What’s not to love about reality TV? The melodrama and tears are like a bad car wreck you can’t take your eyes off. After years of investigation, I have compiled a list of the most underrated reality shows. Have no shame! Pick a show, and binge watch your cares away. Looking at other people’s lives will make you feel better about your own.
Dance Moms (2011 - )
By now it seems like everyone’s heard of Dance Moms, and if you haven’t, then you’ve definitely seen that kid with the wig who follows Sia everywhere, who just happens be original Dance Moms member Maddie Ziegler. This show follows the lives of a group of children whose parents opted to push them into competition dance instead of other activities such as school or a healthy upbringing. Each week, their dance teacher, Abby Lee Miller, judges them on a “pyramid” based on how well they performed the week before, putting the less fortunate children on the bottom of the pyramid and the big winner on the top of the pyramid. To all the parents out there, you have much to gain from this show too. You can watch it and take notes on what not to do to your children, or simply use Abby Lee Miller as a scare tactic to get your children to behave better. (“If you don’t clean up this mess, I’m going to send Abbey Lee in there to teach you a lesson!”)
Teen Mom (2009 - )
Forget Teen Mom 2, the OG is what everyone cares about, anyway. Teen Mom follows the lives of four women who, you guessed it, were teen moms. As if we didn’t already know that being a teen mom kind of sucks, Teen Mom confirms this idea while also illustrating the beauty behind the mother-child relationship that exists at any age. This show also answers every question you had for that girl you knew in high school who got pregnant but could never figure out just from looking at her Instagram.
Catfish: The TV Show (2012 - )
Did you know that it’s actually a thing where people get in serious relationships with people they met online? Like, actually a lot of people do this. Catfish: The TV Show helps to unite people with their online boyfriends and girlfriends. Hint: the person on the other side of the computer is almost never who they say they are. I will never get sick of a good old-fashioned catfish reveal. Plus, the hosts, Nev and Max are cute as buttons and actually give decent relationship advice for, you know, real relationships.
Toddlers And Tiaras (2009 - )
If you have a strong moral compass, then this show is not for you. Just kidding…sort of. This show highlights the lives of child pageant stars and their psychotic, I mean devoted, parents. Remember when I said that reality TV is like a bad car wreck you can’t keep your eyes off of? Yeah, this is what I was referring to.
Monica The Medium (2015 - )
What’s harder than being a college student? Being a college student who also talks to the dead! Monica is like a real-live Sabrina the teenage witch, except she doesn’t claim to be a witch, and she actually has normal person problems that we can all relate to, such as finding a boyfriend who doesn’t suck. Monica will be your home girl while also turning you into a hardcore believer.
Pits Bulls And Parolees (2009 - )
Warning: this show is 100% guaranteed to make you cry every single time you watch it. This show follows the Villalobos Rescue Center, a pit bull rescue center that hires paroled felons. Together, society’s “rejects” get a second chance as they learn to love and trust again. If you’re not already crying, then you probably don’t have a soul.
The Biggest Loser (2004 - )
The Biggest Loser is a game show where overweight people compete to lose weight, the winner thus becoming the biggest loser. This show has it all: tears, drama, makeovers. The show also promotes healthy eating and lifestyle choices, so that’s cool.
America’s Next Top Model (2003 - )
I really only put this on here as a formality. Everybody already knows that Queen Tyra is where it’s at and that the lessons from ANTM serve as a guideline for a balanced lifestyle. For anyone who’s eyes haven’t been opened to the wonder of America’s Next Top Model, the reality show is a competition where models compete against one another to be, you guessed it, America’s next top model. Ok, describing it that way makes it sound frivolous and stupid, but ANTM is some real shit. Not only do you get to watch beautiful people be beautiful, but Tyra is an actually good role model for women, promoting self-love, confidence, and acceptance of all shapes and sizes.
Say Yes To The Dress (2007 - )
Say Yes To The Dress taught me that even finding my wedding dress is supposed to be dramatic? Or something? This show highlights bride-to-bes as they hunt for the perfect wedding gown. Yes, there are tears. Yes, there are arguments. Yes, the drama is very, very real.
What Not To Wear (2003 - )
This show has been on for so long that if you watch the early seasons, the fashion advice is actually no longer relevant. What Not To Wear features people with terrible fashion sense. Just when you can’t look at one more polyester sweater, stylists Stacey and Clinton surprise the contestant with a makeover. Yay! Who doesn’t love a good makeover?
Whether you’re into a competition reality show or just a good old-fashioned hot mess, there’s a reality TV show for everybody. So quit blushing, and get your eyes glued to that car wreck. You know you want to.
