Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV
Welcome to Made From Humans, the only podcast dedicated to dissecting how reality TV works and what it means, from production and casting to media coverage and cultural impact. I'm Andy Dehnart, and I've been called "the pioneer of reality TV criticism" by YouTuber Barfbag thanks to my decades of experience as a TV critic, reporter, and publisher of Reality Blurred. Each episode delivers candid conversations, investigative reporting, and expert takes on shows like Survivor, The Traitors, Big Brother, Tournament of Champions, and The Amazing Race. You'll hear real stories from inside the industry, and get recommendations and life advice from TV. Perfect for reality TV fans and skeptics alike—anyone who curious about how people become entertainment and want smart, witty, deep dives into the behind-the-scenes secrets of how their favorite shows are produced. New episodes weekly.
Episodes
NBC's The Traitors: New Blood has been a baffling mess, and I think there's one thing to blame more than anything else: episodes that are much shorter than the ones on Peacock. Yep, I'm blaming the editing!
Except: The Edit!
Recommendations
- Th...
This week, into the Great British Baking Show tent we go to discuss its Audience Choice week. How does it fit in to the pattern of reality TV shows—from American Idol to Survivor 50—blaming viewers for what are ultimately producers' decisions?
Analyzing the Analysis
- Survivor 50: What choices were in the Hands of the Fans?
- Ba...
Bravo's Below Deck Mediterranean season 11 is over, and I break down what made this season great—and horrifying. Nathan vs. Joe, Aesha's growth, and Chef Joy's joy, and how much the production has to do with all of it.
Review Review: Below Deck Med season 11
The Amazing Race has an iconic, simple format. But the reality is that, during season one, many of the decisions were made while filming was underway—or after it was over.
Behind the Scenes
- Amazing Race behind the scenes: an oral history of CBS’s first race around the world
Recommendations
...It's a new season of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV, and today I'm looking at my expectation versus reality of Survivor 51’s premiere, and Wonka's The Golden Ticket.
I Was Wrong: Wonka's The Golden Ticket and Survivor 51
In this quick episode: An update on the premiere of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV season 6, which is coming the morning after Survivor 51’s premiere.
Also, a recommendation: Nation's Dumbest on Fox
In this special episode: My husband Nick and I chat about our wedding, some highs and lows, with Emily Post's great-great grandchild, Lizzie Post, in this excerpt from the podcast Emily Post Wedding Stories.
Listen to the full episode here, and also check out Emily Post Wedding Stories and Awesome Etiquette—and our great photographers, Live Happy Studio.
After this week’s Big Brother 28 elimination, I’m revisiting an interview I did with Big Brother producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan about the show’s format. Has anything changed in 12 years? What still needs to change?
Plus: recommendations for two shows and one podcast episode, and stick around to the end for life advice from reality TV, once ...
Two words in a reality TV star's contract can change their post-show life—but also may not be that big of a deal? A dive into exclusivity clauses.
Plus: news I broke about Love is Blind, recommendations, and life advice from Canada's Drag Race.
Unscripted Updates, where I discuss something from the news
In this very special episode: A Project Runway 22 episode 2 recap and review, with a special guest star! Plus: news about The Challenge and a reality TV couple, plus recommendations for two shows that are polar opposites.
Unscripted Updates
- The Challenge: Cutthroat is on Paramount+, not MTV, starting Aug. 5
- Matt Rogers and ‘Below...
This week: A dramatic reading of my very first reality TV recap—to celebrate reality blurred’s 26th birthday today!
Also: recommendations, and, at the very end, life advice from a Survivor 50 player who’s on Big Brother 28!
Intro:
- Join me July 8 at 8 p.m. ET for a special AMA on Bluesky and...
Love Island and Big Brother have a history of casting hot dummies who sometimes turn out to be people who behave badly and maybe shouldn’t be on TV. How do they find them? How does casting work? We'll dive into two parts of the process.
Also: recommendations, including for some podcasts, and stick around to the end for life advice from reality TV, this time ...
On this week’s episode: Before Casa Amor, Love Island USA’s hottest couple were two guys! Is this finally queering up a hetero show, or just queerbaiting? And how can we tell?
Plus: reality TV news you have missed and recommendations for some great social media videos you shouldn't. And stick around to the end for life advice from reality TV, this time from ...
On this week's show: We’ve rolled into a new season of Below Deck Med, one I was dreading, but it’s actually refreshing—for the franchise and reality TV.
Plus: What Love Island USA and Survivor have in common, recommendations, and life advice from reality TV, this time from Captain Sandy.
I Was Wrong: Below Deck Med se...
On this week’s episode: Top Chef Carolinas is over, and no spoilers here as I look at the season and the franchise to ask: is Top Chef deserving of the title of top culinary reality show? Plus: two Kristen Kish related recommendations, and stick around to the end for life advice from reality TV, also from Top Chef host Kristen Kish!
Curtain Pull
26 years ago, just one week after Survivor premiered, I was live on TV, competing for an audience’s vote, and it was broadcast thanks to C-SPAN. Here’s the story—and video!
Plus: hilarious recommendations and stick around to the end for life advice from Tiffany Pollard.
Curtain Pull
In this episode of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV, I dive into the production of Showtime’s Couples Therapy, from the set design to b-roll to editing choices, all of which create an authentic experience, not fake drama.
Curtain Pull: How Couples Therapy hides its cameras
- From Vulture: Coup...
Coach Probst may be tanking Survivor, but in this episode of Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV, I share how my love of Survivor persists, because I am like a fan of a beleaguered sports games team thing. Plus: Survivor costumes!
Mentioned
On this week's show: America’s Culinary Cup and Padma Lakshmi’s dream of shaking up the cooking competition genre. Did it work? And how did it come together? I have insight from Padma and its showrunner.
I also have reality TV recommendations for you, and stick around to the very end for life advice from reality TV, this time from Padma herself.
On this week's show: More reality TV shows are showing us their scaffolding, literally and figuratively. Some examples, and a plea for more. Plus: a bunch of recommendations; an update on the next month of this podcast; and life advice from TV, once again from Mister Rogers.
Mentioned
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