10 modern reality TV shows that will give you guilty pleasure

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Touching and sad moments, funny competitions and blind dates await you.

The term guilty pleasure is known to many. This is usually the name for things that you like or arouse interest, but love for which it is not customary to advertise. However, in the end, it’s just about the pleasure of being yourself, because you don’t have to devote all your free time only to sublime pursuits. Sometimes you can and should listen to or watch exactly what you yourself think is pleasant and right.

1. Dog translator

• USA, 2004-2016.
• Reality show.
• Duration: 9 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Canine psychologist Caesar Millan comes to the aid of those four-legged owners who have allowed their pets to become masters of the house. The trainer's philosophy is to make animals obedient through exercise, discipline and love (in that order).

Millan's methods are so effective that even the creators of "South Park" included the image of a trainer in the animated series: in one of the episodes, Caesar is the only one who managed to bring the great and terrible Eric Cartman under control. And the dog psychologist himself very warmly responded to Reacting To My South Park Episode! about this moment.

Of course, much of the show is exaggerated for the sake of entertainment: the episodes are edited in such a way that it seems that the dogs are instantly corrected and begin to behave well. Of course, in reality, this almost never happens. Moreover, no one guarantees that in a real situation Millan's techniques will work at all. But if you truly love animals, there is simply no better sight for relaxed evenings than Dog Translator.

2. Hell's kitchen

• USA, 2005 - present.
• Reality show, culinary show.
• Duration: 18 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

Professional and amateur chefs come to the show to get a job at a prestigious restaurant. Their task is significantly complicated by the harsh host - the world famous British chef Gordon Ramsay.

Ramzi is famous for his love for non-literary vocabulary and the broadcast is conducted in the usual expressive manner: he shouts, swears mercilessly and does not hesitate to offend the participants, calling them boobies and useless creatures. The heroes of the program themselves are also far from being saints and go to victory in the most ugly ways. For example, they can hide the ingredients necessary for an opponent or give opponents frankly bad advice.

Watching this confrontation is both exciting and awkward: the show is not complete without intrigue, scandals, tears, quarrels and the like.

3. Dress for the wedding

• USA, 2007 - present.
• Reality show.
• Duration: 19 seasons.
• IMDb: 5, 6.

The heroines of the show are preparing to celebrate the most important event in their lives, and the employees of one of the best wedding salons in New York help them find the perfect wedding dress. The question is whether the dream dress will fit into the budget declared by the newlyweds and whether the girl's numerous relatives and girlfriends will like it.

The broadcast can hardly be called a sophisticated entertainment, but if you need to relax or just cheer yourself up, it will definitely help. The drama here usually unfolds serious: for example, the outfit may be to the taste of family and friends, but the bride remains dissatisfied or doubts whether it emphasizes excess weight.

4. RuPaul Royal Race

• USA, 2009 - present.
• Reality show.
• Duration: 12 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

Travesty artists compete in the ability to present themselves beautifully: they demonstrate mastery of makeup, catwalk talent and comedic ability. In a word, they try in every possible way to surprise the audience with their images.

TV presenter, actor, singer and audience favorite RuPaul conceived the show as a kind of analogue of America's Next Top Model (only much less feigned and angry). If you don't know anything about drag queen culture at all, the show will help you quickly get an idea of unusual aesthetics and amaze you with a variety of images and roles.

The presenter himself considers it his task to show that we are not the same and that we need to learn to accept these differences, and every person is worthy of love and respect. It’s not for nothing that RuPaul’s famous phrase sounds in the finale of each episode of the reality show: “How will you love others if you cannot love yourself?”

5. I weigh 300 kg

• United States, 2012 - present.
• Reality show.
• Duration: 8 seasons.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

Dr. Junon Nazardan helps incredibly obese people lose weight and improve their health. Following a strict diet, the heroes must lose several tens of kilograms. Those who can cope with this task are offered to undergo surgery. The show talks about both the strength of the spirit and its lack: while some participants really manage to radically change their lives, others never get off the ground.

The broadcast causes conflicting feelings: sometimes it is even funny to watch characters on the verge of despair, who scold the doctor, cry to relatives or secretly try to eat. But it happens that events take a tragic turn: once one of the participants died A ‘My 600 ‑ lb Life’ participant died while filming his fight to lose weight from a heart attack right during filming.

6. Queer Eye

• USA, 2018 - present.
• Makeover show.
• Duration: 5 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

Five presenters come to the heroes of the program to transform their lives: they cut their hair, change into fashionable clothes, improve the design of the house, and also teach them to love and accept themselves.

The show's first seasons were called Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. The rationale was that a five-gay expert council changed the average man for the better. The second part of the name was eventually dropped so that women eager for transformation could also take part in the program.

The original show aired from 2003 to 2007 and the audience loved it very much. But today's version of Queer Eye, which can be viewed on Netflix, went even further: the creators were even awarded the ‘Queer Eye’ by Wins Three Emmys, Including Best Structured Reality Program, three honorary Emmy awards. And for the sake of this program, it is possible and necessary to discard stereotypes: the presenters never shame or ridicule their protégés, but, on the contrary, sincerely worry about them.

In addition, experts do not impose anything on the heroes, changing people beyond recognition, as is often the case in Russian dress-up shows. After all, the main task of the presenters is not to remake the ward, but to help him accept himself as he is.

7. Cleaning with Marie Kondo

• USA, 2019.
• Reality show.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

Cheerful Japanese woman Marie Kondo helps Americans living in cluttered houses to get rid of unnecessary things, to organize the space competently and deal with everyday problems.

The presenter turned cleaning into a lifelong business and even released the bestsellers “Magic Cleaning. The Japanese art of putting things in order at home and in life”and“Sparks of joy. A simple happy life surrounded by your favorite things. The main idea of Kondo is to keep only what brings joy in the house. The expert also assures that by putting things in order in the room, we are putting things in order in our heads, and a neat environment helps to make life much more productive.

After streaming service Netflix launched the show, Marie Kondo's method experienced a second wave of popularity: viewers posted photos of their homes after cleaning on social media and discussed what things can be thrown out and what not.

Moreover, the most violent reaction was caused by Kondo's recommendation to say goodbye to unnecessary books (Marie herself admits to Marie Kondo Says You Can Have More Than 30 Books, Just Wake Them Up First that her personal library never has more than 30 volumes). In general, the show is really very exciting, so there is a high probability that after watching you, too, you will rush to shift things and fold the T-shirts "roll".

8. The Circle

• USA, 2020 - present.
• Reality show.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

Participants are locked in apartments with all conveniences and can communicate with other players through the "Circle" - an imitation of a social network, where only what you have written in your profile is known about you. Some characters remain who they are, but there are a couple of "fakes" that deliberately create the perfect image for everyone to like. The winner is the one who manages to become everyone's favorite with a high rating.

An absolutely wild program in the spirit of "Black Mirror" about modern interpersonal relationships, which nevertheless not only looks voraciously, but also helps to comprehend the downside of the craze for social networks. Initially, the American project was already re-shot by the French, now other countries are next in line.

9. Next in Fashion

• USA, 2020.
• Reality show.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

18 designers compete in craftsmanship for a solid cash prize to develop their own brand. The hosts are watching the competition - model Alexa Chung and designer Tan France (one of the "magnificent five" Queer Eye).

According to the idea, the program strongly resembles the show "Runway", but here the creators did without artificially pumping up the drama and tried to furnish everything as sincerely and sincerely as possible. Despite good reviews, Netflix closed the ‘Next In Fashion’ Canceled By Netflix After One Season show after its first season, but the whole project can be seen in a day or two.

10. Love Is Blind

• USA, 2020 - present.
• Reality show.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 6, 0.

Sitting in closed rooms, young people get to know other participants for several days. They have to decide with whom they want to get closer to get married in a couple of weeks. But they will see the chosen one for the first time at the time of the engagement.

This show will definitely appeal to those who miss The Bachelor and other dating programs. Except that in Love Is Blind, everything is greatly complicated by the fact that they offer to meet and fall in love, without taking into account the appearance.