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The Real World New York

The Real World’s 15th anniversary is today

by Andy Dehnart 21 May. 2007 | 5:17 pm

Today is the 15th anniversary of the debut of MTV’s The Real World, as the Real World/Road Rules Blog reminds us.

In 15 years, since May 21, 1992, The Real World has aired 18 seasons–only a little over one per year. The 19th season is in production, the 20th is casting, and MTV is about to air a mini-season that’s the first-ever extended reunion of a cast.

While I didn’t really start watching until season two, I was 14 when the New York season debuted, which makes me feel very old and yet doesn’t seem like that much time–especially since one week from Thursday is the seventh anniversary of Survivor‘s debut.

I’d wish the show another 15 years, but honestly, as the most recent season proved, the show seems to have jumped the shark–or perhaps it’s just now outside of my definition of entertainment. In any case, I wouldn’t miss it if it were cancelled tomorrow. But we do have the show to thank for every show that followed it, and for proving that real people’s lives can be as entertaining, if not more so, than fictional creations.

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

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reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

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