MTV Unveils 16 New Reality Shows

In the world of reality television, MTV is still the king. From essentially launching the genre in 1992 with the first season of The Real World to the hit "meta-scripted reality" of The Hills, the network has either saved TV or destroyed it, depending on your point of view.

On Friday, Variety reported that the faltering channel announced 16 new reality shows to launch over the next four to five months, hoping match the success of The Hills and combat declining ratings. Most of the new series sound as bad as you'd expect -- if not worse -- but there are a few possible bright spots on the horizon.

Series producers include Sean Combs, Matt Stone & Trey Parker, Donald Trump. and Nick Lachey. Trump's Girls of Hedsor Hall, which premieres in January, will follow a dozen hard-partying young women as they're whisked off to an English finishing school. Lachey will produce an untitled series focused on students at Cincinnati's School for Creative & Performing Arts. And College Life gives camcorders University of Wisconsin freshman and turns them loose to shoot their own reality series about their lives.

Also upcoming are Bromance, in which a group of dudes compete to become best friends with Hills cast member Brody Jenner; Daddy's Girls, starring Rev Run's daughters Vanessa and Angela (Run's House) as they move to L.A. and set up a showroom for their shoe and apparel line; The CollegeHumor Show, which goes behind the scenes of the website CollegeHumor.com; and more spin-offs and familiar faces from the MTV stable.

"Our new shows will feature themes of affirmation and accomplishment," Brian Graden, president of entertainment at MTV Networks music channels and president of Logo, told Variety. "Our shows are going to focus less on loud and silly hooks and more on young people proving themselves. These are themes that are consistent with the Obama generation.

"I don't remember a period of ever making as much significant change at once," he continued.

Feel free to comment on the atrocities of reality TV -- or its hidden virtues -- below. But don't start complaining that MTV doesn't show music videos anymore. We know.

-- Daniel Lehman

Comments

[coffee buzz]

I was so happy that MTV thought to make such a bromantic show, it brought a little tear to my eye...