MTV and Bunim-Murray Productions has recently announced that the island locale of Key West, Florida will play home to the upcoming seventeenth season of one of their most popular reality series, The Real World. Key West will be only the second time the show has ever taken place inside the United States, but not on the mainland (the eighth season was filmed in Hawaii). The show is scheduled to begin filming in Key West this fall with a premiere date tentatively set for early next year.
The only problem with MTV's decision to film the next season in Key West is that it is, by far, the smallest city that the show has been hosted in. For a show that's mostly known for sticking to cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, London, Miami, Austin, New Orleans, Seattle, etc. it seems a bit strange that they're moving into a city with less than 30,000 in population. Though the island boasts a fairly large gay community and a huge Halloween festival called Fantasy Fest (likely what influenced the show's decision), does it feel weird to anyone else that The Real World's cities are getting smaller and smaller?
Key West isn't a terrible location. Personally, I don't blame them. The aforementioned gay community and Halloween festival provides perfect leads to stir up the drama — a key ingredient to the show's formula for success — while at the same time pitching the cast into a picture-perfect island background. But could it be possible that MTV's running out of locations to film the show in? There's still several large cities that the show hasn't filmed in. Being a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, I can't personally ever see them shooting here. Minneapolis, Minnesota is another rather big metropolitan area that remains untouched by The Real World's radar. Phoenix, Arizona; St. Louis, Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; and Nashville, Tennessee as well. All pretty big cities, but all cities I don't see as the next location for the show (well, maybe Nashville...if the show aired on CMT).
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Tan The Man
Well, Big Brother is huge in Europe so going back to Europe wouldn't be the best for Real World.
2 - Eric Berlin
They'll likely begin to repeat on some of the large cities. For example, haven't they done New York twice already?
Perhaps one of the reasons they're avoiding larger cities is due to the hostile reaction the cast/crew receives periodically...
3 - Joe
Yeah, they've used New York twice, but that's the only one that they've done twice so far.
And I didn't know Big Brother was a big thing in Europe, huh. I figured the reason they weren't particularly fond of using foreign cities was because it wouldn't be as easy to turn around and sell the idea of the show to foreign markets like they've done with tons of other mediocre reality shows.
4 - Eric Berlin
I've really enjoyed the last three or so seasons of The Real World -- they've done a great job with casting, which is absolutely the key... same is true for most reality shows, I suppose.
5 - Eric Olsen
Alaska: The Real World - Northern Exposure
6 - Joe
Yeah, I agree Eric Berlin. I think that the most recent cast for Austin, despite a regular few that I can't stand, has been pretty decent.
And haha...I'd love to see a season set in Alaska. Cast members freezing their asses off.
7 - Eric Olsen
hobnobbing with the Inuit
8 - Joe
Ending up having to go ice fishing for their job.
9 - Eric Berlin
Igloo keggers!
10 - Joe
Haha...man that would suck to be them but so entertaining to watch.
11 - Eric Berlin
It could be like The Real World: Survivor...
Who will hook up?
Who will pass out?
Who will... make it home in one piece?
12 - Eric Olsen
I have a better idea: Antarctica - now you're talking cabin fever
13 - Eric Berlin
How about Death Valley? Picture it...
It's hot... so hot!
14 - Joe
Antarctica. Wow. Someone's going home with frostbite.
15 - Eric Olsen
they could run it like Scandinavian sauna: first Death Valley, then Antarctica, then Death Valley, then Antarctica ...
16 - Eric Olsen
back to the post: Key West is a strange combination of tourist, nautical, and gay culture - here comes the green streak!
17 - Joe
I had actually always thought that Key West was just a really big retirement community. I wonder what the old fashioned folks living down there think when they're forced to mesh with the gay community.
18 - Eric Berlin
Well, Hemingway dug it, so I think it's kind of a Big Tent down there.
19 - Amstel
I think they should put a fork in TRW...because it is DONE!
20 - Eric Olsen
sadly they did: TRW was sold to Northrup Grumman and is no more
21 - Eric Berlin
Ah yes, the shifting sands of the defense contractor-reality television complex blow ever onward...
22 - Eric Olsen
both of my brothers and my brother-in-law star is the latest episode
23 - austin
what about portland OR, thats the perfect city
24 - Eric Berlin
I think they might get a backlash in that city such as was the case in Seattle.
EO -- were you joking about your fam being in The Real World, or was it in reference to the talk about defense contracting?
25 - austin
The Real World, Portland
c'mon people