Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Social Experiment: Big Brother Is Watching You | 20220517 | 20221205 (BBC7) 20220822 (R4) | Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale wind back to Britain's first official' reality show, to look at how it became a global phenomenon, the importance of authenticity, and how Jade Goody created a new type of celebrity - famous for simply being herself. Featuring interviews with housemates Nick Bateman aka 'Nasty Nick' and Brian Dowling, and Big Brother's Creative Director Philip Edgar Jones, plus many more. Big Brother, Endemol UK Candid Microphone, Colombia Pictures Candid Camera, ABC Television The Family, BBC The Late Review, BBC The Reunion, Whistledown Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain, Blast! Films Stars in Their Eyes, Granada Television Celebrity Big Brother, Endemol UK Prime Ministers Questions, Parliamentary Recording Unit Bigg Boss, Endemol Shine India How Britain's first 'official' reality show became a global phenomenon. Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale wind back to Britain's first ‘official' reality show, to look at how it became a global phenomenon, the importance of authenticity, and how Jade Goody created a new type of celebrity - famous for simply being herself. Featuring interviews with housemates Nick Bateman aka 'Nasty Nick' and Brian Dowling, and Big Brother's Creative Director Philip Edgar Jones, plus many more. |
| 02 | The Talent Show Boom: Pop Idol And The X Factor | 20220517 | 20221206 (BBC7) 20220823 (R4) | Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes look at how three men called Simon are responsible for the gold rush of talent shows in the early noughties and why the format no longer feels fit for purpose. The X Factor, Fremantle Media Britain's Got Talent, Talkback Thames Star Search, 2929 Productions Popstars, Warner Bros. Television Pop Idol, 19 Television A Better Me: The Official Autobiography, Bolinda Publishing Misha B video discussing her experiences on and after The X Factor Cher Lloyd's video on her X Factor experience Walk The Line, Syco Entertainment How three men called Simon are responsible for the gold rush of talent shows. |
| 03 | The Wild West Years: There's Something About Miriam And Who's Your Daddy | 20220517 | 20221207 (BBC7) 20220824 (R4) | Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale deep-dive into some of reality TV's most controversial shows in the early 2000s, exploring how the explosion in the genre caused ethics to fly out of the window. Featuring interviews with There's Something About Miriam's show creator and winning contestant, and many more. There's Something About Miriam, Brighter Pictures The Farm, Endemol UK Shattered, Endemol UK Who's Your Daddy, 10 by 10 Entertainment Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera, Wondery Big Brother, Endemol UK Have I Got News For You, Hat Trick Productions How the explosion of reality TV in the early 2000s caused ethics to fly out the window. |
| 04 | The Makeover Era: The Swan And What Not To Wear | 20220517 | 20221208 (BBC7) 20220825 (R4) | Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes explore how the rise in cosmetic surgery collided with reality TV, and laid the foundations for our current preoccupation with self-improvement. Featuring interviews with The Swan's show creator and contestant, and many more. The Swan, Galan Entertainment What Not to Wear, BBC Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Hot Sauce Parkinson, BBC How the rise of cosmetic surgery collided with reality TV. |
| 05 | The Birth Of Scripted Reality: Laguna Beach And The Hills | 20220517 | 20221209 (BBC7) | Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale tread a nostalgic path back to their teenage years and The Hills, which birthed reality's first wave of lifestyle influencers. Featuring interviews with Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, and many more. The OC, Wonderland Sound and Vision Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, Go Go Luckey Productions The Hills, Done and Done Productions Nightline, ABC News Productions Velvet's Edge with Kelly Henderson, Nashville Podcast Network The shows that birthed reality's first wave of lifestyle influencers. |
| 06 | Climbing The Ladder: Keeping Up With The Kardashians | 20220517 | 20221212 (BBC7) | Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes delve into the story of America's First Family, the Kardashian-Jenners, and how they leveraged reality tv to redefine beauty ideals and create an entirely new category of uber-celebrity. Featuring interviews with Keeping Up With The Kardashian's executive producer for all 20 seasons, plus @NorisBlackBook creator, and many more. Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Bunim-Murray Productions Oprah's Next Chapter, Harpo Studios X17onlineVideo's video of Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian with paparazzi Kim Kardashian's Business Advice, Variety America's First Family and how they created an entirely new category of uber-celebrity. |
| 07 | The British Docusoap: The Only Way Is Essex And Made In Chelsea | 20220517 | 20221213 (BBC7) | Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale look at how these BAFTA-winning reality shows became national treasures and explore why the ingredients for a good reality show are the same, wherever they are set. Featuring interviews with Spencer Matthews, Georgia Toffolo, James Lock, plus many more. The British Academy Television Awards: 2011, Whizz Kid Entertainment The Only Way is Essex, Lime Pictures Made in Chelsea, Monkey Kingdom Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Hot Sauce The Reality of Reality TV with Fleur East, Bauer Media What We Don't Post, Nicola Hughes and Tiffany Watson I've Been There: Amy Childs and Cosmetic Surgery, Nine Lives Media How these BAFTA-winning reality shows became national treasures. |
| 08 | Lifestyles Of The Mega-rich: The Real Housewives And Selling Sunset | 20220517 | 20221214 (BBC7) | Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes slip into the moneyed world of the Californian 0.01% with the help of a Real Housewife and a Selling Sunset realtor, to examine property porn, toxic wealth, and why audiences want schadenfreude. Featuring interviews with Real Housewife's Taylor Armstrong, Selling Sunset's Mary Fitzgerald, plus the show creators and more. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Evolution Media Dallas, Lorimar Productions Desperate Housewives, Cherry Productions Selling Sunset, Done and Done Productions ABC News, ABC |
| 09 | The Influencer Sausage Factory: Love Island Part 1 | 20220517 | 20221215 (BBC7) | Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale analyse how Love Island became a finishing school for influencers and a commercial juggernaut through its association with fast fashion. Featuring interviews with Megan Barton-Hanson, Dr Alex George, and many more. Love Island, ITV Studios/Lifted Entertainment/Motion Content Group Sausages, Adam Buxton Trying on Love Island x I Saw it First outfits - is it worth the money!?, Roxxsaurus Ethical Fashion, Brett Staniland The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, Steven Bartlett Let's Talk Business: Meet My Manager (Finally), Molly Mae Hague Blindboy Undestroys the World, Rumpus Media for BBC 3 Olivia Attwood video on influencers flying to Dubai for work How Love Island became a finishing school for influencers and a commercial juggernaut. |
| 10 LAST | A Format In Crisis And The Future Of Reality Tv: Love Island Part 2 | 20220517 | 20221216 (BBC7) | Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes look at how one of TV's most popular shows became mired in tragedy and controversy. Where did it all go wrong? And is this the end for reality TV? Featuring interviews with Megan Barton-Hanson, Dr Alex George, Jake Cornish, Rachel Finni and many more. The Victoria Derbyshire Show, BBC Love Island, ITV Studios/Lifted Entertainment/Motion Content Group This Morning, Granada Television Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death, Curious Films 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave, BBC Sophie Gradon On Internet Trolls, Radio Aire Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee meeting 14 September 2021, Parliamentary Recording Unit The Great British Bake Off, Love Productions The Voice, Wall to Wall Big Brother, Endemol UK |