Unreal (TV series)

Last updated

Unreal
UnReal lifetime logo.png
Genre Drama
Created by Marti Noxon
Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
Based onSequin Raze
by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro [1]
Starring
ComposerFil Eisler
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes38 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersMarti Noxon
Robert M. Sertner
Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
Bill Davenport
Sally DeSipio
Stacy Rukeyser
Production location Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Running time42 minutes
Production companies A+E Studios
Wieden-Kennedy Entertainment
Tiny Pyro
Frank and Bob Films II
Original release
Network Lifetime (2015–18)
Hulu (2018)
ReleaseJune 1, 2015 (2015-06-01) –
July 16, 2018 (2018-07-16)

Unreal (stylized as UnREAL) is an American drama television series that premiered on Lifetime on June 1, 2015. [2] It stars Shiri Appleby as a young reality television producer pushed by her unscrupulous boss (Constance Zimmer) to swallow her integrity and do anything it takes to drum up salacious content for their dating reality show Everlasting. The show was created by Marti Noxon and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, and was inspired by Shapiro's award-winning independent short film Sequin Raze. [1]

Contents

On July 28, 2017, it was announced that Unreal has been renewed for a shortened fourth season of eight episodes. [3] The fourth season completed production in January 2018 before the third season had aired. [4] By May 22, 2018, the fourth season had been acquired by Hulu. The streaming service distributed the series exclusively as a "Hulu Original" in the United States for a set period of time before the episodes aired on Lifetime. [5] On July 16, 2018, the fourth season was released on Hulu and it was confirmed that the season would be the series' last. [6]

Plot

Producer Rachel Goldberg returns to Everlasting, a popular dating show, after a breakdown. With a reputation to rebuild and executive producer Quinn King breathing down her neck, Rachel must pull out all the stops in what she does best: manipulating the contestants to create the outrageous drama that viewers expect.

Cast and characters

Season 1 cast photo (from l. to r.: Kelly, Braddy, Zimmer, Appleby, Stroma, Scott, Kelley) UnREAL Cast (Season 1).png
Season 1 cast photo (from l. to r.: Kelly, Braddy, Zimmer, Appleby, Stroma, Scott, Kelley)

Main

Crew

  • Shiri Appleby as Rachel Goldberg, a producer on Everlasting who is brought back to the show by executive producer Quinn despite Rachel's breakdown during the previous season. Though conflicted by how she must lie to and manipulate the contestants, Rachel is a "closer" who thinks fast on her feet and knows exactly what needs to be done to create drama on the show. Meanwhile, she is drawn back to her ex-boyfriend Jeremy and finds herself getting close to the show's suitor Adam, but she later loses relationships to both of them. Rachel is later promoted to supervising producer, which is short-lived as Coleman is hired by the network as the new showrunner.
  • Constance Zimmer as Quinn King, Everlasting's scheming, demanding executive producer who pushes boundaries on the show to maximize ratings. She is having an affair with Chet, but their dysfunctional relationship is strained by his marriage and their work. She later gets promoted to showrunner until Chet returns, and their conflict results in the network hiring Coleman as the show's new EP and showrunner.
  • Craig Bierko as Chet Wilton, the eccentric and drug-using creator of Everlasting who is having a volatile affair with Quinn. His immaturity, vulgarity and callousness have given him a keen eye for what the audience wants, but his tremendous success has only fueled his self-destructive self-indulgence. He gets banned from work for his bad behavior behind-the-scenes, but later returns after adopting a healthier lifestyle, putting himself into direct conflict with Quinn. He also joins the men's liberation movement, and enlists Jeremy as part of his cause. The following season he starts dating a swimsuit model named Crystal.
  • Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman as Jay Carter, a gay producer on Everlasting who is initially one of Rachel's only friends. He soon crosses Quinn, and becomes more willing to step over the line in order to ingratiate himself to Chet. He later becomes jealous of Rachel for her job promotion, and grows frustrated by competing against a newly promoted Madison. He later produces his own show, Passport to Dance.
  • Josh Kelly as Jeremy Caner (seasons 1–3), a camera operator (later promoted to director of photography) on Everlasting, and Rachel's ex-boyfriend. Engaged to the show's make-up artist, Lizzie, at the beginning of the series, he still has unresolved feelings for Rachel. He briefly gets back together with Rachel, but breaks up with her after he finds out that she cheated on him with Adam. He returns to work on the new season a bitter and angry drunk over having his heart broken by Rachel.
  • Genevieve Buechner as Madison (seasons 3-4, recurring seasons 1–2), Quinn's meek production assistant who had oral sex with Chet and is later promoted to junior producer on Everlasting, and later to Junior Vice President of Non-Scripted at the network, working under Fiona Berlin. Through the rapid progression in her career, she quickly learns to become more confident and conniving to get what she wants. As Vice President, she also produces her own show, #Adulting.
  • Brennan Elliott as Graham (seasons 3-4, recurring seasons 1–2), the host of Everlasting.
  • Aline Elasmar as Shia (season 1), a producer on Everlasting who has a professional rivalry with Rachel. Initially earnest with her take on contestant storylines, she soon learns that she has to be more ruthless and manipulative—like Rachel—to compete and succeed. To this end, she gets Maya drunk and tampers with Mary's mood stabilizing medication, but loses control of the outcome. She is sent home after the last of her assigned contestants quits.
  • Michael Rady as Coleman Wasserman (season 2), an executive producer and new showrunner on Everlasting who was a documentary filmmaker prior to joining the show. He and Rachel become a couple and briefly date, but she worries when Coleman makes it clear he wants to destroy the show by publicly exposing its past crimes committed by the producers. He is later killed (along with Yael) by Jeremy when he rigs his car that crashes on the road.
  • Francois Arnaud as Tommy Castelli (season 4), a devious new producer on Everlasting who is brought in to handle the new games format for the show's All Stars season. He proves to be a match for Rachel's underhanded manipulation techniques, and eventually starts a relationship with her, leading to their engagement. In the series finale, Quinn scapegoats him as a rogue producer to protect Rachel.

Suitor

  • Freddie Stroma as Adam Cromwell (season 1; guest star season 2), a rich British playboy and the "suitor" on Everlasting. He is reluctant to do the show, but is hoping the publicity will improve his "bad boy" reputation and help with his business ventures. As Adam becomes savvy to the producers' manipulations and what will make the show "better", he alternately plays along, and does some kindnesses to individual contestants. He also begins to develop an attraction to Rachel and has an affair with her, but it ultimately ends in heartbreak when he later finds out from her boss Quinn about her fragile mental health, and she convinces him to end his affair with Rachel.
  • B. J. Britt as Darius Beck (season 2), the first African-American suitor on Everlasting and a professional football player, who hopes that being on Everlasting will help polish his image after being involved in a public relations scandal.
  • Caitlin FitzGerald as Serena Wolcott (season 3), Everlasting's first female suitor who is a successful Silicon Valley venture capitalist, who comes on the show to seek a husband when she is tired of being single. [7] [8]

Contestants

  • Johanna Braddy as Anna Martin (season 1), a bulimic contestant who works as an attorney. She almost leaves Everlasting when her father dies, but she is coaxed back by Rachel with feigned assurances that she will likely win.
  • Nathalie Kelley as Grace (season 1), a contestant who is a swimsuit model. She and Adam have an immediate sexual attraction, and though Quinn does not see her as an acceptable winner for the competition.
  • Ashley Scott as Mary Newhouse (season 1), one of the oldest contestants who is a single mother with an abusive ex-husband. Quinn, finding Mary uninteresting, pushes her to step up her game, not knowing that Shia has tampered with Mary's mood stabilizing medication and given her alcohol. Bipolar and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, Mary begins to unravel under the pressure put on her by the manipulations of Rachel, Quinn, Shia, and Chet.
  • Breeda Wool as Faith Duluth (season 1, guest season 4), a contestant who is a shy and insecure Christian virgin.
  • Monica Barbaro as Yael/"Hot Rachel" (season 2), a contestant who is an undercover reporter (posing as a fashion blogger), and who the crew labels as a more attractive, less damaged, sane version of Rachel.
  • Denée Benton as Ruby Carter (season 2), an outspoken Black Lives Matter activist who joins Everlasting looking to use the show to promote her message and, against all odds, falls in love and ends up with Darius.
  • Kim Matula as Tiffany James (season 2), a contestant who is the wealthy daughter of an NFL team owner who hopes that being on Everlasting will help her step out of her father's shadow.
  • Meagan Tandy as Chantal (season 2), a contestant who is a beautiful and sophisticated southern debutante who is recovering from the death of her fiancé.
  • Bart Edwards as Jasper Hunt (season 3), a contestant who is a successful Wall Street investment banker who seems like he will make the perfect power couple with Serena. [9]
  • Alex Hernandez as Owen Boyd (season 3), a contestant who is a firefighter and a single father looking for love. [10]
  • Adam Demos as August Walker (seasons 3-4), a contestant who was a surfer who joined the Peace Corps to save the world. He returns for the show's All Stars season.
  • Alex Sparrow as Alexi Petrov (season 3, recurring season 4), a secretly bisexual contestant who is a "bad boy" ballet dancer and an ostensibly recovering cocaine addict. He returns for the show's All Stars season, and stars on Jay's new reality show Passport to Dance.
  • Natalie Hall as Candy Coco (season 4), an outspoken contestant who is a single mother and stripper. Although she had never been on the show before, she is invited to All Stars by Quinn as a cross-promotional tactic to market another reality show she's set to star in, Stripper Queens, under the pretense of her being a superfan of Everlasting.
  • Meagan Holder as Noelle Jackson (season 4), a fan favorite All Stars contestant who had previously been runner up on her original season. She hopes to have a second chance with her original season's suitor, Rodrigo, who is also set to be on All Stars.
  • Alejandro Munoz as Rodrigo (season 4), a flirtatious and charismatic soccer player, All Stars contestant and former suitor.

Other regulars

  • Gentry White as Romeo Beck (season 2), Darius' cousin and manager who moves into the Everlasting mansion with him.

Recurring

Season 1

  • Arielle Kebbel as Britney, a contestant whom Quinn brands "the villain" and is one of the first eliminated from Everlasting. Chet brings her back for the finale as a wild card.
  • Siobhan Williams as Lizzie, a make-up artist on Everlasting and Jeremy's fiancée until he breaks up with her on realising he still has feelings for Rachel.
  • Christie Laing as Shamiqua, a contestant who is a clerk for a Supreme Court Justice.
  • J. R. Bourne as Bill DeYoung, Quinn's former writing partner and ex-boyfriend, who is a recovering alcoholic.
  • Stephanie Bennett as Pepper, a contestant who is an elementary school teacher.
  • Sonya Salomaa as Cynthia Wilton, Chet's ex-wife.
  • Graeme McComb as Sam, the assistant director of Everlasting.
  • Andrea Brooks as Tanya, a contestant on Everlasting.
  • Natasha Burnett as Athena, a contestant on Everlasting who is hoping to use the publicity to open a salon. Jay encourages her to play up to the "black bitch" stereotype in order to get noticed.

Season 2

  • Ioan Gruffudd as John Booth, an optimistic and adventurous tech billionaire who owns the television network that airs Everlasting. [11]
  • Karissa Tynes as Jameson, a contestant who is a police officer dedicated to her job, but she hopes that her chemistry with Darius will help fill the missing void in her love life. [12]
  • Lindsay Musil as Beth Ann, a contestant from a small town in Alabama who speaks her mind without a filter, and is cast on the show to stir up controversy. [13]
  • Monique Ganderton as Brandi, a shy contestant who overcame a traumatic past to become a mixed martial arts fighter. [12]
  • Elizabeth Whitmere as Dominique, a contestant who is a professional basketball player and a serious contender for Darius since they have a lot in common as professional athletes. [12]
  • Jessica Sipos as Hayley, a contestant who is a physical therapist and is sexually adventurous, loves yoga, and is a healer. [12]
  • Sunita Prasad as London, a contestant who is an engineer with a conservative personality who joins the cast of Everlasting to explore her wild side. [12]

Season 3

Season 4

  • Christopher Russell as Jack, an All Stars contestant who is a pediatrician. He is a fan favorite on Everlasting, and had previously appeared on two seasons before being invited to All Stars. Rachel confides in him that he was the reason she became a producer on the show.
  • Meghan Heffern as Sofia, an All Stars contestant who was previously known as a sweetheart on her original season, but hopes to cultivate a more villainous reputation on her second time.
  • Alli Chung as Skye, an abrasive All Stars contestant who enjoys the limelight.
  • Karis Cameron as Naomi, an All Stars contestant who is Amish.
  • Samantha Cole as Emily, an All Stars contestant.
  • Greg Delmage as Luke, an All Stars contestant.
  • Maxwell Yip as Joe, an All Stars contestant.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
1 10June 1, 2015 (2015-06-01)August 3, 2015 (2015-08-03) Lifetime
2 10June 6, 2016 (2016-06-06)August 8, 2016 (2016-08-08)
3 10February 26, 2018 (2018-02-26)April 23, 2018 (2018-04-23)
4 8July 16, 2018 (2018-07-16) Hulu

Production

Development

On July 30, 2013, Lifetime placed a pilot order on Unreal, inspired by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro's award-winning independent short film Sequin Raze. [17] Shapiro had previously worked at the American reality dating series The Bachelor . [18] The pilot was written by Marti Noxon and Shapiro, and directed by Peter O'Fallon. [17] On February 6, 2014, Lifetime officially green-lit Un-Real with a 10-episode series order. [19] [20] In March 2015, the premiere date was announced as June 1, 2015. [2] On July 6, 2015, the series was renewed for a second season of 10 episodes, to premiere in 2016. [21] The second season continued to feature the fictional show, Everlasting, with Quinn and Rachel returning as main characters. [22]

Casting

Casting announcements began in September 2013, with Shiri Appleby first cast in the lead role of Rachel Goldberg, the young staffer working on the reality dating competition. [23] Freddie Stroma was the next actor cast in the series, in the role of Adam Cromwell, the smart and wealthy bachelor on the dating series. [24] Shortly after, Josh Kelly signed onto the series regular role of Jeremy, Rachel's ex-boyfriend who also works as a cameraman on the reality dating series. [25] Breeda Wool was then added to the cast for the role of Faith, one of the contestants on the series. [26] In early-November, Megyn Price, Nathalie Kelley and Johanna Braddy joined the show's cast. Price signed onto the role of Quinn King, the controlling executive producer on the reality series; Kelley joined in the role of Grace, an eco-swimwear designer/model and contestant on the series; and Braddy set as Anna, a type-A control freak and attorney who is also a contestant on the series. Ashley Scott was later cast in the role of Mary, the single mother of a 4-year-old daughter who joins the series hoping to find love. [27] In June 2014, Price was replaced by Constance Zimmer as Quinn. [28] On July 22, 2014, it was announced that Craig Bierko has been cast as a character named Chet, who is the reality dating show's creator. [29] On August 8, 2014, it was announced that J. R. Bourne and Siobhan Williams were both cast on the show in recurring roles, Bourne as Quinn's recovering drug addict ex-boyfriend and former writing partner, and Williams as Everlasting's new make-up artist who is also Jeremy's fiancée. [30]

Distribution

United States

Unreal premiered in the United States on Lifetime on June 1, 2015. [2] The network made the first four episodes available on their website on June 6, 2015, before the latter three had aired. [31]

In July 2017, it was announced that the series has been renewed for fourth season [3] that completed production in January 2018 before the third season had aired. [4] On May 22, 2018, it was reported that the fourth season had been acquired by Hulu. The streaming service would distribute the series exclusively as a "Hulu Original" in the United States for a set period of time before the episodes are to air on Lifetime. [5] On July 16, 2018, the fourth season was released on Hulu. [6]

International

The series is available to stream on Stan in Australia [32] and on Lightbox in New Zealand. [33]

In the United Kingdom, season 1 aired on Lifetime. From season 2, the show airs on Amazon Video a day after broadcast in the United States, with season 1 also available for streaming. [34]

In Israel the show airs on yes Drama channel and on Cellcom TV. [35] In India, the show airs on Star World. [36]

In Spain, the show airs on the channel ATRESERIES, owned by the network Atresmedia. [37]

Concept and characterization

Unreal is set behind the scenes of Everlasting, a fictional reality dating series operating similarly to The Bachelor. [2] [18] Dalene Rovenstine of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "UnREAL has comic moments, but is also twisty and dark in a way you hope isn't reflected by real-life reality shows." [38] According to Noxon, the series is based on what really happens in the world of reality show production. [39] Shapiro says, "Viewers want to believe in fairy tales, and those reality shows tap into that want. Our show dismantles that want." [39] Adds Noxon, "We thought uncovering the behind-the-scenes machinations would make great stories, and we wanted to comment on the kind of bully culture of a lot of reality television." [39] Shapiro says of the genre:

Contestants come in and think they can beat the game, but it's truly an unbeatable game ... You're ritually manipulated and charmed and edited beyond your control. Viewers think the contestants knew what they had signed up for. But they couldn't have. There's no way. [39]

Writing for the Associated Press, Frazier Moore described the show's dynamic:

UnREAL dwells in the off-camera netherworld of a dating competition show ... where a handsome bachelor must choose among a bevy of hot, hopeful women each bucking for a fairytale wedding ... The week-to-week production process is anything but romantic. On the contrary, it's a callous game of bullying and illusion whose sole objective is outrageous narratives. That process of seduction is led by executive producer Quinn King ... a single-minded puppetmaster whose chief henchman is Rachel Goldberg ... a young producer whose task is to cajole, badger and play on the weaknesses of the show's participants to get the footage Quinn demands. [39]

Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called Quinn and Rachel "architects of destruction—ostensibly of the people on camera, but really of themselves." [40] Moore noted that, despite the contestants' expectations, "the game is fixed and the matchmaking premise is only a pretext ... [the contestants] are pawns in the Everlasting chess game, with Quinn, in her video-paneled master control, pronouncing which contestant is the designated villainess, which is the hot one, which ones are boring and should be bounced." [39] Appreciating Rachel's "killer instincts" and manipulative skills, Quinn also "plays on Rachel's many weaknesses to keep her in line". [39] Caramanica commented:

UnREAL doesn't exist just to send up reality television, or to pick at its scabs. Nor is it primarily a tell-all about the behind-the-scenes hands that shape reality-TV narrative ... Rather, UnREAL uses that access as a tool to ask questions about these sorts of programs: not just about how they operate—savagely, if its stories are to be believed—but also why participants on both sides of the camera subject themselves to them." [40]

Reception

Critical response

Season 1

Season one of Unreal has received favorable reviews. Merrill Barr of Forbes called it "one of the best new shows of the summer because it embraces the insanity it presents on screen". [41] Dalene Rovenstine of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "If you love The Bachelor, you're going to like UnREAL. If you hate The Bachelor, you're going to like UnREAL." [42] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called Unreal "acerbic and unrelentingly sad" and "a close and sometimes frustrating study of women tearing other women down". [40] In December 2015, Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly named Unreal as one of his "10 Best New Shows of 2015". [43]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes lists a 98% approval rating, based on 41 reviews, with a rating average of 8.4/10. The site's consensus states: "The revealing and thought-provoking UnREAL uses reality TV as a suitably soapy springboard for absorbing drama." [44] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 78 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [45]

In May 2015, Unreal was one of five honorees in the Most Exciting New Series category at the 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards. [46]

Season 2

Season two received acclaim from critics. On the review aggregator Metacritic, the season holds a score of 87 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim". [47] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes lists an 83% approval rating, based on 38 reviews, with a rating average of 8.6/10. The site's consensus states: "UnREAL is smarter, more shameless, and more confident in its thrilling and riveting second season." [48]

Season 3

Season three received generally favorable reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Metacritic, the season received a score of 63 out of 100 from six critics. [49] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes lists a 95% approval rating, based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 7.86/10. The site's consensus states: "Timely and unapologetic, UnReal continues its satirical skewering with newfound fervor." [50]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2015 Critics' Choice Television Awards Most Exciting New Series UnREALWon
American Film Institute Awards Top 10 TV Programs of the YearWon
2016 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Drama Series Nominated [51]
Best Actress in a Drama Series Shiri Appleby Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Constance Zimmer Won
Peabody Awards Entertainment and children's programmingUnREALWon [52]
TCA Awards Program of the Year Nominated [53]
Outstanding Achievement in Drama Nominated
Outstanding New Program Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Constance Zimmer (for "Mother")Nominated [54]
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Marti Noxon and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
(for "Return")		Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Constance ZimmerNominated

Web series

On January 21, 2016, it was announced that Lifetime was developing a Faith-centered spin-off web series, with Breeda Wool reprising her role from the TV series. The 10-webisode series The Faith Diaries premiered on April 13, 2016. [55]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Bachelor</i> (American TV series) American reality television series on ABC

The Bachelor is an American dating and relationship reality television series that debuted on March 25, 2002, on ABC. For its first 25 seasons, the show was hosted by Chris Harrison. As the essence of the original The Bachelor franchise, its success resulted in several spin-offs including The Bachelorette, Bachelor Pad, Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise, The Bachelor Winter Games, The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart, The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons – Ever!, The Golden Bachelor, and The Golden Bachelorette, as well as spawning many international editions of the shows.

<i>The Bachelorette</i> (American TV series) US television series

The Bachelorette is an American reality television dating game show that debuted on ABC on January 8, 2003. The show is a spin-off of The Bachelor and the staple part of The Bachelor franchise. The first season featured Trista Rehn, the runner-up from the first season of The Bachelor, offering the opportunity for Rehn to choose a husband among 25 bachelors. The 2004 season of The Bachelorette again took a runner-up from the previous season of The Bachelor. After last airing on February 28, 2005, the series returned to ABC during the spring of 2008, following an absence of three years, and has since become an annual staple of the network's summer programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marti Noxon</span> Screenwriter, television writer, television producer

Martha Mills Noxon is an American television and film writer, director, and producer. She is best known for her work as a screenwriter and executive producer on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003). She was also executive producer, writer, and creator of the Bravo comedy-drama series Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (2014–18) and the Lifetime drama series UnREAL (2015–18), and an executive producer of the CBS medical drama series Code Black (2015–17).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiri Appleby</span> American actress

Shiri Freda Appleby is an American actress and television director. She is best known for her leading roles as Liz Parker in the WB/UPN science fiction drama series Roswell (1999–2002) and Rachel Goldberg in the Lifetime/Hulu drama series Unreal (2015–2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megyn Price</span> American actress (born 1971)

Megyn Samantha Price is an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Claudia Finnerty in the Fox/WB sitcom Grounded for Life (2001–05), Audrey Bingham on the CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement (2007–13), and Mary Roth on the Netflix sitcom The Ranch (2016–2020). Also in 2020, she had a small role as Eline Harris in The Resident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethenny Frankel</span> American television personality (born 1970)

Bethenny Frankel is an American television personality, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and author. She was the runner-up on the NBC reality competition series The Apprentice: Martha Stewart in 2005. Frankel is best known as an original cast member of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of New York City, starring in eight of the 14 seasons since its 2008 premiere. Her spin-off series Bethenny Ever After aired three seasons from 2010–2012, and Bethenny & Fredrik aired one season in 2018. She also headlined the Fox daytime talk show Bethenny (2013–2014) and the HBO Max reality competition series The Big Shot with Bethenny (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constance Zimmer</span> American actress (born 1970)

Constance Zimmer is an American actress. She rose to prominence playing Dana Gordon on the HBO series Entourage (2005–11) and Claire Simms on the ABC series Boston Legal (2006–07). She went on to appear on the Netflix series House of Cards (2013–18) and voiced Strongarm on Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2014–17). She gained wider recognition for her role as Quinn King on Unreal (2015–18), for which she received a Critics' Choice Television Award and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination both in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiffany Pollard</span> American television personality (born 1982)

Tiffany Pollard is an American television personality. She came to public prominence for her participation on the first two seasons of VH1's Flavor of Love (2006–2007). Pollard was given the nickname "New York" by rapper Flavor Flav. She is also known colloquially by her self-proclaimed nickname "HBIC" – an acronym for "Head Bitch in Charge" – which she exclaimed in the Flavor of Love series to taunt her competitors. Her temperamental and outspoken nature often led to tension with the other women on the show but made her an instant fan favorite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathalie Kelley</span> Peruvian-Australian actress

Nathalie Kelley is a Peruvian-Australian actress, known for her role as Neela in the 2006 action film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and for her roles in various television series including Body of Proof (2011–2012), Unreal (2015), The Vampire Diaries (2016–2017), Dynasty (2017–2018) and The Baker and the Beauty (2020).

Trishelle Cannatella is an American reality television contestant, Playboy model, and actress, known for her appearances on the MTV reality television series The Real World: Las Vegas, and the Real World spinoff show The Challenge. She has also appeared on other reality shows such as The Surreal Life, Kill Reality, Punk'd, Fear Factor and The Traitors. She has also made appearances in TV ads and music videos, posed nude in Playboy magazine, appeared in the horror film The Scorned, and competed successfully in celebrity poker tournaments.

<i>The Real Housewives of New York City</i> New York-based reality television series in the United States

The Real Housewives of New York City, abbreviated RHONY, is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on March 4, 2008. Developed as the second installment of The Real Housewives franchise, it has aired fourteen seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women residing in New York City.

Johanna Elizabeth Braddy is an American actress. She played the leading role in the 2009 horror film The Grudge 3, and has appeared in Pop Rocks (2004), Hurt (2009), Easy A (2010), Paranormal Activity 3 (2011), and The Levenger Tapes (2011). She starred as Jenny Matrix in the web series Video Game High School from 2012 to 2014. In 2015, Braddy co-starred as Anna Martin in the Lifetime dark comedy-drama series Unreal. She also starred as Shelby Wyatt in the ABC thriller series Quantico.

<i>The Real World: Brooklyn</i> Season of television series

The Real World: Brooklyn is the twenty-first season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. It is the fourth season of The Real World to be filmed in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, specifically in New York City after The Real World: Back to New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Stroma</span> British actor

Frederic Wilhelm C. J. Sjöström, known professionally as Freddie Stroma, is a British actor. He is known for his work in roles including Cormac McLaggen in the Harry Potter film series, Adam Cromwell on the Lifetime series Unreal, Brit Vayner in 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016), H.G. Wells in the ABC series Time After Time, and Adrian Chase/Vigilante in the DC Extended Universe series Peacemaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Reilly</span> American actress

Rachel Eileen Reilly Villegas is an American television personality. Reilly appeared in two seasons of the U.S. edition of the reality TV series Big Brother, winning season 13 in 2011. She has also participated in two seasons of The Amazing Race with her husband Brendon Villegas, placing third both occasions. She participated in a third season with her sister Elissa Slater, placing seventh. She has also won Celebrity Fear Factor and Snake in the Grass.

<i>Witches of East End</i> (TV series) 2014 American supernatural TV series

Witches of East End is an American television series based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Melissa de la Cruz. The series premiered on Lifetime on October 6, 2013, and ended on October 5, 2014, after two seasons. Set in the fictional seaside town of East End, it follows the lives of a family of witches – Joanna Beauchamp and her two grown-up daughters, Freya Beauchamp and Ingrid Beauchamp, as well as her sister Wendy Beauchamp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Gertrude Shapiro</span> American filmmaker and television writer

Sarah Gertrude Shapiro is an American filmmaker and television writer best known for co-creating the Lifetime television series UnREAL with Marti Noxon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman</span> Canadian actor and model (born 1984)

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman is a Canadian actor, model, and television personality. He is known for appearances in films and television, most notably as Jay in the Lifetime dark comedy-drama series Unreal (2015–2018) and as one of the main judges on the first season of Canada's Drag Race (2020).

Stacy Rukeyser is an American television writer and producer. Rukeyser landed her first job writing for CBS drama Without A Trace. She was a writer and an executive producer on the ABC Family series Greek, and worked on the series, October Road, Gigantic, One Tree Hill,The Lying Game and Twisted. Rukeyser is the executive producer of the third season of the Lifetime Series Unreal. She also produced the Netflix drama series Sex/Life.

References

  1. 1 2 Kizu, Kyle (June 6, 2016). "Lifetime's 'UnREAL': Watch The Short Film That Inspired the Hit Lifetime Series". IndieWire. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bibel, Sara (March 16, 2015). "Scripted Drama UnREAL to Premiere Monday, June 1 on Lifetime". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Roots, Kimberly (July 28, 2018). "UnREAL Renewed for Season 4". TVLine. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Fernandez, Maria Elena (February 26, 2018). "Can UnREAL Rebound in Season 3?". Vulture. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Denise, Petski; Andreeva, Nellie (May 22, 2018). "'UnReal' Moves To Hulu For Likely Final Season 4". Deadline. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Petski, Denise (July 16, 2018). "'UnReal': Final Season 4 Debuts On Hulu". Deadline. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  7. ↑ Kimberly Roots (November 3, 2016). "UnREAL Season 3: Meet the Female Suitor and Some of Her Eligible Hunks". TVLine. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  8. ↑ Andy Swift (January 19, 2017). "UnREAL Season 3: Caitlin FitzGerald Is Everlasting's First Female Suitor". TVLine. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  9. ↑ Shirley Li. "UnREAL: Meet Everlasting's new suitors of season 3". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Shirley Li. "UnREAL: Meet Everlasting's new suitors of season 3". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  11. ↑ Elizabeth Wagmeister (April 13, 2016). "Ioan Gruffudd Cast in UnReal Season 2". Variety. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Denise Petski (March 14, 2016). "'UnReal': Monique Ganderton & Jessica Sipos, More Join Lifetime Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  13. ↑ Dylan Kickham. "UnREAL adds Bruce Davison, Christopher Cousins, and Lindsay Musil to season 2 — exclusive - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  14. ↑ Denise Petski (March 8, 2017). "'UnReal': Brandon Jay McLaren Set To Recur In Season 3". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  15. ↑ Denise Petski (January 30, 2017). "Chelsea Hobbs Joins 'UnReal'; Kurt Krause In 'American Crime'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  16. 1 2 Denise Petski (January 26, 2017). "UnReal: Kassandra Clementi & Jaime Callica Join Season 3 Of Lifetime Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  17. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (July 30, 2013). "Lifetime Orders Marti Noxon Drama Pilot Based On Indie Short Sequin Raze". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  18. 1 2 Blake, Emily (January 9, 2015). "Lifetime's UnReal pulls the curtain on reality TV". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  19. ↑ Porter, Rick (February 6, 2014). "Lifetime picks up Buffy EP Marti Noxon's Un-Real to series". Zap2it.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  20. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 6, 2014). "Lifetime Picks Up Marti Noxon's Dark Comedy Pilot Un-Real To Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  21. ↑ O'Connell, Michael (July 6, 2015). "Lifetime Renews Unreal for Second Season". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  22. ↑ Paley Center for Media (July 30, 2015). "PaleyLive: An Evening with the Cast & Creators of UnREAL". Yahoo! . Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  23. ↑ Masters, Megan (September 20, 2013). "TVLine Items: New Supernatural Poster Revealed, Shiri Appleby Joins Buffy Vet's Pilot and More!". TVLine . Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  24. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (September 30, 2013). "Harry Potter Alum Books Unreal Work for Lifetime (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  25. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (October 1, 2013). "Josh Kelly Books Lifetime Pilot Unreal, Grainger Hines Joins Cinemax's The Knick". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  26. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (October 22, 2013). "Secret Life Alum to Co-Star in Lifetime's Unreal (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  27. ↑ Ng, Philiana (November 7, 2013). "Lifetime's Shiri Appleby Drama Pilot Adds Jericho Alum". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  28. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (June 2, 2014). "Constance Zimmer To Star In New Lifetime Series Un-Real". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  29. ↑ Nellie Andreeva (July 22, 2014). "Craig Bierko To Star In New Lifetime Series Un-Real, Michael Irby Joins The Lottery". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  30. ↑ "JR Bourne & Siobhan Williams Join Lifetime's Un-Real". Deadline Hollywood. August 8, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  31. ↑ "Lifetime Puts First Four Episodes of Unreal Online". Variety . June 6, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  32. ↑ Knox, David (July 1, 2015). "Airdate: UnREAL". TVTonight. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  33. ↑ "UnReal may be the realest (and best) thing all year". Stuff.co.nz. June 5, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Amazon Poaches UK Rights To Lifetime's UnReal". TVWise. June 7, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  35. ↑ Handelzalts, Michael (August 19, 2016). "In Reality, 'UnReal' Shows Who Really Runs the Show". Haaretz. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  36. ↑ "'Unreal' season 2 to take on gender and equality based issues". Indian Television Dot Com. March 9, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  37. ↑ "'UnReal' ya tiene fecha y hora de estreno en Atreseries". March 4, 2016.
  38. ↑ Rovenstine, Dalene (May 18, 2015). "Lifetime's drama UnREAL shows a twisty take on reality show dating". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Moore, Frazier (May 29, 2015). "Unscripted TV Stripped Bare by Scripted Drama UnREAL". Associated Press/The New York Times . Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  40. 1 2 3 Caramanica, Jon (May 31, 2015). "Lifetime's UnREAL Traces the Cracks in Reality TV's Fourth Wall". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  41. ↑ Barr, Merrill (May 25, 2015). "UnREAL Review: The Drama Lifetime Was Born To Make Arrives In Insane Glory". Forbes . Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  42. ↑ Rovenstine, Dalene (June 1, 2015). "Lifetime's scripted drama about a reality dating show goes deliciously dark". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  43. ↑ Jensen, Jeff (December 9, 2015). "The 10 Best New Shows of 2015: Jeff Jensen's Picks". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  44. ↑ "UnReal: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  45. ↑ "UnReal". Metacritic . Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  46. ↑ Petski, Denise (May 26, 2015). "Critics' Choice TV Awards Top New Series Revealed". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Unreal Season 2 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  48. ↑ "UnReal: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  49. ↑ UnReal , retrieved July 17, 2018
  50. ↑ UnReal: Season 3 - Rotten Tomatoes , retrieved July 17, 2018
  51. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (December 14, 2015). "Critics' Choice Awards Nominations: Mad Max Leads Film; ABC, HBO, FX Networks & Fargo Top TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  52. ↑ Birnbaum, Debra (April 22, 2016). "'Black-ish,' 'Master of None,' 'Mr. Robot' Among 2015 Peabody Awards Winners". Variety. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  53. ↑ Gelman, Vlada (June 22, 2016). "TCA Awards: Mr. Robot, People v. O.J., Americans, Crazy-Ex Lead Nominees". TVLine. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  54. ↑ Rice, Lynette (July 14, 2016). "Emmy nominations 2016: See the full list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  55. ↑ "TVLine Items: UnREAL Gets Spinoff, Legends Adds Time Master and More". TVLine . January 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.