BLOGS

TWoP 10: Off-the-Beaten-Path Reality Shows Worth Watching

It seems that nearly every day there's a new reality show popping up to vie for our attention, and while most of them are instantly forgettable or boring clones of existing hits, some of them are actually pretty great. While we mostly talk about competitive reality shows or docu-soaps that feature reprehensible rich people, toddlers, tiaras and chefs, we enjoy plenty of other unscripted programs that don't get that much attention. Until we're blessed with another season of My Strange Addiction (because we can't get enough of people munching on cremated remains or drywall), here are the shows more reality fans should be watching:

10. Big Shrimpin'
We tuned into this History Channel series purely for the name, which is genuinely awesome. It's sort of like Deadliest Catch, but with a lot less teeth and much warmer weather. And we learned a valuable lesson about playing with gasoline in bare feet.

9. American Pickers
We love Pawn Stars -- we might have already mentioned that about one or two hundred times -- but we also love History Channel's other Monday night show, mostly because of Frank and Mike's banter. They are a modern-day odd couple who see treasures in what we'd describe as slightly cleaner hoarder homes.

8. My Fair Wedding
There's something adorable about the way that David Tutera, the host of this WE series, can take a bride's wacked-out concept for a wedding theme and transform it into something classy and tasteful in a matter of days. We're not sure what he'd do with our My Little Pony sparkle glittery rainbow princess idea, but we're convinced he could pull it off. Also, he's had some really deserving brides this season, and that warms our cold, dead hearts.

7. Hoarders
New episodes of the A&E hit start January 2 and we're more than a little bit excited to see how they can top the woman with all the damned dolls. The show's a fascinating look on life, and while we also watch TLC's Hoarding: Buried Alive (how could we not with a title like that?) and Animal Planet's Confessions: Animal Hoarding, this one is still the best, mostly because of the fantastic cleaning crews and therapists.

6. Gigolos
Showtime's late-night series is kind of a gross trainwreck of a show that's half porn and half about these guys talking about their feelings and working out... but we just can't look away.

5. Storage Wars: Texas
It's only just started on A&E, but there's already a guy like the original Storage Wars' Barry, who actually has an interest in making a profit, so that's appreciated. No obvious bully-Dave types or odd catchphrases here, but we've got plenty of room in our DVRs for both versions of this show.

4. The Layover
Instead of bizarre foods in strange places, Anthony Bourdain's new Travel Channel show finds him going to major destinations and showing how much culture and cuisine he can cram into a few hours. It forces him to make nice about touristy places (while still dissing the tourists) and use public transportation. Torture for him, fun for us.

3. Glam Fairy
The folks at the Style Network gave Jerseylicious's Alexa her own show and surrounded her with some magnificently dense, but attractive, people to do makeovers and assist her on photo shoots. There's a lot of talk about Glamming (love ya, Briella), more smoky eyes than you can shake a stick at and, every once in a while, stripper aerobics. So, something for everyone.

2. Full Throttle Saloon
This truTV show is filled with attractive and scantily clad bartenders, lots and lots of men on motorcycles, some fascinating behind-the-scenes drama and a hard rockin' frontman who may or may not have a death wish. And all of this is crammed into 10 crazy days.

1. Extreme Couponing
Only a few more weeks until we get new episodes on TLC. Perhaps it will teach us how to be thrifty in the New Year. Or perhaps we'll just continue to marvel at the people who stockpile 400 bottles of dish detergent and thousands of bags of chips in their basement, which they purchased for about 12 cents.

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21 Comments

December 9, 2011 8:06 AM
Uncle Igmar
Reply

Ya know - these shows tell us that there's just too much on TV and we could do with probably 25 fewer channels - at the very least TV would be much better off if STYLE, TLC, BRAVO, E! ad a few others were just gone and the few decent shows on them (The Soup, Iron Chef rip-off Top Chef and that's about it) found homes elsewhere.

December 9, 2011 8:08 AM
Uncle Igmar
Reply

And how come Big Shrimpin' isn't named Hard Core Prawn????

December 9, 2011 8:29 AM
Jennifer
Reply

If someone forced me to watch any of these shows, I'd probably poke my eyes out with a sharp stick. Crap like this is why channels like Bravo, TLC, A&E and History are all in the toilet; they used to run shows worth watching but now it's all sh*t.

December 9, 2011 11:09 AM
Kristen
Reply

I agree that Gigolos is strangely fascinating. Even old orange-face Brace has started growing on me.

December 9, 2011 12:09 PM
LRobinL
Reply
replied to comment from Kristen

That show is strangely addicting. What I want to know is are the women paid to be on the show? It seems so fake and strange that women would pay for a male escort to have sex with them and then agree to have those encounters shown on TV.

December 9, 2011 12:21 PM
Jay
Reply
replied to comment from Uncle Igmar

Nice. Hee hee.

December 9, 2011 12:33 PM
wrab
Reply

knights of mayhem! a reality show about jousting!

December 9, 2011 12:34 PM
Scott
Reply

What, no Top Shot?

December 9, 2011 12:42 PM
Jason/Lantern7
Reply

Please tell me the theme song for Big Shrimpin' is a reworked version of Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'."

December 9, 2011 3:00 PM
Dirty Bubble
Reply

RuPaul's Drag Race!!

Quite possibly the best competitive reality show out there. New season begins in Jan.

December 10, 2011 12:52 AM
Rick Kitchen
Reply

Full Throttle Saloon is not reality. It's scripted.

December 10, 2011 10:36 AM
gingersmom
Reply

I watched Extreme Couponing once and was very disgusted by the people. Some of the people sent care packages which was cool. Others were hoarding stuff and were not interested in sharing at all. One woman insisted the store employees go in the back to get more stuff because apparently 45 bottles weren't enough (think it was mustard). Also, she refuse to let another shopper have one.

December 10, 2011 11:08 AM
Jadite62
Reply
replied to comment from Jennifer

I agree with you, Jennifer. My husband watches some of them. I put in my earbuds and surf the net. When he tries to make me talk to him about the crap he's watching, TWOP would be proud of my snark.

December 11, 2011 6:55 PM
Nina
Reply

Extreme Couponing is nothing more than an organized version of Hoarders. The concept is a great idea, but some of those people are borderline crazy; they stockpile things that they don't need (diapers when they don't have kids, gallons of mustard even though they don't like it, etc). Some of them donate their goods to shelters and food banks, but most of them stockpile their family out of house and home. Considering that many of them admit to being addicted to the rush of the checkout line, it's more than a little disturbing. I'll pass.

December 11, 2011 10:00 PM
julie
Reply

I used to find Hoarders fascinating kind of like one of those accidents that you slow down to look more closely. It also actually motivated me to tidy up my house. Now, I find Hoarders disgusting and sad. These people have mental problems. They need therapy not fame whoring.

December 11, 2011 10:34 PM
Nemesis
Reply
replied to comment from Jennifer

Couldn't agree more. I'm not a reality TV hater. I think it has its place, and there are as many good reality shows as there are scripted shows. That said, the worst of reality shows are every bit as bad as the worst of scripted. Bravo was a classy channel. I still get nostalgic when I think of Twin Peak reruns and film festivals. These days, it's "real" housewives and other such shit. The worst part? People who watch Project Runway actually have the nerve to put Lifetime down. Really?

December 11, 2011 11:45 PM
Callisandria
Reply

Texas Multi-Mama's is a show on WE that starts Dec27th. I was in the Mothers of Multiples group that they approached when they were casting(my husband wouldn't let us audition because we're sane and boring), and a very good friend is on the show. Some crazy things happened during filming, but from the previews it is going to be beyond cringe-worthy. Just a head's up!

December 12, 2011 9:10 AM
jillmvs
Reply

You mentioned the cleaning crews on Hoarders, but I'd like to point our Matt Paxton in particular. He's so sweet and patient and kind to these folks, but doesn't back down from the actual help. I watch mainly for the Matt segments.

December 16, 2011 4:21 PM
addidgegawn
Reply

Haha that's rediculous. No way

January 8, 2012 5:54 PM
Ana Hanes
Reply

Thank you for making this website so easy to find info. wonderful stuff. Saving this one for later.

April 26, 2012 6:00 PM
Charles
Reply

I really like your blog and there are some interesting points made. There are so many sites out there which are badly presented that it's a pleasant suprise to find a good one.

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