The Real World: Brooklyn

[CrossingGuard]

(Click on the picture on the left for a link to the official site.)

The Real World turns a fitting 21! Seasons, that is (it's actually been around for 17 years, starting back in '92).

This season, the show went to NYC for the 3rd time. NYC was used before for the first season and the tenth season. But unlike the two other NYC seasons, this season was filmed in the borough of Brooklyn (the first and tenth seasons were filmed in Manhattan).

Filming began on August 14, 2008 and concluded on November 24, 2008, meaning the cast spent a little over 3 months in the city. Their house was a place called "Pier 41," located in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn.

This season brings many changes to the show. The most noticeable change is that there were 8 cast members who entered the house at the very beginning, other than the usual 7. This will also be the first season to be broadcast in high-definition. This season is the first season since season 4 to not require the cast members to work in a season-long job together. They were free to pursue any job they liked. This season also Katelynn, the first transgender person to be featured on the show.

Good news to long time fans of the show: I've read that this season will most likely please the older fans. This probably means that there will be less partying, less drinking, and more interaction between the cast members.

The premiere is Wednesday, January 7 at 10pm EST. There will be 12 episodes this season. As with last season, they will all be an hour long. This Sunday (January 4) at 11am EST, a special called The Real World: Secrets Revealed will air on MTV. It will follow the 17-year, 21-season long show and how it evolved to the point it’s at right now.




The Cast
(bios are from the official site)


Baya Voce 21 Salt Lake City, UT
Twenty-one-year-old Baya's personality blends her passion for hip-hop culture and laid-back hippie vibe. Despite her outgoing and positive personality and her ability to quickly make friends, she has continually felt like a fish out of water growing up in the predominately Mormon culture of Salt Lake City, Utah. Recently single and looking for adventure, Baya aspires to be a professional hip-hop dancer and is determined not to allow her severe panic attacks to stand in her way. When she is not submerged in hip-hop, she dedicates her time and energy to social and environmental causes.


Chet Cannon 23 Salt Lake City, UT
Don't let his look fool you: Chet is not your typical punk rock party boy. Despite his tight jeans and affinity for neon clothing, this 23-year-old University of Utah frat boy is one of 10 children in a strict Mormon family. Recently single, Chet's flamboyant style and energetic personality always makes him the life of the party. Still, that doesn't mean he'll compromise his firm beliefs: no alcohol and no premarital sex. Chet won't chug beer with his fraternity brothers, but he'll take care of them when they get drunk, and sometimes that means playing a prank or two. A die-hard Republican, he is not one to shy away from voicing his opinions and standing up for what he believes in.


Devyn Simone 20 Kansas City, MO
A winner of Miss Missouri Teen and Miss America Teen pageants, this beauty queen is the epitome of a girlie-girl. Devyn may be easy on the eyes, but she's tough on anyone who stands in her way. The 20-year-old Missouri native lives for the limelight, whether it's center stage or at the center of the club. Her flirtatious behavior allows her to get what she wants without putting out. Known as a tease, she lives by the quote: "It is easier to get into Heaven than into Devyn." She is talented singer, actress, dancer and writer, and hopes to be part of the entertainment industry. Although recently free from her live-in boyfriend, she has no problem juggling multiple suitors.


JD Ordonez 22 Miami Beach, FL
Life wasn't always smooth sailing for 22-year-old JD, who was raised by an abusive father unsupportive of his son's homosexuality. When JD's godmother took him to Sea World at age five, he vowed that one day he would become a dolphin trainer. He graduated from the University of Miami, with a degree in marine biology, and at the ripe age of 18 became one of the youngest dolphin trainers in the world. Despite his age, JD is mature beyond his years, which might be why he finds himself attracted to older men. As a bartender at night, he has always worked hard to play hard, but when his overwhelming schedule gets to him, watch out for his fiery Latino temper.


Katelynn Cusanelli 24 West Palm Beach, FL
Katelynn is a native of West Palm Beach, Fla., where she was raised by a religious Italian family. Her strong desire to be a mother stems from her close-knit relationship with her own mom. The 24-year-old is a self-proclaimed computer geek and practicing black belt in martial arts. After a string of bad relationships, Katelynn is currently with her boyfriend, Mike, the guy she hopes to marry one day.


Ryan Conklin 23 Gettysburg, PA
A small-town Pennsylvania boy with a laid-back personality, Ryan has had his share of action. After enlisting in the army at the age of 17, he served in Iraq and got an eyeful. Now 23, he has returned from his duty with a newfound appreciation for life and a better perspective on the world around him, despite having lived through many near-death experiences, as well as the death of a close friend. A class clown who juggles his time between amateur filmmaking, guitar playing and pranking those around him, Ryan is currently in his first-ever relationship.


Sarah Rice 22 San Francisco, CA
From San Francisco, Sarah may look like another tattooed punk but under her ink is a passionate woman with an intense past. Rising from a traumatic upbringing where she was the victim of sexual abuse, the 22-year-old has dedicated herself to educating and advocating for sexually abused men and women. She has recently met and fell in love with her boyfriend after being set up by her mother. Until now, all of Sarah's relationships have been with women.


Scott Herman 23 Salem, NH
Often perceived to be a "musclehead," it is hard to believe that this muscular personal trainer used to be a 90-pound weakling. Still, Scott has more to show off than his award-winning abs. Raised in a broken home in Massachusetts, he started a thriving DJ business that made bank spinning beats for sweet 16 parties. And he is the first in his family to graduate from college. But Scott's ambition didn't stop there, now as an accomplished personal trainer living in New Hampshire, Scott is obsessed with staying fit and breaking into the modeling industry.

[JustJuls]

Thanks for posting this CG! I think I'm actually going to watch this season....first time in a few. I watched from the beginning...but lost interest a few sesasons ago. I think it just got old....same old same old. I'm interested in this one though.

[CrossingGuard]

No problem, Juls! I can't wait for this one either. I'm a fairly new viewer to the show. The first season I've seen was Paris, but I only watched one or two episodes of that season. My first full season was Philly, which wasn't bad but kinda boring. But I still kept with the show.

I've read time and time again that the older seasons of the show are so much better, and I've unfortunately never seen them. Knowing that this season will most likely cater to the older fans, I can't wait to see how it turns out and if it will, in fact, triumph over the newer seasons I've seen.

[causingchaos]

I'm going to date myself here but I've watched from the beginning as well. I only watched casually in recent years. All the seasons pretty much seemed exactly the same to me there because all it was was drunken people having yet another party. I don't know what real world they were living in but it totally is not my real world. The reason I liked the old seasons though was because it wasn't just non-stop drama and parties. I also liked the first Real World where they drove around in that broken down winnie and actually had no money.

I wonder if they have to find jobs to survive and buy the stuff they want or is it just something to keep them busy. It has the potential to not be that interesting if they have the option of laying around the house doing nothing. But I remain hopeful.

[lori19]

I'm going to date myself here but I've watched from the beginning as well. I only watched casually in recent years. All the seasons pretty much seemed exactly the same to me there because all it was was drunken people having yet another party. I don't know what real world they were living in but it totally is not my real world. The reason I liked the old seasons though was because it wasn't just non-stop drama and parties. I also liked the first Real World where they drove around in that broken down winnie and actually had no money.

I wonder if they have to find jobs to survive and buy the stuff they want or is it just something to keep them busy. It has the potential to not be that interesting if they have the option of laying around the house doing nothing. But I remain hopeful.

I agree with you, the most recent years have been one non-stop party and no differences except who are in the cast. I've also watched every season but MUCH prefer the older seasons (NY, LA, San Fran) where the cast didn't party every night and seemed to care about things other than that (or maybe because I was between the ages of 12-15 and they just seemed so much older than me haha). Either way I will probably watch this new one. I'm hoping what Crossing Guard said is right, that this season will appeal more to the older fans.

[CrossingGuard]

I'm hoping what Crossing Guard said is right, that this season will appeal more to the older fans.

This is where I read it: http://www.observer.com/2008/real-world-brooklyn-real

"The Brooklyn season, like the Hollywood season, will focus on what people loved about 'The Real World' when it launched in 1992 - genuine people, meaningful conflict and powerful stories," Jon Murray, "The Real World" Co-Creator and Chairman & President of Bunim-Murray Productions. "We're thrilled that MTV is allowing 'The Real World' turn 21!"

There will most likely be some drinking and partying involved in this season. It's pretty much inevitable. But I'll take Jon's word for it.

The hype is making me more eager for the premiere.

[lori19]

This is where I read it: The Real World: Brooklyn. For Real. | The New York Observer



There will most likely be some drinking and partying involved in this season. It's pretty much inevitable. But I'll take Jon's word for it.

The hype is making me more eager for the premiere.

I hope it's all worth it haha! Although I wasn't a fan of the Hollywood season at all. It didn't give me the vibe that the original NY did but the partying of the most recent seasons. Still going to watch though.

[mrorange]

I have a feeling the transsexual will be a focus of a major majority negative attention, no longer are audiences surprised by things like a gay male or female on the show, so like America's Next Top Model had done, they upped the ante and added their own transsexual female, cuz transsexual men don't nearly get as much crap. The gay issue has been beaten to death, hooray for new levels of drama based on diverse lives of other people.

Too bad she isn't cute, it would've been less drama, but you know how reality TV is, pure drama... gotta do it big or not at all.

[CrossingGuard]

Did anyone watch the special? It aired at 11am and was an hour and 30 minutes long. It just went over the high points and the low points of the 20 seasons of the show. A few of the past cast members came to talk about the show, with the majority of them coming from newer seasons. But there were a few from the older seasons: Heather B (NY), Andre (NY), Beth S (LA), Syrus (Boston), Amaya (Hawaii), and Cara (Chicago).

I hope it's all worth it haha! Although I wasn't a fan of the Hollywood season at all. It didn't give me the vibe that the original NY did but the partying of the most recent seasons. Still going to watch though.

lori, I hope it's all worth it also!

Surfing through other sites, it looks like a lot of old-time fans are getting excited for this season, especially after viewing the trailer (check the official site for it, I'm sure they have it there). I'm seeing a lot of people say that they find the cast intriguing and that the trailer gave them vibes of older seasons. I can't exactly speak for older fans since I'm a fairly new viewer, but the trailer focused solely on the interaction between the cast members and absolutely no partying, so that's probably the reason why people are getting excited.

Speaking of Hollywood, I thought it was a great season. The Hollywood cast did get drunk and wasted quite a few times, but when Joey was there, I felt that there was an actual story behind all the partying and drinking in that they they had to try and control themselves when he was around. The cast was unlikable (except for Bri, who I eventually really liked ), but I thought the season was exciting.

[soapqueen]

Been watching since the beginning and I'll give it a try. Hollywood, I lost interest in, too much drinking and partying, did not get to know any of the cast.