MTV’s groundbreaking reality seriesThe Real Worldfirst premiered in 1992, and although the network had already begun airing non-musical programming,The Real Worldwas something different entirely. Inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary seriesAn American Family,The Real Worldgathered a diverse group of strangersto live together in one house for several months, with each season set in a different city. The premise is outlined the best by the show’s famous opening voiceover: “This is the true story of seven strangers picked to live in a house and have their lives taped to find out what happens when people stop being polite … and start getting real.” It’s a format that has inspired countless reality shows in the years since, including two spinoffs on MTV,Road RulesandThe Challenge.
Despite taking breaks and switching platforms briefly,The Real Worldhas endured. It’s one of MTV’s longest-running shows and one of the longest-running reality shows ever. Critically acclaimed rebootThe Real World: Homecomingon Paramount+ reunited pastReal Worldcasts, in some cases in the same houses they originally filmed in. But after 33 seasons—the last of which aired in 2019, although MTV has not officially canceled it—some stand out more than others, whether because of the novelty of the early seasons or the drama of the later ones, and show just how much or how little the world has changed over the show’s run.
10Season 4 - London
IMDb Score: 8/10
In 1995, Season 4 ofThe Real Worldtook place in London—with the group living in a townhouse in Notting Hill—one of just a few seasons to be filmed entirely in another country. The group lived in London for five months, from January 1995 until mid-June.
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While some seasons ofThe Real Worldare known for drama like explosive fights and messy hookups, Season 4 is much calmer. But it isn’t without its conflict, like Mike’s struggles to adjust to both life in London and life with his housemates. It also starred actressJacinda Barrett, who started her acting career two years after the show aired and went on to land roles inLadder 49,Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason,Poseidon,andSuits, which scored her an invitation to the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in 2018.
9Season 9 - New Orleans
For Season 9 in 2000,The Real Worldwent to New Orleans. Starting with Season 5, the cast was given a different task or assignment to complete throughout the season, and in New Orleans, the group worked for a public-access television station, with a different housemate serving as the producer each week.
Like other seasons ofThe Real World, much of the cast went back to normal life and have since built careers, gotten married, and started families. Others have continued to pursue Hollywood ventures, such asMelissa Howard, nowMelissa Beck, who appeared onGirls Behaving Badly. The full cast reunitedfor a season ofHomecoming, which in part addressed some of the implications of their first time in the house, such as the show’s stereotypical portrayal of Beck as an angry black woman andDanny Roberts' relationship with a military service member.
8Season 12 - Las Vegas
Season 12 was the second-highest-rated season ofThe Real Worldand featured the seven strangers living in a converted penthouse suite in the Palms Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. They worked a variety of jobs in the resort, from promotional work to go-go dancing.
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Season 12 is among fans’ favorites, with cast memberArissa Hillamong the most beloved. She later went on to appear in a number ofReal Worldspinoff shows. The cast reunited for a miniseries in 2007.
7Season 22 - Cancun
Season 22 ofThe Real Worldwas filmed in Cancun in 2009. While it was not the only season to film in a different country, it was the only one set in Mexico. The group’s assignment was working for StudentCity, an organization that helps ensure fun, safe trips for students, and their duties included planning an event that featured an appearance from the music group LMFAO.
Cancun was a chaotic season and featured eight cast members instead of the usual seven. One, Ayiiia, was cast through a contest in which fans chose the final housemate and began to struggle with self-harm, while two other cast members were ultimately kicked out of the house.
6Season 32 - Seattle
IMDb Score: 8.1/10
Seattle was home toThe Real Worldcast in Season 32. This season featured a twist on the format, unbeknownst to the seven roommates. An additional seven people were brought in who had some sort of conflict with a member of the original group, from estranged relatives to ex-romantic partners.
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The season was aptly titledBad Blood, and there was plenty of drama with the expanded cast—as though that’s not usually the case withThe Real World. And it wasn’t just theBad Bloodgroup that was a surprise to the cast. The house also featured secret rooms.
5Season 30 Chicago
For the second time,The Real Worldwas filmed in Chicago for Season 30. Like Seattle’sBad Bloodseason, this season, titledSkeletons, featured a twist, and it was similar toBad Bloodin that every week, a cast member had to face someone they had unresolved issues with.
The twist in the format was bound to make for more drama, especially as the person in question had the choice to stay in the house for a week. The most notable of these encounters was Jason meeting his biological father, who left Jason and his mother when Jason was a baby.
4Season 16 - Austin
IMDb Score: 8.2/10
Season 16 ofThe Real Worldwas filmed in Austin in 2005, with a converted warehouse serving as their home. The cast’s assignment for the season was to create a documentary about the South by Southwest festival.
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The Real World: Austinis a fan-favorite season. In 2008, it was declared as such at the Real World Awards Bash. It stands out for two memorable moments, both involving castmateDanny Jamieson: first, he got into a fistfight during a night out, resulting in an injury that required surgery, and then on Valentine’s Day, he was informed that his mother died. He also developed a romantic relationship with and later married housemateMelinda Stolp, but they divorced in 2010.
3Season 20 - Hollywood
The castmates ofThe Real WorldSeason 20 lived in Hollywood. This season also marked the change to hour-long episodes from the half-hour length of previous seasons, and it ultimately featured a total of nine housemates after an eviction and a voluntary departure.
Housemate Greg was the source of plenty of drama, so much so that production asked two other castmates to participate in anger management. Still, Greg was fired. The second housemate to leave was Joey, who struggled with substance abuse and found that the house wasn’t conducive to his sobriety.
2Season 3 - San Francisco
IMDb Score: 8.7/10
San Francisco hosted the housemates ofThe Real Worldfor Season 3 in 1994. It’s a season that’s consistently regarded as among the best—if notthebest—of the entire series, and like all seasons, it’s very much a product of its time, shining a light on some of the most notable issues of the day.
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Some of the earliest seasons ofThe Real Worldare the most compelling. Season 3 was notable for being the first to feature someone who was HIV-positive,Pedro Zamora, as well as the first same-sex commitment ceremony, held with Pedro and his partner,Sean Sasser, decades before gay marriage was made legal. Pedro died hours after the season finale aired.
1Season 17 - Key West
IMDb Score: 8.9/10
In 2005,The Real World’s Season 17 was filmed in Key West. Production was plagued by hurricane season—the cast had to relocate twice, first to West Palm Beach because of Hurricane Rita and again because of Hurricane Wilma, which first sent them to Ft. Lauderdale, then Orlando.
Major weather incidents aside, Key West wasn’t the most dramatic ofReal Worldseasons, but it still has plenty of compelling moments and is great to watch. In addition, in the years since Zach Mann has become a film director.
