Reality T.V. comes in waves every summer for those who have cable or don’t watch T.V. in general. Some of those shows (these are my favorite, if you have others I should care about, let me know) are “The Bachelorette,” “Big Brother” and “Love Island.”
Here’s a breakdown of the shows and why they should be added to your list of guilty pleasures. So join me, and let’s explore my top three reality shows of the summer.
1. “The Bachelorette“
“The Bachelorette” is the reverse of “The Bachelor.” It’s one girl on her journey to find love within handpicked 30 men. How romantic.
The “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” both have their share of scandal, but this season seems to address some of those problems. Katie Thurston is the season’s bachelorette, and she might be one of the best ones. Thurston has a backbone and eliminates drama with her run as the star of the series. Unlike past bachelorettes, who don’t always see through the drama and lies, Thruston leaves the audience with just enough so we don’t want to yell at her. For that reason alone, I’d say the “Bachelorette” isn’t as annoying as you may think it is.
How it works:
“The Bachelorette” starts with one woman and thirty men that eventually dwindles as more rose ceremonies happen. Within the week, there are two group dates and one one-on-one date. Eventually, there are hometowns (where the Bachelorette meets her potential in-laws). There are also fantasy suites where the couple gets a private room for the night with no cameras. Until the bachelorette decides who she wants to get engaged to, the final two men have to make speeches (these speeches are between the man and the woman without an audience unless you count cameras) which can be awkward.
2. “Love Island“
If one woman and 30 men is not really your style, then there’s “Love Island.” There’s an equal amount of men and women (most of the time), unlike “The Bachelorette.”
Unlike the “Bachelorette,” “Love Island” isn’t once a week. This show airs at least two or three times, if not back-to-back every week. And the best part? There’s an app that lets you interact with the show. So, for example, sometimes the show enables you to rank the couples from your favorite to least favorite. The show then takes these rankings and kicks off the lowest-rated couple. It’s great. For the most part, the fandom is pretty much in agreement with the worst couples.
How it works:
Five girls enter the villa (a really nice house on an island. This year they are in Hawaii), then one boy enters and gets to choose who he would like to couple up with until there are five couples by the end. As the day past new men and women and enter the villa to shake things up. At the end of each week (or whatever the producers decide), there’s a recoupling, and if you aren’t in a couple, you get dumped from the island.
It’s fabulous. If you enjoy drama, gossiping, and of course, love, then the show is for you. Oh, and the winning couple (fan favorites) gets a cash prize.
3. “Big Brother”
If love isn’t your thing — after all, on-screen romance can be super corny — “Big Brother” is for you. It’s a summer vacation, where 16 lucky players are picked to play for $500,000. But this season of “Big Brother,” the prize money was increased to $750,000.
It’s a show of wit, strategy, backstabbing, and alliances combined to make the best social game. The show is in its 23rd season, and it has the most diverse cast yet. The shown is known to have more white players compared to anyone else. CBS is listening to the critique, which is good to see an older show adapting.
How it works:
Each week there’s a Head of House (HOH) competition and Power of Veto (POV). The HOH has the most power during the week. In that week, they get to decide which two people are in danger of going home. The two people play the POV at risk of going home, the HOH and three other players to see who wins the immunity.
During the weeks, there can mini-challenges, plots and hidden powers that can all change the game.
Sometimes there is some romance between players — “showmances,” as they’re called — some of which have ended in marriage.
Fun fact: “Big Brother” has more lasting marriages than the “Bachelor” series.
And there you have it! Three shows that you can watch when you need mindless entertainment this summer, if you’re not avidly watching already.
