Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV

8. Lifestyles of The Mega-Rich: The Real Housewives & Selling Sunset

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. Producer: Hannah Hufford
Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes
Executive Editor: James Cook 
Content Producer: Hannah Robins
Technical Producer: Giles AspenArchive credits:
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Evolution Media
Dallas, Lorimar Productions
Desperate Housewives, Cherry Productions
Selling Sunset, Done and Done Productions
ABC News, ABC

The dumbest genre in entertainment, or the one that tells us the most about ourselves? Since its conception, reality TV has divided its viewers. Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV is a 10-part audio documentary written and presented by journalists Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale. They've been fans of reality TV since they first watched Big Brother as pre-teens and they've spent a fair amount of time defending reality TV when people are snobby about it, or dismiss its importance in our wider culture. But they've also been troubled by what they've seen in the genre: the exploitation; the lack of aftercare; the impacts of sudden fame. Using interviews with the creators, producers and stars of some of the most iconic reality shows of the last two decades, and leading cultural critics of today, Unreal explores how reality TV has shaped entertainment, fashion, beauty, celebrity and even politics - and some of the ethical issues raised by the format. Producer: Hannah Hufford 
Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes 
Executive Editor: James Cook 
Content Producer: Hannah Robins 
Technical Producer: Giles Aspen