There's always some fresh drama that comes with reality TV shows, such as the new Caught In The Act: Unfaithful. However, some viewers doubt the drama in this series is legitimate and not scripted.
Reality TV show viewers are always skeptical regarding whether or not the drama and plot lines are genuine or are staged to appear that way. While there are a few that appear realistic, or mostly so, there are some that have blatant acting or unrealistic conflict, and some Redditors believe these specific reality TV shows are obviously fake.
Love Is Blind
In this series, couples date for a period of time by communicating through a wall. They only meet face to face after a match is chosen and someone proposes. In the second half of the season, the couple lives together to see if their lifestyles match as well.
Love Is Blind is one of the most dramatic reality TV shows on Netflix, especially in the early stages when people get defensive after learning other contestants are interested in their love interest. While many fans think the show is real enough, they believe certain aspects are unbelievable. Reddit user mnikolai24 said, "That is not a realistic amount of time for most people to fall in love, propose, and get married."
Mystery Diners
Similar to the more popular Undercover Boss, Mystery Diner follows a team that goes undercover at different food service businesses for the bosses of the establishment. The boss sits by and watches in the sting room through hidden cameras to see how their employees act when they're not around.
Reddit user survivorlover1234 said, "Everything was so scripted and it all was clearly a ploy for the restaurant they were profiling to get more attention." This show offers a good amount of drama to keep audiences entertained, but the over-exaggeration of each reveal is highly unbelievable, the shock too over-the-top to appear real.
Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss follows a different executive in each episode. These high-paying, in-charge bosses go undercover at one of their locations to see what their businesses are really like on the inside.
While there are many obviously fake reality shows, many believe Undercover Boss is one of the surprisingly real ones. However, some fans wonder if the people working for the company are so easy to believe the film team is for a random documentary, especially after the show gained popularity. Reddit user StarterPSer said, "They have stories of documentaries and stuff, it's weird" when someone wonders how they excuse the cameras.
Amish Mafia
This series focuses on an Amish community in Lancaster in which Levi carries out the peace and justice of the people, trying to uphold the principles of the culture.
Reddit user TasteTheValue said, "I couldn't stop watching it because it was so fake." To say the least, the drama of a different kind of law enforcement is entertaining. However, even the Amish church denies the existence of the power of this team within their community, making the whole premise highly unbelievable.
House Hunters
This show follows a buyer and their agent as they go through the ins and outs of looking for the right home for them, their families, and their lifestyles. While there are several home shows fans think are legit, many doubt House Hunters is real.
Reddit user NightBard said, "there is no decision, the couple already bought a home and they are staging some viewings at other homes to give them three to pick from." Per Entertainment Weekly, HGTV has confirmed that the show is staged, with the couple usually already having picked their homes ahead of time. However, the show is a great guide to help those actually looking to buy property.
The Hills
This lifestyle show follows several young people living in Los Angeles as they navigate their professional and personal lives. The Hills is one reality series with bad couples that ruined a season, known for its relationship and friend drama.
Reddit user YeahWTF20 said, "It actually became a bit hard to watch, as it was obvious they were being fed lines." The drama in this show is something that captivates most reality show lovers, but sometimes it's a little too dramatic to be realistic. The stars have later revealed fake aspects about the show, such as Heidi telling Buzzfeed MTV didn't allow them to wear any outfits twice.
Breaking Amish
This series follows young people from Amish or Mennonite communities who journey out into the world to experience more Western lifestyles. They encounter things like electricity and drinking alcohol at a bar for the first time. At the end of their journey, they must decide to go back home or be shunned by their families forever.
One Reddit user said, " As the series goes on, it became clear that these Amish kids all had deep backstories and drama that pre-dated the shows, including the fact that a few of them were exiled." reported by Variety, Hot Snakes Media defended the show, saying they followed people who already chose to explore these experiences.
Mountain Monsters
A group of life-long hunters and trappers have made it their mission to hunt down legendary monsters supposedly known to lurk in the Appalachian Mountains. The team uses both traditional traps and high-tech tools to search for the creatures.
Reddit user Vulptex256 said, "They always make a lot of noise while hunting. They also joke in the middle of climax drama, and the monster ALWAYS JUST MISSES the camera AND the trap EVERY TIME." Much of the folklore the show discusses, such as the infamous Mothman, are genuine legends. However, it's quite clear by watching a few clips from the show that it's staged.
Snowflake Mountain
In this new Netflix original, a group of young, entitled people is made to believe they're going on a reality show at a fancy resort when they're actually dropped off in the wilderness to learn valuable life skills.
There are a lot of drama and emotions in this series, but by the conclusion, it seemed the remaining contestants had learned something from the experience. However, many viewers believe much of the drama is scripted. Reddit user Common-Knowledge-098 said, "Agreed that it was scripted in places but I thought the overall message was so motivational."
Pawn Stars
This reality series focuses on three generations of the Harrison family who run a pawn shop in Las Vegas. All the men are known for having a sharp eye for being able to depict which item is real or fake.
Reddit user DavosLostFingers said, "Always free and available when an expensive item comes in. The expert is generally available as well. And they are always ridiculously knowledgeable about a random piece." Fans appreciate the way the show highlights interesting historical artifacts. However, sometimes the endless knowledge and available expert is too convenient to be believable.