Reality shows are perhaps the most maligned form of entertainment, and often for good reason. However, for every The Only Way is Essex and Real Housewives... there is a hidden gem just waiting to be discovered.
That includes on the most popular streaming services, that are awash with reality programming that spans a vast array of subject matters. So, while you might not fancy dedicating your time watching the likes of Below Deck and Married at First Sight, we bet there's something based on a favourite pastime out there that you'd love.
Some are even fantastic shows in their own right.
Here are three examples of exactly what we mean, which you can find on your favourite streaming device right now.
Is It Cake?
- Where: Netflix
- Host: Mikey Day
You could say that a television show where the entire premise is whether an object is made of cake or not seems insane, but a few episodes in you'll just need to know... is it really a typewriter, or is it cake?
Currently on its third massively successful season, Netflix’s Is it Cake? has become a cultural phenomenon. Boasting huge ratings, celebrity guests and an increasingly wilder variety of creations, the show has grown from a simple format into something altogether bigger.
People make cakes that look like real things and guests have to guess from a set distance, which of the items on show are baked goods. It's a ridiculous idea on paper, but it simply works. The cake creations are amazing, the show is loud and flashy, the guests are suitably bubbly and enthusiastic, and there's even a sense of drama unpinning the show.
It all makes for perfect Sunday afternoon hangover television – a show where you can run from episode to episode, half asleep, and letting it wash over you like a comforting blanket. Your brain is not required and can have a few hours off.
Perhaps you also can eat cake while watching it, creating a kind of cake Inception, a cake within a show, within a cake within a show…. heavy.
Rennervations
- Where: Disney+
- Hosts: Jeremy Renner, Rory Millikin
Jeremy Renner is an extremely talented actor, but when he isn't shooting arrows at CGI enemies as Hawkeye, touring as a singer/songwriter, or producing gritty dramas for the likes of HBO, he has another passion he dedicates time to.
He likes to build and repair random stuff for people who need it, basically. And prior to his horrific snow plough accident, the superstar filmed the eponymous Rennervations, a show where he does just that.
He and a group of friends pick worthy projects then go to work transforming things into better things. Do you need a mobile dance studio for kids in Mexico? Renner has you covered. Are you in India and need a mobile water treatment centre? No problemo. Each episode is just this, taking old broken down vehicles and giving them a new lease of life. As the tagline goes, "Every build has a purpose."
The thing about Rennervations is that it just works – mainly thanks to Jeremy Renner himself.
He is an instantly likeable guy, down to earth and honest despite being a key part of the world's biggest film franchise. He brings a lot to the show and through him it's a really enjoyable watch.
With only four episodes in Season 1 (a second season is in the works depending on his health situation) the show makes for a great afternoon watch. It is feel good TV in all the right ways.
Clarkson's Farm
- Where: Amazon Prime Video
- Stars: Jeremy Clarkson, Kaleb Cooper, Lisa Hogan
Another Jeremy but one that's oh so very different! Clarkson is a man so divisive that there usually is no middle ground – you either love him or hate him. However, whatever you think about the former Top Gear presenter and host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire in the UK, I guarantee Clarkson's Farm will win you over.
It is set on his own farm on a vast plot of British land he bought several years ago, and documents the journey he takes in becoming a bone fide farmer. A task that he soon learns is no easy ride.
Bringing his brand of brash, sweary and shouty middle classisms to this new environment, Clarkson and his new group of mates (think tractors not cars) go through the daily trials and tribulations of farm life with the expected catastrophes, victories and personal growth you would expect from a show of its kind. He learns things, helps others, shouts at stuff, and shows his complete lack of knowledge in what is effectively a fish out of water setting.
In a show like this, the personality of the host is what carries it, and this is what makes Clarkson's Farm work so well. Clarkson is a huge figure on screen, imposing and memorable. It works simply because of him. The same personality that made Top Gear legendary is on show here, while his assistant and real farmer, Kaleb Cooper, equally steals the show.
So, no matter how you feel about Clarkson, his personality or his politics, it is impossible to deny that the three seasons so far aren't absolutely binge worthy. And, like the lead himself, you might even learn a thing or two along the way.
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