Fans to Choose Final Cast Members for Reimagined Versions of "MTV's The Real World" Exclusively on Facebook Watch This Spring
Facebook Community to Also Select Favorite Past Seasons of the Iconic Reality Show to Air on the Watch Platform Prior to Launch
February 26, 2019 - New York, NY - MTV Studios announced today that the Facebook community will play a key role in casting the three reimagined versions of its groundbreaking, "Real World" series. For each of the iterations taking place in the U.S., Mexico and Thailand, the iconic seventh and final cast members will be picked based on Facebook poll results. "MTV's The Real World," co-produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, launches exclusively on Facebook Watch this spring.
Fans will be empowered through platform tools to shape the action and interact on Facebook Watch. As the new series rolls out, the Facebook community will have the opportunity to connect directly with the cast with social products like Facebook Live, Groups and Watch Party. Each region's "Real World" season will come to life through weekly scene drops, Facebook Stories and full episodes.
Rolling out over the next few weeks are two different polls, the first being the in-video casting polls which will be available one week for each territory, on "MTV's The Real World" Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/realworld/) as follows:
· United States: Casting poll opens this week (week of February 25th)
· Mexico: Casting poll opens week of March 11th
· Thailand: Casting poll opens week of March 11th
Prior to the series premiere, fans will also get to re-live some classic, buzzworthy moments and help pick their favorite three full seasons of "The Real World" for release on Facebook Watch. Voting starts March 4th for a three week period. The Facebook community can visit "MTV's The Real World" Facebook page and pick winners from among the following:
· Favorite Season: New York (Season 1), San Francisco (Season 3), or Austin (Season 16)
· Hottest Cast: London (Season 4), Key West (Season 17), or Ex-Plosion (Season 29)
· Most Controversial Season: Los Angeles (Season 2), Las Vegas (Season 12), or Portland (Season 28)
The seasons with the most votes will be announced on March 25th and will be available to view on Facebook Watch in the lead up to the new seasons this spring.
About "The Real World"
Created for MTV by Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim of Bunim/Murray Productions, MTV's The Real World was a trailblazing social experiment. It was the first original reality series on TV and the first to tackle never before seen, culturally resonant stories about HIV/AIDS, race, mental health, homophobia, addiction, and more - including the first bisexual man on a TV series, the first televised same-sex commitment ceremony, and its unforgettable portrayal of Pedro Zamora's battle with HIV. Celebrated for its diverse casting and honest portrayal of contemporary young adulthood, The Real World generated conversations that reverberated loudly though media and youth culture. These re-imagined versions will continue to live up to the revolutionary promise of offering "the true story of seven strangers, picked to live in a house, work together and have their lives taped, to find out what happens when people stop being polite... and start getting real."
About Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch is a place to discover and enjoy video on Facebook. Home to a wide range of video - from scripted comedy and drama, to competition and reality series, to individual creators and live sports - Facebook Watch is a destination where content, community and conversation come together. This is a personalized viewing experience, where you can discover new content based on what your friends are watching, and catch up on the shows you follow. Facebook Watch is available for free on mobile apps across Apple and Android, on desktop, laptop and on TV apps listed HERE.
About MTV
MTV is the leading global youth media brand in 180 countries, reaching 450 million households in more than 30 different languages across every platform. A unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), MTV operations span cable and mobile networks, live events, theatrical films and MTV Studios, a unit that produces new and reimagined content for SVOD and linear platforms based on MTV's library of over 200+ youth titles and franchises.
About Bunim/Murray Productions
Bunim/Murray Productions (BMP) is the leading producer of innovative entertainment content. The Emmy Award-winning company is widely credited with creating the reality television genre with its hit series The Real World, which is moving to Facebook after 32 seasons on MTV. BMP continued to innovate with the first reality game show, Road Rules (MTV), in 1995; the first reality sitcom, The Simple Life (E!), in 2003; and the first reality soap opera, Starting Over, in 2003. BMP's current programming includes Keeping up with the Kardashians, Total Divas and Total Bellas (E!), The Challenge and Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club (MTV), Born This Way (A&E), Earth Live (National Geographic), The Real World and Ball in the Family (Facebook Watch), Endless Summer and Growing Up is a Drag (Snapchat), Miz and Mrs. (USA Network), and Family or Fiance (OWN). BMP has also produced They Call Us Monsters (PBS), Valentine Road (HBO), Pedro (MTV) and the Emmy Award-winning Autism: The Musical (HBO) for BMP Films. Based in Glendale, CA, the company was founded in 1987 by Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim, who were inducted into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame in 2012. The company joined Banijay Group in 2010.
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