It may be hard to remember today, but there was a time not that long ago when “reality” TV was far from a common thing. Then, thanks to shows like The Real World, Survivor, and Big Brother, non-scripted television began to take over the landscape for quite a while. Arguably at its height during the 2000s, during that decade most TV networks worked hard to create the next “reality” show sensation.
Definitely no slouch in terms of creating a slew of “reality” TV shows, over the years MTV has seen many non-scripted series come and go. In fact, many viewers still miss some of MTV’s “reality” shows from the past. With all of that in mind, it is time to take a look at this list of 20 MTV “reality” shows from the 2000s we’d love to see make a comeback.
20 Life of Ryan
On the air from 2007 until 2008, Life of Ryan focused on the life of professional skateboarder Ryan Sheckler who was a teenager at the time.
In a very different place today, it would be fascinating to get a view of Sheckler’s current reality now that he is sober and runs The Sheckler Foundation which helps kids and injured athletes.
19 The Blame Game
For those unfamiliar with this show, The Blame Game brought together real-life exes in a faux courtroom where a “judge” decided who was to blame for their break-up.
Considering that so many of us can’t look away from online videos of couples fighting in public, a reboot of this series would have the same appeal with better production values.
18 Hilary Duff: This Is Now
An extremely short-lived series, Hilary Duff: This Is Now was a two-part show that followed the titular singer and actor during an intense promotional tour.
No longer in the same place in her career, it would be fascinating to see this series capture the often difficult and satisfying life of a mother of two who still has a professional life.
17 I'm From Rolling Stone
An extremely powerful force, over the years Rolling Stone magazine has turned many people into stars. That probably is why MTV aired a show called I'm From Rolling Stone, which focused on six of the publication’s interns in 2007.
If you ask us, a reboot of that show would be even more captivating now that the publication exists in a world where magazines are passé.
16 Disaster Date
Briefly on the air in 2009, Disaster Date featured a blind date in which an actor tried to drive a regular person nuts and the average Joe won more money the longer they put up with the behavior.
Full of well-meaning emotional train wrecks, if this show made a comeback we can only imagine how many great viral videos it would create.
15 Next
An incredible show, Next allowed a single person to have a blind date with up to five people in a row after dismissing suitors for any reason they chose.
A pretty heartless series that still managed to seem silly and fun, this is the kind of mindless entertainment that we need more of in today’s complicated world.
14 Cribs
Considering that this series must have been very cheap to produce, we’re surprised Cribs no longer airs after a 17-season run that ended in 2017.
Focused on cameras following a celebrity as they take the viewer on a tour of the places they call their homes, getting to see the world of the rich and famous is as appealing today as it has ever been.
13 America's Best Dance Crew
Arguably the best competition show MTV ever produced, America's Best Dance Crew gave viewers the opportunity to see some truly amazing performers. However, just like American Idol, ABDC began to feel boring after many seasons.
Now that the show has been off the air for several years, however, it is about time producers brought it back with the right judges.
12 Pimp My Ride
When it comes to most of the shows on this list, we would fully expect them to go through some changes if they were rebooted. On the other hand, MTV needs to bring Pimp My Ride back and keep the format the same.
Seeing Xzibit react to the ridiculous and impractical ways a crew customized a junker would still be hilarious.
11 Dismissed
Another one of MTV’s blind date shows, Dismissed always ended in rejection as each episode featured someone on a date with two people, one of whom they had to send away eventually.
Especially entertaining when an episode’s star liked or couldn’t stand both of their potential partners, we miss seeing the inevitable awkwardness play out on our screens.
