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The Reality Machine

RNZ

After 20+ years in the TV industry, including inside some of the country’s biggest reality shows, Dylan Reeve is pulling back the curtain on what makes Reality TV what it is.

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  • 5 episodes
  • Avg 32 min
  • English

Episodes 5

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  • S1 · E3
    Sunday · 41 min

    Scandals & Boundaries

    It’s time to take a hard look at what happens when the relentless drive for high ratings pushes reality TV over the line. From the notorious live-broadcast bullying on The X Factor NZ to catastrophic pyrotechnic mishap on Going Straight, we explore the infamous moments when production decisions have crashed into ethical, physical, and psychological safety boundaries. Producer Bailey Mackey talks about his controversial creation, The GC, and how the series came to be. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

  • S1 · E2
    Friday · 26 min

    Mediawatch: Running the rule over reality TV

    Mediawatch host Colin Peacock chats with Dylan Reeve and Phil Vine, host and producer of the new RNZ podcast series The Reality Machine. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

  • S1 · E2
    Wednesday · 46 min

    Why We Watch & Why We Play

    We’re unpacking why so many Kiwis love, and sometimes love to hate, unscripted TV. We look at the disconnection in calling the genre "junk food television" while also tuning in by the hundreds of thousands. And looking at how these series do far more than just generate ad revenue; they actively shape our cultural conversations, push representation forward, and mirror who we are as a nation. Comedian Chris Parker tells us how winning Celebrity Treasure Island transformed his career, while writer Alex Casey muses about the ways that reality taps straight into New Zealand's collective psyche. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

  • S1 · E1
    October 11 · 46 min

    What Even Is Reality?

    Dylan Reeve dives into the fuzzy origins of reality TV in Aotearoa to try and figure out what we even mean when we say ‘Reality’. He looks at our local shows, ranging from fly-on-the-wall docuseries like Motorway Patrol into heavily constructed social strategy games like Treasure Island and The Traitors, exploring how a format with almost no fixed rules managed to grow into one of our biggest pop-cultural touchstones. Greenstone’s Rachel Antony and The Spinoff founder Duncan Grieve help us unpack where documentary ends and unscripted entertainment begins, framing the broader story of how local broadcasters developed a taste for turning everyday life into primetime drama. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

  • October 1 · 1 min

    Introducing: The Reality Machine

    Television insider Dylan Reeve dives into the history of Reality TV in Aotearoa. From Popstars to The Block, The Traitors and NZ’s Got Talent to Dream Home and Treasure Island, Dylan is pulling back the curtain on what makes Reality TV what it is. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Showing 1–5 of 5 episodes