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Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV
Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV episodes
- November reality TV: shows I’m excited about—and the ones I’m skipping
Not every November reality TV show premiere deserves your time, so let me help by highlighting some must-watches and gonna-skips.
Coming Attractions
- November reality TV show premieres
- Big Brother's Aaryn is back on Bravo
Recommendations
- Taskmaster on YouTube
- Taskmaster season 22
- Taskmaster season 21
Credits
- Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC.
- Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com
- Photo by Vlada Karpovich
- Our theme song is “Cheery Monday” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under the Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License.
27 min - Reality TV show secrets, reviews, and recommendations
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.
Subscribe now to join me every week for my reporting, recommendations, ridiculousness, Real World references, and alliteration you won't find anywhere else.
2 min - Big Brother 15’s Aaryn is back on Bravo—is ignoring her enough?
Why is Bravo trying to make Big Brother 15’s Aaryn Williams—who's best known for her racist, homophobic, and other vile comments on the CBS show—a star? She's returning to TV on Bravo's Small Town Trouble: Texas.
In this episode of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV, I ask why Bravo would cast someone with her history, and explore what we should do when networks platform people like her.
Annotating Andy: BB15's Aaryn on Bravo
- Bravo said, ‘Hold my racism!’—and cast BB15’s Aaryn. No, thanks.
- Big Brother - Aaryn's Eviction Interview
- Did Bravo really need to dig up this reality TV corpse? No!
Recommendations
- The Golden Life (E!)
- The Mob (Hulu)
- The Diplomat (Netflix)
Life Advice from Reality TV
- Parker Posey on The Mob
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.
25 min - Traitors: New Blood’s biggest problem
NBC's The Traitors: New Blood has been a baffling mess, and I think there's one thing to blame more than anything else: episodes that are much shorter than the ones on Peacock. Yep, I'm blaming the editing!
Except: The Edit!
- My Traitors: New Blood recaps
Recommendations
- The Real Housewives of New York City, Bravo
- SNL UK: "Great Big Crab Man"
- Ponder Club
Life Advice from Reality TV
- Kristin on Survivor 51 episode 4
Credits
- Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV is copyright 2026 by Reality Blurred LLC.
- Find me at realityblurred.com or andydehnart.com
- Photo of Alan Cumming by Euan Cherry/NBC
- Our theme song is “Cheery Monday” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under the Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License.
28 min - Bake-Off blamed viewers for producers’ problems
This week, into the Great British Baking Show tent we go to discuss its Audience Choice week. How does it fit in to the pattern of reality TV shows—from American Idol to Survivor 50—blaming viewers for what are ultimately producers' decisions?
Analyzing the Analysis
- Survivor 50: What choices were in the Hands of the Fans?
- Bake-Off series 17's Audience Choice Week recap
- Great British Bake Off's time calls are fake
Recommendations:
- Sticky Bun Boys
- Sweet Deceit, Food Network
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.
30 min - Below Deck Med’s magnificent mess—and malevolent outcome
Bravo's Below Deck Mediterranean season 11 is over, and I break down what made this season great—and horrifying. Nathan vs. Joe, Aesha's growth, and Chef Joy's joy, and how much the production has to do with all of it.
Review Review: Below Deck Med season 11
- Below Deck’s semen-stained sheet is gross. Is it hazardous?
- Nathan convicted of horrific domestic violence, now wanted in Australia and Ireland
- My Below Deck Med season 11 recaps
For help:
- In the U.S.A., call 1-800-799-SAFE or text START to 88788
- In Australia, call 1800 737 732
- For other countries, visit the No More directory of global helplines for domestic and sexual violence
Recommendations:
- The Great British Baking Show, Netflix collection 14
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4
- "Level-Five Transporter Accident" behind-the-scenes photos
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.
30 min - How the Amazing Race turned ‘a bloody nightmare’ into TV history
The Amazing Race has an iconic, simple format. But the reality is that, during season one, many of the decisions were made while filming was underway—or after it was over.
Behind the Scenes
- Amazing Race behind the scenes: an oral history of CBS’s first race around the world
Recommendations
- The Amazing Race season 39's premiere, CBS
- The Swan: Behind the Mirror, Hulu
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.
30 min - Survivor 51’s surprise start
It's a new season of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV, and today I'm looking at my expectation versus reality of Survivor 51’s premiere, and Wonka's The Golden Ticket.
I Was Wrong: Wonka's The Golden Ticket and Survivor 51
- What in the chocolate river is AI slop doing in Netflix’s Wonka competition?
- My Wonka's The Golden Ticket review
- Survivor 50 finale's preview of season 51
- Survivor 51 premiere recap: old is new again!
Recommendations
- The Floor, Fox (behind the scenes)
- Cocktail Wars, E!
- Drink Masters, 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.
- Survivor photo by Robert Voets/CBS
Life Advice from Reality TV
- Aesha on Below Deck Mediterranean season 11 episode 10
24 min - A fun recommendation and quick update
In this quick episode: An update on the premiere of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV season 6, which is coming the morning after Survivor 51’s premiere.
Also, a recommendation: Nation's Dumbest on Fox
3 min - Bonus: From dinos to photos, our Emily Post wedding story
In this special episode: My husband Nick and I chat about our wedding, some highs and lows, with Emily Post's great-great grandchild, Lizzie Post, in this excerpt from the podcast Emily Post Wedding Stories.
Listen to the full episode here, and also check out Emily Post Wedding Stories and Awesome Etiquette—and our great photographers, Live Happy Studio.
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.
14 min
About Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV
From the publisher's feed
Welcome to Made From Humans, the only podcast dedicated to dissecting how reality TV works and what it means, from production and casting to media coverage and cultural impact.
I'm Andy Dehnart, and I've been called "the pioneer of reality TV criticism" by YouTuber Barfbag thanks to my decades of experience as a TV critic, reporter, and publisher of Reality Blurred.
Each episode delivers candid conversations, investigative reporting, and expert takes on shows like Survivor, The Traitors, Big Brother, Tournament of Champions, and The Amazing Race. You'll hear real stories from inside the industry, and get recommendations and life advice from TV.
Perfect for reality TV fans and skeptics alike—anyone who curious about how people become entertainment and want smart, witty, deep dives into the behind-the-scenes secrets of how their favorite shows are produced. New episodes weekly.