Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV
Step behind reality TV's scenes with me, Andy Dehnart, a TV critic, creator of reality blurred, and "the pioneer of reality TV criticism," according to the very discerning YouTuber Barfbag. I pull back the curtain on reality shows—Survivor, The Traitors, Big Brother, Couples Therapy, 24 in 24, American Ninja Warrior, and so many more—for candid conversations about how people are turned into entertainment, and what it means. Join me for reporting, recommendations, ridiculousness, Real World references, and alliteration you won't find anywhere else.
Is Top Chef still Top after Top Chef Carolinas?
On this week’s episode: Top Chef Carolinas is over, and no spoilers here as I look at the season and the franchise to ask: is Top Chef deserving of the title of top culinary reality show? Plus: two Kristen Kish related recommendations, and stick around to the end for life advice from reality TV, also from Top Chef host Kristen Kish!
Curtain Pull
Top Chef doesn't want you to see this 'sensitive information' Charlotte paid $1.2 million for Top Chef. Did they get their money's worth?Review Review
Dear Top Chef: an open letter to a...When I was voted out—on live TV
26 years ago, just one week after Survivor premiered, I was live on TV, competing for an audience’s vote, and it was broadcast thanks to C-SPAN. Here’s the story—and video!
Plus: hilarious recommendations and stick around to the end for life advice from Tiffany Pollard.
Curtain Pull
Reality TV contractsStory Time:
Great American Think-Off C-SPAN C-SPAN broadcast: "Is Democracy Fair?" (watch below) Andy Dehnart on C-SPAN recent Think-Off debates on YouTubeRecommendations
Bad Lip Reading - The House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and George Santos House of Villai...How Couples Therapy stays real
In this episode of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV, I dive into the production of Showtime’s Couples Therapy, from the set design to b-roll to editing choices, all of which create an authentic experience, not fake drama.
Curtain Pull: How Couples Therapy hides its cameras
From Vulture: Couples Therapy Built the World’s Most Convincing Reality-TV Set Inside the Big Brother houseBehind the Scenes: How Couples Therapy is produced
How Couples Therapy’s directors work to create empathy, not villainy My reviews: season one and season two The Truman ShowRecommendat...
Survivor is my sports team
Coach Probst may be tanking Survivor, but in this episode of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV, I share how my love of Survivor persists, because I am like a fan of a beleaguered sports games team thing. Plus: Survivor costumes!
Mentioned
Survivor clothing rules: How clothing players can bring is chosen for them Variety's Untold Tales of ‘Survivor’ Jeff Probst's quote Watching Survivor with friends: a reflection on a social gameRecommendations
Survivor Borneo (Paramount+) Million Dollar Secret (Netflix)Credits
Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV is copyright 2026 by Reali...Creating a cooking competition from scratch
On this week's show: America’s Culinary Cup and Padma Lakshmi’s dream of shaking up the cooking competition genre. Did it work? And how did it come together? I have insight from Padma and its showrunner.
I also have reality TV recommendations for you, and stick around to the very end for life advice from reality TV, this time from Padma herself.
Plus: Why this show has a new name!
Mentioned
2026 New Voices AMPLIFY Creators 24 in 24's Ikea set location My America's Culinary Cup review Why Padma Lakshmi didn’t want blind...More looks behind the reality TV curtain, please!
On this week's show: More reality TV shows are showing us their scaffolding, literally and figuratively. Some examples, and a plea for more. Plus: a bunch of recommendations; an update on the next month of this podcast; and life advice from TV, once again from Mister Rogers.
Mentioned
Is Flavortown's town square inside Guy's Grocery Games? An investigation RuPaul's Drag Race and Guy's Grocery Games: how their sets were designed Justin Warner's TOC video Eric Adjepong on Wildcard Kitchen, hosting, and howRecommendations
House of Villains season 3 (Peacock) Wildcard Kitchen (Food Network/HBO Max) An...Blame Taylor, but not for The Bachelorette
On this week's show: Once again, fans and media are piling on a person instead of the corporations and systems. Can we hold Taylor Frankie Paul accountable for her behavior but not lay the blame for the franchise's implosion at her feet? Plus: a non-Bachelorette recommendation, and life advice from reality TV from Iman.
Mentioned
ABC is trashing The Bachelorette season 22 The Bachelorette’s PR nightmare is exactly what ABC ordered After using racial tension to promote The Bachelorette, ABC cancels Roseanne over a racist tweet What The Bachelor franchise should do to change its own sy...Why Survivor 50 is so great (so far!)
On today's show: Why Survivor 50 is working for me, especially compared to the past nine seasons! Plus: three recommendations for fictional films, and life advice from the Oscar-winning director of a nonfiction film.
Mentioned
My Survivor 50 recaps Did Boston Rob just out himself as MAGA Rob? What choices were in the hands of the fans? How Survivor became a game of cheerful mercenaries, and why Rob Cesternino is responsible 11 revealing Survivor and Jeff Probst tidbits from his profile David Borenstein's Oscar acceptance speechRecommendations
The Oscar-winning movie Sinners (HBO Max) Weapons, starring Oscar winner...7 behind-the-scenes stories from Amazing Race's first season
On today’s show: The Amazing Race took off 25 years ago this week, and I have some amazing behind-the-scenes stories for you! Also, two recommendations, and reality TV life advice from an icon.
Mentioned
Amazing Race behind the scenes: an oral history of CBS’s first race around the world 20th Anniversary Retrospective w/ Team Guido - "The Game Show"Recommendations
Age of Attraction (Netflix) Rosebush StoriesCredits
Andy Dehnart’s Reality Blurred is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC. Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com Our theme song is “Cheery Monday” by K...Love is blind judging
On today's episode: A journey through blind judging. I love blind judging but not Love is Blind, and I'm glad some viewers are no longer blind to unconscious biases on The Traitors and I wish I had a different word here than "blind."
Mentioned
Why Padma Lakshmi didn’t want blind judging on America’s Culinary Cup Blind judging, Tournament of Champions’ best idea, should become reality TV’s norm Traitors season 4 finale recap: ‘In Rob we trust’Recommendations
Tournament of Champions 7 (Food Network) Vanderpump Rules season 12 (Bravo/Peacock) How to Get to Heaven from Belfast...A wonderfully ludicrous week of reality TV
This week, a quick look at this wild week of competition reality TV—and what to watch during it.
Mentioned
First time watching Survivor? 50th? Some behind-the-scenes things to know! How four Survivor 50 players thought about their games 30 seasons ago Two Survivor experts* pick Survivor 50 fantasy teams How Survivor became a game of cheerful mercenaries, and why Rob Cesternino is responsibleRecommendations
Survivor 50 (CBS, Wednesdays at 8 ET) The Traitors US season 4Credits
Andy Dehnart’s Reality Blurred is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC. Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com Our theme so...What one thing would you change about Survivor?
Survivor has survived for 50 seasons in no small part because it's been willing to evolve and change over the years. So what would you change about it now, if you could change just one thing?
In this episode of my podcast, I share my answer. Also: recommendations and life advice from Kristen Kish!
Mentioned
Dear Jeff Probst: Thanks for Survivor. Please change these 3 things RIP Survivor, murdered at 26 by Jeff Probst Actors' deaths highlight growing risk of colorectal cancer for Americans under 50 Katie Couric Gets A ColonoscopyRecommendations
Reality Check: Inside America’s N...Secret reality TV documents: a bonkers reading
On this week's show, I read from reality TV-related legal documents—including one NBCUniversal tried to keep secret—in character voices that my husband called "totally fucking bonkers" when he heard it. Plus: recommendations and life advice from TV.
Mentioned
The Profit’s secret settlement, Marcus Lemonis’ $14 million penalty, and me Is The Profit coming back? Marcus Lemonis’ answer—and The Profit’s contract Jill Zarin fired from 'Real Housewives' revival show after controversial Bad Bunny commentsRecommendations
Survivor's 10 reruns Bad Bunny's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show Behind the scenes of the halftime show FreeTax...Produced, not scripted: How Below Deck works
This week: Below Deck Med and Below Deck Down Under, and why producing isn’t scripting. Also: my usual recommendations, plus reality TV stars band together to show us how community and working together is the way through all of this. And stick around to the end for life advice from an iconic reality TV cast member.
Mentioned
We Stand with Minnesota Owen Knight's Instagram post How Survivor’s Owen Knight united reality TV stars to raise $13K+ to help Minnesota immigrants Below Deck Down Under season 4 episode 1 recap: ‘best of the best’—LOL!Recommendations
Extrac...Two Survivors, two stories
On this week's show: Two Survivor legends, two conversations for you to eavesdrop on. Plus: recommendations for free and entertaining streaming TV!
Mentioned
Survivor’s Sandra Diaz-Twine on Extracted, her reputation, and waiting to pounce Survivor’s Stephen Fishbach on turning ‘an insane human experience’ into a novel Stephen's book Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire (American Masters) trailerRecommendations
Marathon every Survivor season Pluto TV Survivor channel Tubi The Roku ChannelCredits
Andy Dehnart’s Reality Blurred is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC. Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com Our theme song is...Trolling Traitors table manners
On today’s show: Watching, noticing, and turning those things into video instead of writing. Am I helping or hurting—them and me! Also, I have three recommendations for you and self-care advice from the very first episode of Sesame Street.
Mentioned
Register for the free Stephen Fishbach Q&A Watch my Michael Rapaport eating video: Instagram, TikTok My short-form videos: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, FacebookRecommendations
The Boyfriend (Netflix) Beast Games/Survivor crossover (Amazon Prime Video) Sesame Street Classics Behind the Scenes of Sesame StreetCredits
Andy Dehnart’s Reality Blurred is copyrigh...The Traitors' Secret Traitor problem
The Traitors is back—and introduced a new twist that fell flat. In today's episode, I talk about what I think the show needs, and also share recommendations and some hilarious life advice from Rob Cesternino.
Mentioned
My Traitors season 4 recaps 3 Donna Kelce mysteries from The Traitors Werewolf/mafia optional rolesRecommendations
Canada's Drag Race (WOW Presents Plus) Best Evidence’s true crime year in review 2025 The best reality TV of 2025Credits
Andy Dehnart’s Reality Blurred is copyright 2025 by Reality Blurred LLC. Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com Our theme song...Why faked scenes make The Traitors and Survivor better
What makes shows like Survivor and The Traitors better, more artistic shows? I think it's the way they fake some scenes—without affecting the game. Plus, three recommendations, and life advice from world treasure Stephen Fry.
Mentioned
REALITY CHECK: ‘SURVIVOR’ FAKED SOME SCENES Does Survivor use stunt doubles? No, but it does re-enact scenes I asked The Traitors’ producers about twists, editing, UK vs US, and so much moreRecommendations
Celebrity Traitors UK (Peacock) Canada's Drag Race and Drag Race Philippines: Slaysian Royale (WOW Presents Plus) The Great Christmas Light Fight (ABC)Credits
Andy...Is Amazing Race an amazing way to travel?
This week: Is it amazing to travel around the world by racing on The Amazing Race? Kinda and not really! We’ll dig into what you don’t see. Also, my travels into a new medium, recommendations, and, at the very end, some helpful words from Phil Keoghan.
Mentioned
My TikTok account My first TikTok video! What do Amazing Race teams do after elimination and at pit stops?Recommendations
Watch What Crappens Watch What Crappens’ Ben Mandelker on his blogging to podcasting journey Julie Chen saying "but first" Pet Help FinderCredits
Andy D...Reality TV recaps: a recap!
This week: a recap of recaps! What do I recap, why do I recap, and WTF even is a recap today? Plus: life advice from The Real World Hawaii—really!
Mentioned
My Real World Hawaii recaps My reality blurred recaps Table Talk Television Without Pity Best Evidence RHAPRecommendations
Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown (Food Network) What the Fuck Just Happened Today? Mercury Stardust, the Trans Handy Ma'am Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home RepairCredits
Andy Dehnart’s Reality Blurred is copyright 2025 by Reality Blurred LLC. Find me at realit...