SXSW TV Premiere Review: UnREAL Season 1, Episode 1 (USA, 2015)

UnReal is a TV series that will appeal to fans of Frontline or Ben Elton’s Chart Throb or Dead Famous books. The series looks at the chaotic world of filming a fictional reality dating program. It’s an insightful and honest account of the depths of manipulation that are employed by a reality show’s production staff in order to create drama and make interesting television.

Veteran TV pilot director, Peter O’Fallon (Legit) is at the helm of this episode, which was inspired by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro’s award-wining independent short film, Sequin Raze. Shapiro apparently started her film career by working on The Bachelor. Shiri Appleby (Girls) stars as a young producer who is forced to manipulate, cajole and employ all sorts of methods in order to mould the characters and their stories. But the real person holding the puppet strings is the Executive Producer who is played by Constance Zimmer.

In this eye-opening account we are introduced to contestants like: “Evil bitch Britney” and a “Tranny rodeo queen” as well as a cougar single mother and a virgin. The supposed “hit” dating show is called Everlasting and it looks just like The Bachelor in that you have an eligible single man going on dates by night next to a pool and with various gorgeous ladies.

UnReal is entertaining, irreverent and good at poking fun at the “reality” genre. The story is clever and it will be interesting for those people who have never stopped and considered just how staged and scripted this version of reality is. In short, this is essential viewing for anyone who is considering going on such a program. It will be interesting to see where the series goes from here!

Review Score: THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)

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UnREAL had its first episode premiere at SXSW on March 14th. The TV series will air from June 1st in the USA on the Lifetime Network. No news on an Australian premiere is available at this time.

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