We kept up with the Kardashians. We voted for the next American Idol. We live in a world of reality television. So for those in need of more dramatic, all-too-real entertainment, here are some upcoming shows that are pushing the limits of the genre:
1. “Naked and Afraid” (Sundays 9/8 c. on Discovery):
This new reality TV series puts trained survivalists to the ultimate test: no water and no food for 21 days. Oh, and they’re naked. Each week, one man and one woman will be left stranded — exposed, quite literally, to some of the world’s most intense weather conditions. The challenge is to survive the next 21 days with nothing but a single personal item. The couple will be pushed to their limits, and forced to question everything they thought they knew about survival.
2. “Utopia” (on FOX):
Referred to as the “Lord of the Flies” of reality TV, “Utopia” will send 15 ordinary people to an undeveloped, isolated area, where they will create a civilization from scratch. Contestants who are considered dispensable to the community will be eliminated. Over the course of their adventure, viewers will get to see if the contestants can build a society better than the one that we know, or if it will all crumble beneath them.
3. “Sex Box” (on WETv):
This show is bringing reality TV to an entirely new level. Its content includes precisely what the title implies: sex, in a box. Three couples — two straight and one gay — will go inside the proclaimed “sex box” and emerge only after they have completed the task. They will then immediately engage in a discussion with a panel of sex experts in their most open and vulnerable state. There are no cameras within the box, but the couple inside knows that the world is watching and waiting to find out how it went.
4. “Prepper Hillbillies” (Saturdays 10/9 c. on Destination America):
The all-new series follows three “highly skilled craftsmen” of The Moss Shop in Jonesboro, Ga., as they take South Georgia’s home security into their own hands. The three musketeers stop danger in its tracks with creative, highly entertaining security systems: exploding trees, secret escape routes, booby-trapped driveways — they’ve thought of it all.
5. “Secret Lives of Stepford Wives” (Tuesdays 10/9 c. on Investigation Discovery):
In a world of award-winning pie recipes, PTA meetings and tasteful martinis, typical Stepford wives strive to be ideal homemakers. But behind closed doors, things are not as perfect as they seem. Each episode features a true story of a housewife whose desire to “keep up with the Joneses” is matched only by the depth of her darkest secrets. Witness the housewives’ desperate attempt to cover up the deception, adultery and greed that happens when no one’s looking.
So if “Survivor” and “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” aren’t enough for you, tune in to these five shows, which are either just starting out or premiering soon!