans were like "we ate this during the war, no problem", and the Japanese all looked to see what their chief elder did and copied him!

Wasn't there a reality show where a load of rough girls got sent to a finishing school?

Show quote history

Ladette to lady! Loved that bit like bad lads army!

Mangolist · 07/04/2023 21:56

The Big Time. It launched Sheena Eastons career. Loved that

confusedallthetime1 · 07/04/2023 21:57

ExCarer · 07/04/2023 20:00

The Osbornes had me in a chokehold!!! I was obsessed. I think they were the first reality show that followed a family and spawned everything else ever

I loved The Osbornes. Especially the episode where they got a dog behaviorist to try to stop the dogs pissing and shitting everywhere. I also have a vague memory of Sharon throwing a whole ham at the neighbours for some reason.

She said 'this is a photo of his wife's Cunt' 😂😂😭😭

Custardslices · 07/04/2023 21:58

Who can forget 'mums on strike' used to love that in the late afternoon

Lovelyring · 07/04/2023 21:59

Goodread1 · 07/04/2023 21:14

Oh what about that tv series in which people families swap total different lives for a short while

In a extreme way, and hopefully learn or get something out of it,

Does anybody rember this,

The would often deliberately choose controversial lives swaps as they knew it would create more sparks be more interesting for views,

With all conflict/drama instigated

For e.g A vegan or vegetarian swapping with serious meat lovers who love eating Big mac quite often ect

I remember it, but not what it was called. There was one where a couch potato family with an overweight son swapped with an extremely outdoorsy family. The couch potatoes had to hike up a mountain or something and the parents whinged the whole time, but the son LOVED it. I felt a bit sorry for him, I think he'd have loved to do more of it but it seemed unlikely that the parents would take him.

prettycolours · 07/04/2023 22:01

I'm glad a couple of other people remember the Cruel Summer/Cruel Winter series on Trouble TV as I was absolutely glued to them as a teen but no one ever mentions them now. My favourite of those was Cruel School, I seem to remember the girl that won it was being bullied by some of the other contestants and it got to the point where even the actor playing the school master (who was hilarious) sort of broke character to comment on how awful they were being to her.

I think Trouble also did a show where people went on it as couples but all the couples had to pretend they didn't know each other. Then everyone had to guess who the real couples actually were. I remember thinking it was a great concept but I'm not sure it ever got past one series.

I loved Life Of Grime too, can still hear John Peel in my head talking about Mr Trebus despite it being about 20 years ago.

CapitanSandy · 07/04/2023 22:04

Used to love early 00s reality tv still like it now. My favourites were beauty school where they followed a group of girls training to be beauty therapists. Slimming club and mums on strike.

motheroreily · 07/04/2023 22:12

I loved lakesiders, holiday reps and vets in practice.

Street mate was amazing. I'm sure it's still on 4od. I watched it a few years ago. At the end of an episode davina asked one the contestants if she'd called her date. And she said no but I've text him. And davina said something like "oh I love those text things"

SpreadableCheeseOnEverything · 07/04/2023 22:26

For those asking, Holiday Reps was BBC in 1997/98 and was about holiday reps in places like Tenerife and Menorca. I remember one particular one was a lady called Caroline who was looking for a man!

Club Reps was on ITV and followed Club 18-30 reps. Think it was in Faliraki. This was on in the early noughties

SpreadableCheeseOnEverything · 07/04/2023 22:26

I loved Redcoats too. Except a really obnoxious bloke on there called Pete!

Swipe left for the next trending thread