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If there's one phenomenon that really defines the TV-watching culture of the past couple of decades, it is the advent and popularity of reality television. While reality shows did have a specific audience at the beginning, shows such as Keeping Up With the Kadarshians and Shark Tank more recently popularized the genre among a wider audience.
During the pandemic, shows like Indian Matchmaking and Love Island found a much wider audience with a spike in consumption of content on OTT platforms. This August, older shows are back with new seasons along with series that are premiering on streaming giants such as Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and HBO Max.
Indian Matchmaking, House of Ho make a comeback while newer reality shows are all set to premiere
1) Indian Matchmaking S2 (Netflix) - August 12
Is there anything as fascinating as how Indians get married? Indian Matchmaking exposes some amusing things that go into matching people with each other. The show found an audience and paved its way into pop culture and social media. It captured the dramatic essence of the matchmaking process and perfectly adapted it to the genre of reality television.
Of course, all those memes it inspired had to be followed by a second season. The new season of Indian Matchmaking is all set to premiere on Netflix on August 12, 2022. This season is expected to feature Seema Taparia as 'India's top matchmaker' yet again as she tries to bring the most relatable and yet amusing people together, like most reality TV.
2) Making the Cut S3 (Prime Video)- August 19
Stakes are high as the new season of Making the Cut features ten of the world's designers competing for a cash prize of $1 million and a mentorship with Amazon Fashion. Nicole Richie and Jeremy Scott have been announced as judges along with other big names from the fashion industry as guest judges and producers.
This reality show, over the course of its two seasons so far, has not only catered to fashion enthusiasts but has also generated some great drama and tension with quite some ease. Similar to shows such as MasterChef, Making the Cut is shot to expose the craft as much as to create drama.
3) House of Ho S2 (HBO Max) - August 25
Family drama hardly ever misses the mark when it comes to dramatizing real life. House of Ho, with its first season, managed to explore some universal concepts such as the American dream while documenting the lives of the members of the Ho family.
Further exploring the life of the show's central couple, Binh and Hue, who are of Vietnamese origin and now stay in Houston, the new season of this show is expected to dwell deeper into themes of family, lifestyle and relationships. The show features a multitude of characters and digs deep into their cultural identities as they go about their seemingly simple lives.
4) Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers (Hulu) - August 15
Legacy tells the story of the LA Lakers, exploring their success and journey through the experiences of the members themselves. The docu-series is expected to discuss the origin and history of the iconic NBA franchise and what determined its plight.
Releasing on Hulu on August 15, the series claims to be more of an authentic take on the phenomenon that elevated the franchise and the events leading up to its success. Watch out for this one if you're looking for some grounded storytelling rather than the conflict that defines reality TV.
5) Instant Dream Home (Netflix) - August 10
In this intense new reality show from Netflix, experienced renovators take up the challenging task of transforming family homes within twelve hours. Netflix is already home to shows that feature home makeovers and interior design challenges, all of which seem to have run successfully so far. Tiny House Nation and Dream Home Makeover are some popular examples.
Although this particular show isn't making too much noise pre-release, it seems to have an already existing audience base that is into similar shows.
This Netflix home makeover show will be hosted by Danielle Brooks of Orange is the New Black and Peacemaker fame.
As the lines between the genres of television slowly blend, reality TV continues to be a consistent favorite to most as it captures the nature of drama that television in general hosts. Watch out for more reality TV in the coming months as its popularity continues to soar.
