Did we really think The Real World was going anywhere soon? The reality TV show, which may have been one of the first signs of MTV’s inevitable shift away from music, has been on the air since 1992, and it looks like it’ll continue to be around, at least for another season.
While Season 27 of the MTV reality series The Real World is currently in production on the island of Saint Thomas, Deadline reports that the next season is a go. (Deadline's article says it's been renewed for Season 27, but Huffington Post confirms that the renewal is for Season 28). The site doesn’t mention where the new season will take place.
?Also renewed for a 23rd season is The Challenge, the Real World/Road Rules spin-off series, which pits previous housemates together to compete in various challenges, and usually engage in heightened bits of drama. As Deadline notes, The Challenge: Battle of the Exes was the most-watched season of the last seven seasons, so its renewal certainly isn’t a surprise. In fact, it seems likely that as long as MTV is churning out The Real World, they’ll continue to mix up the housemates to squeeze them for all the action and drama they’re worth.
As someone who came of age during the earlier years of The Real World, it’s difficult to watch the series now without feeling some disdain toward what’s become of the show. Not to get all “in my day,” but from what little I’ve seen of the series in its recent years, it seems less about showcasing a sample of a generation, as it is about selling drama. That said, I’m sure there are plenty of young people out there eager to tune in to see that drama...
