January 12, 2023 – reality blurred

Phil Keoghan, wearing a hat and raincoat, holds a cell phone and smiles into it while shielding the phone from rain with a piece of paper

Phil Keoghan’s dad won Tough As Nails’ third episode

On Tough As Nails season 4, episode 3, Savage Crew and Dirty Hands retrieved trees at a nursery during two of their three challenges. But it was Phil Keoghan’s dad John who stole the show.

Alan Cumming stands in front of a dramatically lit castle at dusk

The Traitors is exceptional reality TV, from host Alan Cumming to its game of intrigue

I cannot recommend Peacock’s The Traitors more: it’s outstanding, and immediately won me over, from host Alan Cumming to the smart decisions producers have made while adapting the game of Mafia into a reality competition.

about reality blurred

Welcome! I’m Andy Dehnart, a writer who obsessively and critically covers reality TV, focusing on how it’s made and what it means.

I created reality blurred 22 years ago as a place to collect interesting links I found. Today, I review and recommend reality shows, documentaries, and nonfiction entertainment; analyze news and report from behind the scenes; and interview people who create and star in reality TV shows. You'll also find other people's insightful takes on reality TV in these pages, too.

I believe pop culture can both entertain and affect us, and so reality blurred's goal is to amplify the best and hold the worst accountable. In other words, I’m here to call it out when it sucks and celebrate it when it’s amazing. Let’s talk about it together!