The revival will be available for broadcast the day CBS All Access renames it Paramount +.
The real world is returning to ViacomCBS.
After its most recent season aired on Facebook Watch, ViacomCBS is approaching an agreement to revisit the series at Paramount + with the original New York cast of the first season of the reality juggernaut.
Entitled The Real World Homecoming: New York, the new series will launch on March 4 – the same date that Paramount + is being renamed in its current form as CBS All Access. The series will bring together the original cast in the iconic loft presented in the first season. MTV’s Real world social channel was falling down several tips that the series would return soon. MTV was the original home for the franchise’s first 32 seasons. Footage of Homecoming was recently completed.
“MTV’s The real World was credited with creating the reality show genre and was one of the first series to address important and unrepresented topics at the time, such as HIV / AIDS, race, gender, orientation and religion, ”said Chris McCarthy, president of the MTV Entertainment Group . “With Paramount + being home to so many successful global reality franchises, it seems appropriate to bring back the franchise and the cast that started it all.”
Original New York cast members Becky Blasband, Andre Comeau, Heather B. Gardner, Julie Gentry, Norman Korpi, Eric Nies and Kevin Powell will all return home to Homecoming while the series explores how Real world transformed their lives. Sitarah Pendelton-Eaglin, Candida Boyette-Clemons and Nadim Amiry exec produce the series for MTV Entertainment Studios. Jonathan Murray, Julie Pizzi, Erica Ross, Kevin Lee and Trish Gold are executive producers on the Bunim / Murray Productions franchise. Jacob Lane is the executive co-producer and George Verschoor is the consultant producer.
The series’ revival comes as MTV celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. MTV is one of several ViacomCBS brands that will be reflected at Paramount + as the conglomerate seeks to expand its streamer to better incorporate its brands beyond CBS, including the Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Paramount properties. The move was designed to see the streamer compete better with names like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and more recent releases from Apple, Disney, WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal.
Paramount + was heavily promoted during Sunday’s Super Bowl on CBS with ads highlighting well-known brands – like Star Trek, Survivor, Dora and Sponge Bob – which will be available on the streamer. The platform will also host franchises, including Love & Hip Hop, Love Island, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Amazing Race, The Challenge, Big Brother, Jersey Shore and more.
Paramount + is scheduled for an investor day, February 24th, where more plans for the service, including content, will be revealed.
Homecoming represents the type of mandatory programming that streamers look for in a bid to attract new subscribers to the launch. Paramount + is also preparing a Yellowstone Taylor Sheridan’s prequel series.
The real world aired for the last time in 2017 on MTV. As part of ViacomCBS ‘efforts to exploit its intellectual property, The real world it was revived and sold to Facebook Watch when MTV launched its in-house studio in an attempt to monetize content that was either too expensive or did not fit into its linear networks. With a streamer to program, the franchise is returning internally.