“The Real World Homecoming: New York” illustrates that you can return to your roots, even if much has changed over the past three decades for one of television’s earliest reality franchises..
Heather B. Gardner, one of the roommates from the first season of MTV’s pioneering reality series, describes the experience as “surreal.”
The six-episode “Homecoming,” which began Thursday on the new Paramount+ subscription streaming service, saw Gardner reunited for a week in the same Manhattan loft.
“The thought of retracing our steps to the exact spot where we first performed this act 29 years ago is beyond comprehension. It was a complete and utter shambles “Heather B, Gardner’s SiriusXM radio persona, says Gardner, 50.
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A Brief Description of the Real World Series
After appearing on MTV from 1992 to 2017, The Real World (also known as Real World from 2014 to 2017) is a reality television series produced by Bunim/Murray Productions and MTV.
It was created by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray and first broadcast from 1992 to 2017. For future seasons on Paramount+, it is in the planning stages.
When the show debuted on MTV back in 1992, it was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, and it has been credited with inventing the contemporary genre of reality television.
A group of seven to eight young adults is selected to live together in a single apartment in a new city while being videotaped constantly.
What is this Series About?
For many years, the programme was lauded for its depiction of modern young-adulthood concerns pertinent to its target audience.
This audience are such as sexism and discrimination; religion; sexuality; AIDS; death; politics; and substance misuse; yet, it ultimately became known as a showcase for immaturity and recklessness.
In addition to Road Rules, which aired for 14 seasons (1995–2007), and The Challenge, which has been running since 1998, The Real World is the longest-running MTV reality show, with 35 seasons.
Inspiration of the Real World Series
An American Family was the inspiration for The Real World. For several months, cameras follow a group of strangers as they audition to live together in the same house and document their interactions.
With each new season, a new location is chosen for the show. A 22-minute episode was produced for the first 19 seasons and 44-minute episodes for The Real World: Hollywood The series’ twentieth season, before the 30-minute duration was introduced for the thirty-third season of the reality show.
The inspiration for The Real World came from the success of youth-oriented sitcoms like Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place in the 1990s. Bunim and Murray first considered creating a scripted series in the same style, but they quickly realised that paying writers, performers, costume designers, and make-up artists would be prohibitively expensive.
The Real World (New York) Season 1
The 1992 New York season of the Real World is unquestionably the show’s most influential season, and it deserves credit or blame for effectively establishing the modern reality-television genre.
This would be the moment in Greek mythology when the Olympian gods vanquished the Titans, if television history were Greek myth. Olympian deities may have argued about why Poseidon never washed the dishes if they had looked away from the scorching corpses of their adversaries.
“Greek gods” has created a long-running series whose key themes were identification and hooking up, so this metaphor actually works quite well.
Why is Season 1 Said to be One of the Best Seasons of The Real World?
First-season episodes are notable for their depth and breadth. It’s no secret that The Real World has long been fascinated by the perspectives of today’s youth on issues. These issues are of race, gender, sexuality, and social status (or at least interested in how it could shovel those keywords into the drama furnace).
Still, considering the genre’s long history and expectations, it’s a little surprise to realise how high-minded its origins are given the context.
As you might anticipate, there is less sex and chair-hurling, and more intelligent dialogue. For the most part, you’ll find that people are courteous as well. Even if reality television was better before people knew what it was, the show’s dial never swung toward its moniker.
Is There a Spin-Off of the Real World Series?
The Real World Homecoming: New York, a spin-off, will launch on Paramount+ on March 4th, 2021. The cast of The Real World: New York was reunited for the series to reside in the same apartment they previously lived in.
It was extended for two more seasons in September 2021, with the second season bringing back the cast of The Real World: Los Angeles for the second time.
The Original Seven Cast of the Real World Season 1
We’ve covered the first seven Real World Season 1 cast members here.
Rebecca “Becky” Blasband
Rebecca “Becky” Blasband, a 24-year-old artist and folk singer from Pennsylvania, is at a crossroads in her personal and professional life. She begins a relationship with one of the show’s directors, which is quite notable..
Andre Comeau
A “prototypical Gen-X guy” with long hair, Andre Comeau, 23, is an indie rock singer from Michigan who moved to New York in hopes of striking big with his band.
Heather B. Gardner
Heather B. Gardner, a 20-year-old New Jersey-based rapper, has returned to the studio to record her solo album, which deals with the subject of rape and misogyny, after a tour.
Julie Gentry
Julie Gentry, 19, is the youngest of the housemates and hopes to become a professional dancer after graduating from high school in Alabama.
With her lack of experience in the real world, she has a hard time getting along with her roommates.
Norman Korpi
There’s a lot of talk about love and relationships in the house, and Norman Korpi, 25, is one of those cast members who finds his sexuality in the forefront.
Eric Nies
Eric Nies, a 20-year-old New Jersey print and television model, is the most outlandish and captivating of the group, yet his beliefs are often ignored because of his appearance.
Kevin Powell
New Jersey native Kevin Powell, 26, is the older roommate, but he is a New Yorker through and through. When it comes to racial issues and societal bias, the author frequently runs into disagreement with the rest of the ensemble.
Where to Watch The Real World Season 1
Now you can watch the full first season on Paramount+, formerly known as CBS All Access. (Cost and registration information can be found here.)
There are also a large number of subsequent seasons, which are all set in a different location but all follow the core premise of seven strangers cohabiting and working together.
Producers of the Real World Series
MTV Entertainment Studios’ Sitarah Pendelton-Eaglin, Candida Boyette-Clemons, and Nadim Amiry serve as executive producers, as do Jonathan Murray, Julie Pizzi, Erica Ross, Kevin Lee, and James Knox of Bunim/Murray Productions, who also serve as executive producers.
Co-executive producers are Skye Topic, Jacob Lane, Joe Rosenzweig, and Lauren Goldstein, with George Verschoor serving as a consulting producer.
What Happened to Puck from ‘The Real World’?
Puck Rainey, whose real name is David Edward Rainey, was part of ‘The Real World: San Francisco.’ He was known for his controversial and confrontational personality, which eventually led to his eviction from the show.
Post-‘Real World,’ Puck faced various legal issues including prison time. He’s mostly stayed out of the spotlight in recent years, but his legacy as one of the most unforgettable ‘Real World’ characters remains.
Did ‘Real World’ Contestants Get Paid?
Yes, participants on ‘The Real World’ do get paid, though the amount has never been officially disclosed. Early reports suggested that contestants were provided with a weekly stipend to cover basic living expenses.
This amount was rumored to be around $300 per week during the early seasons, although the stipend likely increased over time and may vary depending on the specific contractual agreements.
In addition to the stipend, contestants often received compensation for public appearances and other opportunities that arose from their time on the show.
What Happened To Andre From The First ‘Real World’?
Andre Comeau was one of the original seven housemates in ‘The Real World: New York,’ the first-ever season of the show. Unlike many other contestants who sought fame, Andre was a musician looking to promote his band, Reigndance.
After the show, he continued to pursue a career in music and has been involved in various musical projects. Andre has mostly shied away from the reality TV world but did make a return appearance on the reunion show ‘The Real World Homecoming: New York’ in 2021.
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Conclusion
Reality television was profoundly revolutionised by The Real World. For a docu-series, MTV gathered six strangers from various walks of life in a New York City apartment and let the cameras roll on them while they interacted.
Each cast member’s perspective on life in the United States in 1992 was examined in depth in this show. Discussions about race, sexuality, and other social topics were all part of the show.
