Reality TV delves into the most embarrassing, shocking, and puzzling aspects of human behavior. Yet some series are so absurd, cringeworthy, or otherwise preposterous that they simultaneously repulse and entice their audience.
Some of the most ridiculous reality TV series have a lighthearted, silly premise to make people laugh. Yet others earn the title for their morally ambiguous or problematic plot. Some provide the shock factor by delving into odd human behaviors or little-known countercultures.
Wherever they land on the ridiculous spectrum, ridiculous reality TV series like Kid Nation (2007), Wipeout (2008-2014), and The Swan (2004) each deserve a mention because they’re utterly unbelievable.
1. Naked Attraction (2016-)
Many dating reality TV series have wacky premises to draw an audience based on the shock factor, but Naked Attraction feels wilder than the rest. Most people can’t say they met their date for the first time while entirely unclothed, but contestants on Naked Attraction can. Furthermore, this blunt series allows one daring single to choose a date based solely on the appearance of their naked body. Six courageous contestants stand on stage to showcase their bits and pieces in all their glory.
At first, a screen hides portions of the contestants’ bodies so the single can see only their bottom halves, then torsos, and then finally their entire faces. After the screen reveals a new section of the contestants’ bodies, the single must choose one unlucky person to eliminate until only one remains. What’s even more absurd about Naked Attraction is that the bare bodies never get blurred out or censored. It’s a British TV series, after all. So prepare to see everyone’s junk up close and person in Naked Attraction.
2. Kid Nation (2007)
What happens if forty kids between the ages of eight and fifteen get stuck in a New Mexican ghost town for forty days with absolutely no adult supervision? While some may find this premise dangerous or absurd, CBS decided it was the perfect recipe for a ridiculous reality TV series. For almost two months, unsupervised kids complete challenges, cook their own food, and clean up after themselves in this social experiment.
Kid Nation‘s one and only season quickly became controversial. The potential legal ramifications of this series could have landed CBS in serious hot water. Some of the kids on the show were injured, and many — especially the youngest children — struggled psychologically during their 40-day stay away from their families or any caretakers. Despite the questionable ethics of the series, Kid Nation remains a unique season of TV that makes even the fans of the most unbelievable reality TV’s jaws drop.
3. Wipeout (2008-2014)
This silly game show asks its contestants to speed through wacky obstacle courses in the hopes of winning $50,000. ABC designed Wipeout‘s courses to create as many slips, spills, and moments of slapstick hilarity as possible. Competitors with prominent personalities face plant into giant red bouncy orbs as they attempt to jump across, slide off climbing walls laden with pie-in-the-face traps, and navigate unruly, wobbling platforms. Most fall into the water traps below, and the swimming adds time to their score.
Competitors with the fastest times move on to the next level to compete in more challenging games of endurance designed to make viewers laugh out loud. Don’t worry; Wipeout provides many instant replays of each episode’s best belly flops and wipeouts. The hosts’ zany antics add to the series’ nonsensical nature.
4. Bridalplasty (2010)
Bridalplasty is a fever dream of a reality TV competition full of bridezillas, body image issues, and cutthroat competition. Twelve engaged women share a house for four months, Big Brother (2000-) style, and the last one standing after each week’s competitions and eliminations wins a celebrity dream wedding. While that may sound like a reasonable premise, the key element of this series makes it stand out–the women don’t just compete for the wedding of their dreams but also have plastic surgery procedures to ensure they look perfect on their big day.
Plastic surgeons assess each woman at the beginning of the series to determine which procedures they want. Then, the women compete against one another to win a new tummy tuck or nose job. It’s catty, dramatic, and perpetuates negative ideas about body image. At the same time, Bridalplasty provides a compelling–albeit ridiculous–snapshot of American women’s ideals around beauty, marriage, and the importance of the wedding day.
5. Nailed It! (2018-)
Websites like Pinterest dole out image after image of DIY recipes that look professional and delectable. However, replicating these perfect images in one’s own kitchen tells another story. These DIY fails inspired the hilarious amateur baking reality series Nailed It! Home bakers with little to no experience in their own kitchen, let alone a professional bakery, come together to compete in comical DIY baking and confectionery decoration challenges.
In each episode, three bakers compete in two challenges to replicate a gorgeous dessert. If the judges deem their replica the best, they take home $10,000 and a trophy. The challenges and oft-dreadful results provide hilarity in themselves, but adding in the antics of host Michelle Boyd creates an environment bound to make any audience laugh. It’s wholesome, wacky, and ever-so-occasionally-appetizing all rolled into one.
6. Toddlers & Tiaras (2009-2016)
Sometimes, ridiculous refers to something silly, upbeat, and out of the ordinary. Yet, when referring to Toddlers & Tiaras, the word takes on a more sinister meaning. This TLC reality series follows child pageant contestants and their parents as they dress their young daughters in very adult clothing, pump them full of questionable caffeinated concoctions, and put them on stage in thick makeup for a panel of adults to judge.
Critics find Toddlers & Tiaras disgusting for its boastful presentation of child exploitation and sexualization. Watching parents encourage their three or four-year-old children to perform under immense pressure to achieve some of their own long-lost dreams makes many feel sick. Getting a glimpse into the world of child pageantry reminds people that society’s focus on beauty and fame starts much too early.
7. 90 Day Fiancé (2014-)
With over ten successful seasons and still going strong, 90 Day Fiancé reels viewers in by showcasing the lives of two people from different countries as they move to the U.S. to get married. Because of visa laws in the U.S., the couples have 90 days to set up their lives together and get married – even those who haven’t met each other in person until the show begins. Watching 90 Day Fiancé often feels like invading people’s privacy, but it’s hard to look away.
As cultures clash, catfish get exposed, and gold diggers irritate their partner’s family members, viewers can’t help but watch the drama unfold. The complex nature of international relationships becomes apparent when language barriers and cultural differences cause conflict—and sometimes, growth. It’s an in-depth series that’s absurd enough to catch people’s eye but not enough to turn them away.
8. Dance Moms (2011-2019)
Children and reality TV don’t usually make a good match, and Dance Moms makes the prime example. Dance Moms follows the star competitive dancers at the Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburg, PA. As the young girls train to perfect their routines under the harsh eye of instructor Abby Lee, their moms get in on the drama by gossiping and manipulating to help their daughter reach the top of the pyramid.
These girls face immense pressure to be perfect by their demanding choreographer and their mothers. Abby Lee berates them and removes privileges if they don’t achieve perfection. Dance Moms involves a lot of screaming. The only pleasant part of the series occurs when the girls pull off stunning routines in their competitions. However, do these awe-inspiring performances make the pain the girls endure–physically and emotionally–worth it?
9. I Wanna Marry “Harry” (2014)
Lies and deception have become par for the course in many reality TV competitions. However, in I Wanna Marry “Harry,” the contestants don’t lie – the producers do. The entire premise of this absurd series relied on the crew’s ability to convince the contestants that the man they hoped to fall in love with, The Bachelor (2002-) style, was indeed Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. However, he wasn’t Prince Harry at all, but an attractive British man who closely resembled the prince.
I Wanna Marry “Harry” ultimately makes its contestants look foolish as they clamor for the attention of a slightly dull man who looks a bit like royalty. The series even brings fake paparazzi in to convince the women that the man on their date is indeed Prince Harry. This unsettling show almost feels dystopian as the circumstances work to gaslight its contestants.
10. Naked and Afraid (2013-)
Shows like Alone (2015-) and Survivor (2000-) intrigue viewers by bringing people into the wild and survive with little supplies or support. Naked and Afraid takes things further by asking its contestants to survive at a remote location with only one item. That means no clothes, no food, no water. Nothing.
Each season, one man and one woman who’ve never met before must work together – completely naked – to endure the harsh conditions and survive to the next day. The most ridiculous part of Naked and Afraid isn’t even that the contestants can’t wear any clothes, but that they sign up for this show with no hopes of winning any prize money. They do it just for fun or fifteen minutes of fame.
11. Married at First Sight (2014-)
Matchmaking reaches a new level in Married at First Sight. In this extreme social experiment of a ridiculous reality TV series, a panel of relationship experts picks just a few lucky singles to meet a compatible partner each season. When the two meet face to face for the first time, they must decide right then and there whether or not they want to get married.
The series then follows the newlyweds as they embark on a dream honeymoon that doubles as a long and intimate first date. Soon, the couples return home to introduce their new husband or wife to the family. It might seem ludicrous to many viewers that anyone would sign up for this wacky, life-altering experience, but over 65,000 people have applied for a chance to meet their life partner on the show.
12. The Swan (2004)
This disturbing competition reality series recruits women referred to as “ugly ducklings” who struggle with body image issues. In each episode, two women endure three months of plastic surgeries, cosmetic treatments, and intense workouts to earn a place in the pageant held during the season finale. At the end of each episode, one woman moves forward to the pageant while the other gets sent packing.
Once the women make it to the finale, they compete in an intense pageant and show off their jaw-dropping before and after photos until one woman wins the title of “the Swan.” The series attempts to distract from its disgusting message that women must endure pain to fit the mold of what society considers beautiful. It tries to portray the makeovers as wonderful life-changing moments for the women, but critics agree that The Swan does more harm than good.
13. The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (2022-)
Netflix reality TV hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey love to create series they call social experiments that, in truth, they designed to stir up as much drama as possible. The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On somehow finds enough couples in a specific situation to hold multiple seasons. One person in the relationship wants to get married right away, while the other doesn’t. The first gives the second an ultimatum – at the end of the series, they will break up if they don’t get engaged.
To add to the drama, the contestants must also test their relationships and explore what they truly want in a relationship by pairing up with another single on the show and live together for three weeks in a “trial marriage.” After the original couples split apart and stay with their new “fiancé,” they reunite for another three weeks to determine which partner they prefer. At the end of the season, the original couples must decide whether to marry or move on.
14. Best Funeral Ever (2013)
A reality TV show about a funeral home sounds bleak and depressing. However, Best Funeral Ever follows the funerals hosted by Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas – a funeral home that prides itself on hosting unforgettable celebrations of life. This strangely uplifting series follows two services per episode as John Beckwith Jr. and his employees put their imaginations to work to create elaborate, themed funerals that attendees and viewers will never forget.
Each episode becomes weirder than the last. One man’s casket gets coated in chocolate, and the guests can snack on it if they so please. In another episode, a passionate bowler’s casket gets rolled down a bowling lane as a final send-off. It’s wacky and wholesome and gives viewers a whole new take on death, grief, and loss.
15. Love Is Blind (2020-)
Love Is Blind brings a bunch of singles together for the romantic experience of a lifetime. Like in many other dating reality series, the singles get to mingle and date one another as they decide who to pursue a relationship with. However, a few added pressures make Love Is Blind wilder than the rest.
The singles date one another behind a wall so they can only hear their voices. They can only see what the other person looks like once they make a huge commitment and get engaged. The formal proposal becomes the first time they see one another and embark on a whirlwind journey. First the new couples go on their honeymoons to get to know each other before they return home and integrate each other into their new lives as fiancés. The final episode of each season showcases the couples’ weddings as some get happily married while others break down in tears when their fiancé leaves them at the altar.
16. My Strange Addiction (2010-2015)
When most people think about addiction, they think of drugs or alcohol. TLC’s My Strange Addiction shows its viewers that people can become addicted to just about anything. Each episode follows two people who can’t stop themselves from engaging in unlikely behaviors that make their family members cringe, and those around them give them strange looks.
Many episodes follow someone who consumes inedible items like laundry detergent, couch cushions, glass, ashes, drywall, dryer sheets, rocks, and cat food. Others can’t stop themselves from engaging in dangerous and peculiar behaviors like collecting hair from the shower drain, licking cats, getting stung by bees, and living daily life as a pony. Watching My Strange Addiction makes viewers feel unsettled and slightly guilty for finding entertainment in its cast’s unlikely addictions.
17. Cheaters (2000-)
Catching a cheating significant other in the act feels both heart-wrenching and vindicating, two emotions Syndication reality series Cheaters pumps up to the max. Its audience can expect plenty of lewd moments, hidden cameras, and yelling during each episode. Host Joey Greco–or Clark James Gable since 2012–interviews a dissatisfied spouse who believes their partner is having an affair.
A team of private investigators set up cameras and stakeouts to catch the cheater in the act. Once they gather enough evidence to prove adultery took place, the team brings the bad news to the individual, who then watches their significant other engage in sexual acts with another person. At the episode’s climax, the partners come together for a brutal confrontation. It’s voyeuristic, and the drama gets cranked up to a laughable level. With 22 seasons and counting, Cheaters earns its title as one of the most absurd, longest-running reality TV shows on air.
18. Buying N-ked (2013)
When many people think about the nudist community, they may not consider the practical issues of living life in the buff. Because why would they? Yet on Buying Naked, real estate agent Jackie Youngblood confronts the ins and outs of nudism and home buying. She helps nudist people in Pasco County, Florida, discover their dream homes that let them live their clothing-free lifestyles safely and comfortably.
TLC famously highlights the lives of people living differently while simultaneously sensationalizing their lifestyles. Buying N-ked is no different. This offbeat reality series chooses only conventionally attractive nudists, but it does give viewers a glimpse into the nudist subculture that audiences rarely see in the naked reality TV subgenre.
19. Snowflake Mountain (2022)
Divas, couch potatoes, and spoiled brats unite at a wilderness survival camp in this whiny and silly series. Some survival series encourage their participants to build strong social connections, while others urge them to stick it out in the wild all alone for as long as possible. Yet in Snowflake Mountain, the series pokes fun at people who prefer the indoors as they struggle to survive at a wilderness retreat.
Filled with complaints and eye rolls, Snowflake Mountain‘s seemingly insufferable premise unfolds in an uplifting manner as the contestants learn to toughen up. That being said, it takes a few episodes before the hosts’ ridiculing turns to earnest congratulations for a hard day’s work. Snowflake Mountain‘s wacky cast slowly grows on its audience as long as they can make it through the first few inane episodes.
20. House of Villains (2023-)
Reality TV loves a compelling villain, so why not have a show where every single cast member has nefarious plans and a vicious reputation? House of Villains takes some of reality TV’s most hated contestants and puts them all together under one roof to compete for a cash prize. Of course, the villains must do what they do best: lie, manipulate, and backstab.
The series’ first season includes fan favorites like Shake Chatterjee, a superficial contestant who, for some reason, signed up to star on Love Is Blind‘s second season. House of Villains feels like a mix between Big Brother and Squid Game (2021-) with its intense battle-royale style challenges and social strategy. Ridiculous twists and dark turns keep viewers on their toes throughout the season.
21. M-LF Manor (2023-)
Single women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s flock to a tropical manor to date men in their 20s on this steamy reality series. While that premise may not sound absurd, the series’ twist made viewers’ jaws drop. Each woman enters the house with her own son and proceeds to date the other women’s sons. It’s cringey at best and vomit-inducing at worst, but it’s hard to look away.
The young men and their mothers compete in the same competitions and sleep under the same roof as they date other moms and sons in the manor. They often get stuck in wildly uncomfortable situations and learn way more about their family’s sexualities and dating lives than they ever wanted to know. M-LF Manor elicits disgust and horror in its viewers, who shamefully crave the next season’s release.
