reality tv

8 totally underrated reality TV shows you can binge on Netflix and Stan all summer long.

 

Summer is good for a lot of things: Beach days, road trips and barbecues for starters.

But what the summer holiday period is not so good for is trashy reality TV, because sometimes you want to ditch day drinking and plonk yourself down on the couch, preferably with the air con blasting.

There’s no Bachelor, no MAFS, no celebrities singing in prawn outfits. It’s… boring.

But bless the age of streaming because we have a solution, and it comes in the form of Netflix and Stan reality shows.

Crack a bottle open, make yourself a platter of Christmas leftovers (or idk, just order UberEats) because you’ve got bad (but also… good) reality shows to enjoy.

Rhythm & Flow, Netflix.

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It's like American Idol for rap stars and Cardi B is a judge (so is T.I but... we don't talk about him because of that hymen thing).

The best way to describe the 10-episode series is a mix of traditional singing competitions like American Idol and The X Factor, mixed with the rawness of hip hop content like Straight Outta Compton that shows where the genre came from.

There's also rap battles, lots of famous cameos, and touching back stories. Because of course.

You'll get to the end of the first episode and be genuinely shocked by how invested you have become.

It's intense and emotional and no, you can't really understand what Cardi B is saying most of the time, but it's also some of the most uplifting TV you can watch.

Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul, Stan.

Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul
Image: Stan.

There's a lot of RuPaul on Stan, so if you are one of the last few people in the world who haven't watched it all, get on that right now.

A little different from Drag Race is 2016's Gay For Play, a game show featuring celebrities helping contestants answer pop culture questions. RuPaul's a legend, but what makes this show even better is all the special guests, including OG Queer Eye's Carson Kressley, Todrick Hall and Frankie Grande.

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100% Hotter, Netflix.

100 per cent hotter netflix review
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Queer Eye is the wholesome makeover show that will make you cry and leave your heart feeling warm and fuzzy. 100% Hotter is the complete opposite, but you might still cry!

Instead of making over someone, 100% Hotter makes under them, taking people who are a little... intense and making them into people who do not need to apply an entire bottle of Bondi Sands each week.

60 Days In, Stan.

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I would never voluntarily enter a prison and live among its general population for two months, because that's madness, but I sure as heck would watch a reality show where other people voluntarily enter a prison and live among its general population for two months.

That's exactly the premise of 60 Days In and it's as terrifying as it sounds.

Yummy Mummies, Netflix.

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If you didn't catch Yummy Mummies when it first aired on Channel 7 in 2017, you need to schedule some couch time right now.

Mamamia’s Social Squad podcast speaks to Lorinska Merrington from Yummy Mummies. Post continues after podcast.

It follows the journey of four expectant mothers and friends with lavish lifestyles and maternity clothing to make even non-expectant parents jealous.

There’s Maria Di Geronimo in Adelaide, who’s as Posh Spice as you can get without actually being Victoria Beckham. Then there’s old friends Rachel WattsLorinska Merrington, and Jane Scandizzo in Melbourne, who are actually a small mums’ tribe.

There's doting mothers, hard-working husbands, and a lot of wealth... like, Range Rovers as push presents wealth. Plus there's two full seasons, so you're set for a few days at least.

Selling Sunset, Netflix.

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Selling Sunset follows a group of good looking, high-end real estate agents selling expensive homes in Hollywood, and it's worth watching because 1. property porn and 2. manufactured drama.

We haven’t seen a series that's as unashamedly vacuous as Selling Sunset for a long time and oh man, it was worth the wait. The show is everything us average people are not – which makes it the best thing to devour – because it’s total escapism into a world most of us would never belong in.

It follows newbie Chrishell Hartley's mission to integrate herself into the Oppenheim group, which is run by Brett Oppenheim and his twin brother Jason, and home to highly competitive employees Mary Fitzgerald, Davina Potratz, Christine Quinn, Maya Vander, and Heather Young. They love selling houses almost as much as they love gossiping about their personal lives.

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There are eight episodes averaging about half an hour each, so grab a prosecco (you're going to want one) and get stuck in.

Dating Around, Netflix.

dating around netflix
Image: Netflix.

The premise of Dating Around is that one person goes on five first dates (at the same place, in the same clothes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) in a week and picks one date at the end to get to see again. It's everything The Bachelor is not - no roses, no games, no Osher watching from the bushes.

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Literally these people just sit in a bar and... talk.

Blown Away, Netflix.

blown away netflix
Image: Netflix.

I initially started the first episode of Blown Away as a joke when my partner and I were arguing about what to watch.

But then... suddenly it was four hours later and we'd watched an entire competition about glass blowing and were passionately debating whether a glass meat chandelier was weird, brilliant or both.

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It's like MasterChef for glass blowing and you won't want to like it, but you will. I swear.

Podcast Listeners please tell us your feels for one of FIVE $50 vouchers. We don’t need many respondents so chances of winning are high.

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Do you have any other streaming services' reality show recommendations? Let us know in a comment below.