The Reality Machine
The Reality Machine is a podcast about how reality television is made and why it works the way it does. Host Dylan Reeve draws on more than 20 years in the TV industry, including work inside some of the country’s biggest reality shows. He looks behind the scenes at the production choices, editing tricks, and formats that shape what viewers see. The show examines the reality genre with an insider’s perspective and a critical eye.
Episodes
Mediawatch: Running the rule over reality TV
Mediawatch host Colin Peacock chats with Dylan Reeve and Phil Vine, host and producer of the new RNZ podcast series The Reality Machine.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Why We Watch & Why We Play
We’re unpacking why so many Kiwis love, and sometimes love to hate, unscripted TV. We look at the disconnection in calling the genre "junk food television" while also tuning in by the hundreds of thousands. And looking at how these series do far more than just generate ad revenue; they actively shape our cultural conversations, push representation forward, and mirror who we are as a nation.Comedia
What Even Is Reality?
Dylan Reeve dives into the fuzzy origins of reality TV in Aotearoa to try and figure out what we even mean when we say ‘Reality’. He looks at our local shows, ranging from fly-on-the-wall docuseries like Motorway Patrol into heavily constructed social strategy games like Treasure Island and The Traitors, exploring how a format with almost no fixed rules managed to grow into one of our biggest pop-
Introducing: The Reality Machine
Television insider Dylan Reeve dives into the history of Reality TV in Aotearoa. From Popstars to The Block, The Traitors and NZ’s Got Talent to Dream Home and Treasure Island, Dylan is pulling back the curtain on what makes Reality TV what it is.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
