Unreal is a gripping and brutal satire of reality TV but it is much more than that. While this might sound like a drama about a trivial subject, the content of Unreal makes it one of the most serious and important TV series of recent years. It follows two female producers as they make a romance-themed reality show, highlighting the degree to which they're willing to manipulate the contestants in order to produce 'good TV'. The psychological and moral impact of this on the production crew - particularly the junior producer Rachel - is quite awful, and she rebounds between depression and megalomania as a result. This week we take a deeper look at this series, examining its commentary on what constitutes 'entertaiment' and how that is made, through its complex politics of gender and race to the constant use and subversion of stereotypes.(Read more...)
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