Exclusive reports, interviews, details, and observations from behind the scenes of reality TV productions, from soundstages to islands, Trading Spaces to Survivor.
As The Mole is revived by Netflix, I went back to its beginning, interviewing people who produced ABC’s seasons of The Mole. Here are their stories about everything from how the mole was chosen to the crew’s mutiny to Anderson Cooper’s audition.
Survivor, Big Brother, Drag Race, and The Real World: To appear on reality television shows like these, people sign long, detailed contracts that control their behavior before, during, and after a reality TV show’s production. Read those contracts here.
An indigenous person hired to work on Life Below Zero: First Alaskans as a story producer talked to me about the show’s diversity and inclusion efforts, as did the show’s showrunner. LBZ:FA is currently filming season two.
American Ninja Warrior season 14 showrunner Anthony Storm answers my questions about how editors decide who to focus on, the success/fail rate for obstacles, and much more. He also teases a first-time “end result” this season.
How, when, and where was Disney+’s The Quest filmed? How did having teenage contestants change the production? How was the story written? Answers to those questions and many more from EPs Jane Fleming and Mark Ordesky in my interview with them.
The Great Christmas Light Fight season 9 airs this year, while season 10 films. Learn about why the ABC show films that way, why it dropped its rules, how the trophy is made, and much more.
I interviewed the director of Disney+’s Behind the Attraction, Brian Volk-Weiss, who also directed Netflix’s the Movies that Made Us and The Toys that Made Us, about his distinctive style.