Love Island and Big Brother have a history of casting hot dummies who sometimes turn out to be people who behave badly and maybe shouldn’t be on TV. How do they find them? How does casting work? We'll dive into two parts of the process.

Also: recommendations, including for some podcasts, and stick around to the end for life advice from reality TV, this time from The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.

Unscripted Updates

• In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood by Collin Gosselin
  • Kate Gosselin speaks out on estranged son Collin after scathing post
• Another Love Islander disappears for using racial slurs
  • Alannah's bad apology
• Comcast spinning off NBCUniversal and Comcast
  • Versant cable networks

Behind the Scenes

• Love Island USA application
• Big Brother finals casting process: how it works, rules finalists must follow
• Ian and Dan discuss Sucks, Jokers strategy, how Big Brother finals casting hasn’t changed in years
• Big Brother contract: the legal agreement houseguests sign

Recommendations

• Nick and I on Emily Post Wedding Stories with Lizzie Post. Listen here!
• 15 great podcasts from the other AIR New Voices AMPLIFY podcasters and creators
• The Real Housewives of Rhode Island (Peacock)

Credits

• Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC.
• Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com
• Our theme song is “Cheery Monday” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under the Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License.

On this week's show: We’ve rolled into a new season of Below Deck Med, one I was dreading, but it’s actually refreshing—for the franchise and reality TV.

Plus: What Love Island USA and Survivor have in common, recommendations, and life advice from reality TV, this time from Captain Sandy.

I Was Wrong: Below Deck Med season 11 edition

• Guess what's back after Below Deck Down Under?
• Below Deck Med season 10 ended with a threat
• Below Deck Med recap: Joe and Kizzi’s cruelty, Nathan’s diatribe

Curtain Pull

• Love Island USA’s kissing is even sloppier and slurpier than usual. Yuck!
• Survivor used Love Island’s villa

Recommendations

• Outlast (Netflix)
  • Why Netflix’s Outlast ends with a race, and other questions, answered
• Stephen Fishbach's book: Escape!
  • My interview with Stephen
• The 10 reality shows nominated for 2026 TCA Awards

Credits

• Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC.
• Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com
• Our theme song is “Cheery Monday” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under the Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License.

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

• Top Chef Carolinas finale recap: toast the winner
• Dear Top Chef: an open letter to a show adrift
• Top Chef spoiled/solved the Restaurant Wars/Last Chance Kitchen mystery
• Kristen Kish is the best part of Top Chef Wisconsin
• How America's Culinary Cup was cooked to be paired with Survivor

Recommendations

• The Dish with Kish
• Fast Foodies (stream free on truTV)
• Memoir and other true queer stories for Pride Month
  • Accidentally on Purpose by Kristen Kish

Credits

• Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC.
• Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com
• Our theme song is “Cheery Monday” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under the Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License.

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 contracts

Story 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 YouTube

Recommendations

• Bad Lip Reading - The House of Representatives
  • Nancy Pelosi and George Santos
• House of Villains (Peacock)

Credits

• Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC.
• Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com
• Our theme song is “Cheery Monday” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under the Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License.

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 house

Behind 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 Show

Recommendations

• The Chris Gethard Show season 2, episode 9
  • then read Liz Shannon Miller's behind-the-scenes interview
• TOC: All-Star Christmas
• Tickets from On Camera Audiences

Life Advice from Reality TV

• Dr. Orna’s guide to active listening

Credits

• Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC.
• Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com
• Our theme song is “Cheery Monday” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under the Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License.

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 game

Recommendations

• Survivor Borneo (Paramount+)
• Million Dollar Secret (Netflix)

Credits

• Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC.
• Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com
• Our theme song is “Cheery Monday” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under the Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License.

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 judging on America’s Culinary Cup
• Iron Chef America is fake, in case you didn't know

Recommendations

• Couples Therapy (Showtime and Paramount+)
• The Comeback (HBO Max)
• Extra Hot Great episode 613: Iron Chef S03.E23: Squid Battle (from Dan Cassino)

Credits

• Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC.
• Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com
• Our theme song is “Cheery Monday” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under the Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License.