Television series
Ex on the Beach
- Social drama
- Romantic drama
- Relentless
A reality dating show where celebrities arrive at a tropical resort expecting romance, only to have their exes mysteriously appear to wreak havoc. It's chaos engineered for entertainment—part dating show, part ambush spectacle, designed to catch genuine reactions when past lovers arrive unannounced. For viewers who enjoy watching attractive people navigate messy situations and dramatic confrontation.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy reality television as a kind of gleeful car crash, where the fun is watching people you'd never date make a mess of their own romantic history in gorgeous surroundings.
Skip it if you find constant bickering and staged confrontation exhausting, or you want reality shows to show real people rather than a format built around heightened drama and manufactured jealousy.
What it asks of you: Eighty hour-long episodes across six seasons, so it wants a long commitment and patience for the same setup returning again and again.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Love Island2015
The gold standard of reality dating. Strangers couple up, new arrivals shake things up, drama unfolds naturally through proximity and limited options. Genuinely addictive and far smarter about human behavior than it first appears.
But It's a long commitment—multiple seasons run eight weeks each. The constant recoupling can feel repetitive if you're not invested in the specific people.
The Bachelor2003
Established the template for reality romance: group dates, rose ceremonies, rising tension. Seasons vary wildly in quality, but the format's reliable entertainment and occasional genuine connection makes it perpetually watchable.
But The premise is inherently artificial—one person dating dozens simultaneously. Can feel manipulative once you notice the editing patterns.
Temptation Island2002
Couples arrive at a resort and are tempted to stray, occasionally with their exes appearing. It asks genuine questions about fidelity and commitment, and the discomfort of watching it is part of the appeal.
But The manufactured scenarios feel crueler than they are entertaining. Success requires you to actually care about the couples' relationships.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Ex on the Beach
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Fyre2019
Both depend on paradise as backdrop and beautiful people as draw, but Fyre reveals the machinery of illusion—what happens when the fantasy completely collapses.
Netflix documentary about a luxury festival scam. It's a brutal portrait of chaos, ego, and deception—beautiful people making false promises in paradise. Darkly funny and genuinely uncomfortable.
But Documentary about fraud rather than entertainment. Relentlessly cynical about human nature in ways that drain rather than energize. No happy ending.
More like this (6)
MTV Floribama Shore2017
MTV's answer to Jersey Shore, following young adults in a beach house. Less polished than Love Island, more organic chaos. The cast becomes genuinely close, which complicates the drama.
But Rowdy, sometimes unpleasant energy. Extended sequences of drinking and conflict without much wit underneath.
The Hills2006
Follows a group through romance, career, and friendship drama in Los Angeles. Elevated reality TV with actual stakes—these people's lives genuinely changed. Still holds up as character study.
But Requires patience with early-2000s fashion and attitudes. Some storylines feel exploitative in retrospect.
Are You the One?2014
Single contestants try to find their algorithmically-matched perfect partner. It's playful rather than cruel, and the actual matching science creates a puzzle element beyond typical dating show drama.
But The algorithm's accuracy is never really proven, which undermines the central premise. Lighter tone might feel insubstantial.
Paradise Hotel2003
Early reality dating format where guests compete in challenges to stay at a luxury hotel. Precursor to modern dating shows with a game-show energy that keeps pacing tight.
But Dated production values and pacing feel slow by current standards. The challenges can overshadow relationship development.
Dating Around2019
Netflix series following single people on five first dates each. It's gentle, humanizing, and focuses on conversation rather than drama. Real vulnerability without manufactured conflict.
But Deliberately low-key. If you're watching for chaos and big reactions, this will feel slow and overly sincere.
Reno 911!2003
Both thrive on group dynamics in confined spaces and people behaving badly, but Reno 911! is comedy *about* chaos rather than chaos treated as drama—it's the tonal inverse.
Mockumentary following incompetent cops in Nevada. Often set at beaches, parties, and springs where chaos erupts. Comedy improvisation that captures messy group dynamics without requiring the emotional labor of reality TV.
But Absurdist humor requires tolerance for bit-based comedy and characters who never learn. Not interested in actual stakes or resolution.
People
Cast
Romeo MillerHost
Recommended by
Too Hot to Handle, Geordie Shore, The Valleys, Paradise Hotel