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Original poster

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

334 replies

Imcomingovertoyourplace · 30/05/2025 08:35

So far I’ve watched
Playing it Straight (the homophobia is rife!)
Fat Families (just horrific, ‘lard busting’ and shaming overweight kids)
Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (did the producers never want to intervene with what is essentially child abuse?)

OP posts:
ladyamy · 30/05/2025 11:32

Imcomingovertoyourplace · 30/05/2025 09:51

I remember another awful one, Dating in the Dark. They had three (?) blind dates (literally) and then the lights came on. Then they had to wait in a tiny bedsit think watching to see if the other person walked into the room or walked out the door with their wheelie suitcase. All terrible for self esteem.

I used to love that 🙈

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 30/05/2025 11:37

To be honest I think all reality shows are unadulterated, exploitative pish.

Hate them,and veer between pity at, and lack of respect for, those who appear on them.

Viviennemary · 30/05/2025 11:40

BethanyMac85 · 30/05/2025 08:42

Oh god yes! Supersized vs superskinny!

The Swan!?

Ridiculous

I loved supersized v superskinny. I've even got the book somewhere. The fat shaming was horrific. But at least it made people realise why they were fat or thin. So none of well I'm 20 stone but I only eat 500 calories a day. No you don't.

Coffeeishot · 30/05/2025 11:43

Imcomingovertoyourplace · 30/05/2025 11:17

@CoffeeCantatawell I would also say that the TV producers have no duty of care to their contestants. I work in MH. There’s so many unwell people on reality tv. The last thing they need is to be opened up to public ridicule.

I used to work for a charity that asked users not to go on "day time talk shows", I wish I was joking the producers would put out a metaphorical net to catch vulnerable people.

MyUmberSeal · 30/05/2025 11:44

Viviennemary · 30/05/2025 11:40

I loved supersized v superskinny. I've even got the book somewhere. The fat shaming was horrific. But at least it made people realise why they were fat or thin. So none of well I'm 20 stone but I only eat 500 calories a day. No you don't.

Show quote history

That’s what I like about ‘Secret Eaters’. They were all saying stuff like ‘oh I don’t know why I’m so fat, cos I don’t eat hardly anything’. Watched an episode yesterday (it’s all on Amazon prime 🤣), and Anna Richardson said to one of them ‘you don’t get lardy inhaling fresh air’ 🤣😂.

FeministUnderTheCatriarchy · 30/05/2025 11:47

Yes and no.

Personally I love seeing the un-botoxed faces of the girls on Laguna Beach (for example) and there was less of an obsession with social media and image so it all felt more real and raw.

Even the early Housewives franchises tackled addiction and other issues like surrogacy in what felt like a confronting but honest way. Those emotions were real for those people and it was interesting and triggered loads of conversations amongst groups of people.

There's certainly bad examples and things that wouldn't stand up now, but there's also a lot that made reality TV magic that is just lost now.

ThatCyanCat · 30/05/2025 11:50

Viviennemary · 30/05/2025 11:40

I loved supersized v superskinny. I've even got the book somewhere. The fat shaming was horrific. But at least it made people realise why they were fat or thin. So none of well I'm 20 stone but I only eat 500 calories a day. No you don't.

Show quote history

I would be interested to know how many of them made a permanent healthy change to their lives as a result of this important realisation and are healthy weights now. I did see that show a couple of times and the thin people ate just as badly in a different way. Neither person had anything to teach the other.

It was designed not to encourage people to eat better, but to make them feel superior and to enjoy the shaming under the pretence of doing good, much as this comment indicates ("at least it made them realise" etc). On that, it was certainly successful.

HarperStern · 30/05/2025 11:50

One I absolutely loved and would still watch today was the early Davina McCall vehicle Streetmate (guessing more late 90s than early 2000s though).

Also Ibiza Uncovered.

Gwenhwyfar · 30/05/2025 11:51

" I did see that show a couple of times and the thin people ate just as badly in a different way. Neither person had anything to teach the other."

That was the point. The thin people weren't just thin, they were superskinny and underweight.

Superhansrantowindsor · 30/05/2025 11:53

Now I have never watched it so could be wrong but I am under the impression that love island encourages people to basically hook up and dtd on tv. If that is right that’s just as bad. They have been watching one on gogglebox about people losing their virginity, there is naked attraction. So there is still a lot that is just as bad imo.

Coffeeishot · 30/05/2025 11:56

Is Geordie shore still on ? I tried watching the first series but it was too much !

Slatterndisgrace · 30/05/2025 11:58

CoffeeCantata · 30/05/2025 10:57

I agree!

There was the awful Changing Rooms in which arrogant and snooty 'experts' belittled and bullied people into creating the most revolting 'themed' rooms for their friends and neighbours. The results were unbelievably tacky and were done very grottily, more like am-dram sets than decor meant to last. The staple gun and glue played a big role. I remember one woman's treasured collection of teapots was topped and broken by one of the professional designers. In retrospect, I'm not entirely sure this was an accident because...

...some of the designers involved have since tried to distance themselves from the naff programme and admitted that a lot of the time they were taking the p*. Lawrence Llewelllyn Bowen admitted that if he took a dislike to the 'clients' he 'gave them the room they deserved', and not in a nice way. It was in that era when the public were constantly being bossed and bullied by 'experts' (see also Trinny and Suzannah in What Not to Wear. Ghastly, cringey stuff. Punters were seen as fair game for a general sneer-fest from their superiors.

Also there was a horrible programme where some smart-Alec, arrogant film-makers had asked people to let them into their homes to film their rooms while talking about their choices. Needless to say, there was a lot of the camera panning around very ordinary (not design-conscious, trendy or sophisticated) homes with snide comments and a general invitiation to viewers to sneer at these people. Horrible!

There are lots of things wrong with today's TV output but I think they've learned to hide the sneering a bit.

1996 - 2004! That brings back memories. Do you remember another morning series around the same time - it was about a group of people ‘up cycling’ ,I guess it would be called now, doing up bits of furniture that guests brought in. I enjoyed that show, no sneering just interesting little jobs.

ThatCyanCat · 30/05/2025 11:58

Gwenhwyfar · 30/05/2025 11:51

" I did see that show a couple of times and the thin people ate just as badly in a different way. Neither person had anything to teach the other."

That was the point. The thin people weren't just thin, they were superskinny and underweight.

They were pitted against each other as if Supersize could somehow get Superskinny to be a bit less uptight and more joyful about food and Superskinny could teach Supersize something about moderation. They were both disordered and had nothing to teach each other.

Gwenhwyfar · 30/05/2025 12:02

ThatCyanCat · 30/05/2025 11:58

They were pitted against each other as if Supersize could somehow get Superskinny to be a bit less uptight and more joyful about food and Superskinny could teach Supersize something about moderation. They were both disordered and had nothing to teach each other.

Show quote history

Well I think some of them did learn that they wouldn't explode after one big meal of fish and chips or starve to death after skipping one meal.

But obviously, the point was not to educate the competitors, but to entertain the viewers, which it did very well and is still popular on YouTube.

Superhansrantowindsor · 30/05/2025 12:02

AnAlpacaForChristmasPleaseSanta · 30/05/2025 09:59

Seeing a PP mentioned X Factor reminds me there was an expose of it a few years ago which revealed that vulnerable and possibly mentally unwell people who were terrible at singing would audition for a producer, who'd send them onto a second group of producers, who'd all tell them how great they were and really build them up.

Then they'd go out in front of the judges with all this misplaced confidence and get torn to shreds.

So cruel and circus like. Glad it's not on anymore.

I had a friend with the most amazing voice who didn’t even get past the very first bit. It was proof that those who were awful were out in front of the judges deliberately to humiliate. Some were clearly neurodiverse. I stopped watching it as it was not fun viewing.

Slatterndisgrace · 30/05/2025 12:03

TheQuirkyMaker · 30/05/2025 10:54

What was the name of the British show where they persuaded a woman she could be a model? She converted her garden shed into a spa and bought a glamour photo shoot and a white Corsa. She was in her forties I think. I've been trying to remember the name of the series, it may have been a spin-off from Benefits Street.

‘Make me a Supermodel’?

ThatCyanCat · 30/05/2025 12:08

Superhansrantowindsor · 30/05/2025 12:02

I had a friend with the most amazing voice who didn’t even get past the very first bit. It was proof that those who were awful were out in front of the judges deliberately to humiliate. Some were clearly neurodiverse. I stopped watching it as it was not fun viewing.

Show quote history

She probably didn't have the personality required for the kind of entertainment they were looking for and that's a compliment.

They generally screened out all the people who were OK but nothing special. They left in some genuinely good singers with characters and back stories to work with, some inconsistent ones who might dazzle or fuck up for good tension and, of course, absolutely godawful ones (many clearly neurodiverse or with learning disabilities) who thought, as they'd got through, that it meant they were good.

Helloworlditsmeagain · 30/05/2025 12:10

Imcomingovertoyourplace · 30/05/2025 08:42

@Cordroyyou should find them on YouTube if you have the inclination. The first show has the premise of a single girl in a ranch in Mexico has to choose a potential partner, but half the men are straight and half are gay.
Cue lots of comments from the men such as ‘he wore a pink shirt’ ‘he had a big tub of Vaseline in his soap bag’ etc

How did the gay fellas on the show handle the comments. I wouldn't be outraged for other people if they took it in good humour. It's wasted energy if they all had a good laugh and your sat their outraged 😡

Sosigsandwich · 30/05/2025 12:11

Coffeeishot · 30/05/2025 08:44

There was a ch4 programme, that measured the food in perspex tubes was that secret eaters Or was that something else?

Supersize v superskinny did that... side by side tubes filled with what each ate!

Coffeeishot · 30/05/2025 12:12

A guy dd went to school with auditioned for x factor a few times I think they could audition at 15 at the time, anyway he's a brilliant singer and never got through, he was just an ordinary looking lad with no backstory

Slatterndisgrace · 30/05/2025 12:15

Coffeeishot · 30/05/2025 12:12

A guy dd went to school with auditioned for x factor a few times I think they could audition at 15 at the time, anyway he's a brilliant singer and never got through, he was just an ordinary looking lad with no backstory

I guess it’s all about the drama and there has to be a ‘journey’. Nothing to do with authentic talent unfortunately.

Youllnevergetabetterbitofbutteronyourknife · 30/05/2025 12:17

Does anyone remember the channel 4 show called Shattered? It was a game show from around 2004 and the contestants had to stay awake as long as possible. It was really interesting and was won by a girl who stayed awake for like a week!

ladyamy · 30/05/2025 12:22

WitchHag · 30/05/2025 10:26

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.

Edited

Do you not mean bearded lady?

StellaAndCrow · 30/05/2025 12:25

If you can find Space Cadets, that's a great/awful example of the genre.

They selected participants for gullibility, and persuaded them that they were going on a space mission. When all the time they were in a module on earth.

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