If you’ve been flicking through the channels looking for something to kill your boredom, you’ve surely come across unusual shows like “Body Shame” or “Little Miss Sunshine.” Ideas for some reality shows sometimes broke taboos even more, and their assumptions seemed absurd. Although they have long since disappeared from the air, they have not fallen into complete oblivion.
“The best funeral in the world”
Some people have been dreaming about their wedding since they were children and plan every detail of this important day. However, there are also those who are reconciled with their own mortality and are not afraid to raise related issues willingly tell their relatives how they imagine their funeral. Park Slope Productions, in conjunction with TLC, decided to base the show on it. “The World’s Best Funeral” was broadcast for 1.5 years, from January 2013 to May 2014. The action of all episodes takes place in the Golden Gate funeral home, which implements even the most extravagant ideas of families of recently deceased people. The most popular was the funeral of Ronnie Ray Smith, the gold medalist of the 1968 Olympics. His coffin “ran” a distance of 100 meters and was awarded a medal at the end. In the history of the show, there was also a bowling game with a coffin and a funeral ceremony, whose leitmotif was … Christmas. Only eight episodes were produced.
“Naked Dates”
The unusual dating show debuted on VH1 in 2014, but two years later the station withdrew its promotion. The reason was the interventions of parents’ organizations, who were afraid of the negative impact of the show on children, who might unwittingly end up on one of the episodes on television, and less and less willing advertisers, who from the beginning approached the idea with reserve. The main premise can be deduced from the title itself: the changing participants dated each other without clothes. The weather was conducive to this – the first season was shot in Panama, the second in the Philippines, and the third – in Bora Bora. In 2021, Paramount+ announced its desire to resume the series.
“Republic of Minors”
The American reality show broadcast on CBS in 2007 did not get a second season, and although it never broke popularity records, the idea itself had a lot of potential. A group of 40 children aged 8 to 15 spent 40 days trying to create a functional society without the help and supervision of adults. On the set, apart from the film crew, doctors and a child psychologist were available, but they tried to influence their lives as little as possible. Each participant received $5,000 to start, and the main prizes were also awarded during the program – Gold Stars worth $20,000 and $50,000. The program was recorded in Bonanza City, New Mexico in an almost complete wilderness. Critics likened the idea to William Golding’s popular book Lord of the Flies.
“Pioneer Quest: A Year in the Real West”
The only season, consisting of nine episodes aired by PBS on History Television, was created in 2001. He launched Jamie Brown’s “The Quest” series, which encouraged modern people to sample everyday life from centuries past. A Year in the Real West documented the lives of two couples trying to survive in the wilds of Manitoba, Canada. Production provided only the means available in the 19th century. Participants also had to build their own houses and, despite complete isolation, persevere in this way for a year. Then they had a chance to win a big cash prize.
“Who Will Marry Prince Harry?”
The answer to this question seems clear – Meghan Markle, who co-created a documentary about their relationship with her husband, available today on Netflix. However, this is not the only production dedicated to Harry’s love life. The reality show was not attended by the prince himself, but by his look-alike, Matthew Hicks, who pretended to be a real member of the royal family. According to the originators of the program, 12 participants competing for his favor were manipulated and thought that the heart of Elizabeth II’s grandson was really at stake. The program was criticized by the British and American media, not only for the idea itself, but also for the implementation – in their opinion, Hicks did not have a personality that would work on television. Eight episodes were made, but the decision to withdraw the program was made after only half of them had aired. Although they never made it to television, viewers had a chance to watch them online, e.g. on Hulu and Fox.com.
Source: Gazeta
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
