I’d Sell My Kidney To Bring Back These Cooked Reality TV Shows From The Early 2000s
When you think about cooked moments in reality TV, a few probably come to mind — like that time one of the Married At First Sight contestants scrubbed the toilet with their partner’s toothbrush. But years before the likes of MAFS and Love Island, reality TV was somehow even more cooked, and I think we should bring that back.
Throughout the last year, I have watched my fair share of vintage reality TV shows — the good, the bad, and the downright cooked — and I have compiled a list of the ones that we should absolutely bring back in 2022.
Superstar USA
Superstar USA was basically just the complete opposite of American Idol. Instead of searching for the best singer, they were looking for the worst. Sure, it was cruel that they made these people think they were actually good singers, only to reveal the prank at the very end, but it was entertaining.
Bring it back. I am begging you to let me laugh at others pain again.
Paris Hilton’s: My New BFF
It goes without saying that Paris Hilton is the absolute queen of reality TV, and sure, The Simple Life slapped harder than anyone gave it the right to. But the real gold was her reality TV competition show Paris Hilton’s: My New BFF.
After her falling out with former bestie and The Simple Life co-star Nicole Richie, Paris did what any sane person would do and made a whole damn reality TV show to find a new one. And so, My New BFF was born.
It was basically America’s Next Top Model but instead of being a model, you just had to be socialite BFF material.
The show ran for multiple seasons across the US and UK, but Paris expressed her desire to expand the BFF empire globally and we need an Australian version.
A God-tier show, a God-tier woman and honestly, it deserves a reboot.
Who Wants To Be A Superhero?
Who Wants To Be A Superhero with Stan Lee feels like a weird fever dream, but it was a real thing. And yes, that *is* Trisha Paytas, for everyone playing along at home.
As the name suggests, each contestant battled it out to become the next superhero – with the winner landing a spot in a Stan Lee made-for-TV movie. Stan Lee was the only judge, so there was no sense of democracy, but that made it all the more exciting.
Would your favourite superhero impress him? Or would they be forced to hand in their costume?
This was perhaps the weirdest reality TV show I have ever seen and I would give anything for a reboot.
Rock Of Love
Imagine The Bachelor, but every season features the same guy, who also happens to be Poison frontman Bret Michaels. Aaaaand that’s what you get with Rock of Love.
Over the course of three seasons (with Bret ultimately turning down the option of a fourth), Michaels embarked on a quest to find himself a new girlfriend.
We’d probably have to switch out Bret Michaels for a younger rockstar if we were to reboot this show because he’s like 60 now, but I think it would make for a great reality dating show.
I mean, anything has to be better than Jimmy’s season of The Bachelor, right? Give us emo dating instead, it’s what we deserve.
Date My Mom
And last, but certainly not least, Date My Mom.
This one does what it says on the tin, really. Contestants were forced to go on dates with a bunch of mums, then decide which son or daughter they wanted to actually date based on how their mums described them.
Like many other early 2000s reality shows, each episode ended with a dramatic, beachfront finale, in which the contestant had to make their final call — and got to meet their new date.
Ultimately, it ran for two seasons in the US, and got a UK spin off and honestly, I think it’s only fair that Australia also gets the chance to Date My Mom.
There are a million different weird reality TV shows that deserve a revival and after everything we’ve collectively been through in the last few years, a few cooked reality TV shows is the least the world could do right now.