Entertainment

'The Real World' Has A New Episode Format That Might Make It Easier To Watch

by Chrissy Bobic

Whether you have watched The Real World from its humble beginnings in the '90s or you’re more of a new fan who wondered where it went after its last season aired in 2017, The Real World reboot might be just what you need. Because it isn’t on MTV anymore and is instead being aired weekly on Facebook Watch, you might be wondering how many episodes The Real World is this season or if that aspect of the series is one that hasn't changed. The new season, which was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, a first for the reality show, airs on Facebook Watch every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. So far, just two episodes have aired, with a third that premieres online tonight. But with the changes to the way you watch the show might come more changes with how much content you’ll get this time around.

In the past, The Real World seasons have spanned anywhere from 12 to 28 episodes each. However, since the more recent seasons featured shorter episode orders of 12 or 13 each, I would imagine that The Real World: Atlanta will follow suit. Unfortunately, there hasn't been an announcement either way as far as how many episodes the season will be in this new format, but so far, the changes have been a good thing for the show and viewers alike.

The episodes themselves are much shorter, at less that 30 minutes each. This is a far cry from the hour-long episodes with tons of commercials that fans had to deal with on MTV. So while it means less in-show content, it does mean easier watching for some Real World fans. They also get to watch it in a totally immersive experience on Facebook. While fans watch each new episode stream every week, they can comment and chat with other fans. And, sometimes, the cast members themselves join the conversations. Whereas before, fans might take to social media to post an idea or two about the most recent season, with The Real World on Facebook Watch, they can now talk to other fans directly and engage in important social and political conversations.

Speaking of which, the cast this season speaks volumes about how the new platform for the show could spark dialogue about important social issues that are happening right now in the actual *real world*. The cast this season includes a religious southern belle who also happens to be a virgin, a conservative gay black man, a domestic abuse survivor, a Muslim woman, black activist, and a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient. The cast has the potential to spark some lively debates, not unlike the cast of the very first season back in the day.

Mina Lefevre, head of development and programming at Facebook Watch, told Fast Company that the idea was for the show to help open the table to conversations for viewers as they watch the show.

"Facebook is a place for conversations that naturally happen anyway. So for us it was thinking about how can we take this iconic show and now reinvent it for what people are thinking about now and the issues that people are dealing with," Lefevre said.

That doesn't mean that Facebook Watch hopes to change the world by bringing The Real World to the new platform by any means. But it might be the perfect way to reboot the series and reinvent it as a platform itself for hot button real life issues that it has shifted away from in more recent seasons. Whether that means this season has six episodes or 16 to do that remains to be seen, but for now, thousands of fans on Facebook seem like they are along for the ride.