Television series were at their finest when the new millennium arrived. It birthed hit reality shows (like Next, Cribs, or Date My Mom) without which you might not be able to appreciate Keeping Up With The Kardashians today. A lot of older millennials and Gen X-ers will tell you that the rise of Netflix and other streaming sites are what drove us to the “peak TV” age, but the romance between Ronnie and Sammi (of Jersey Shore) already brought us to that status ages ago. To prove it, read on to discover the five best MTV shows from the early 2000s, all of which predated Netflix and the rise of streaming.
With a total of 71 episodes over six seasons (from 2009 to 2012), Jersey Shore became MTV’s highest-rating reality program ever. Not only that, the cast maintained a close friendship, even seven years after they closed their curtains to viewers. As a matter of fact, the group reunited just recently for Mike’s wedding, but we’re definitely more interested in how their relationships blossomed (and exploded) in the TV series.
Before Bumble and Tinder, there was this show on MTV called Next where the dating wannabes sat on a bus together and the main suitor would just say “next” if he or she got bored. Other reality dating series of the early 2000s included Parental Control (parents who hate their kid’s current partner would set them up on dates to try to break up the relationship) and Date My Mom (this is kind of self-explanatory, right?).
If we’re being honest with ourselves, who isn’t interested in seeing what celebrity houses look like? Cribs featured tons of celebrity houses, giving viewers a tour through every corner of their opulent mansions, flaunting their wealth all on national TV. While it’s fascinating to see how the other half lives, the show lost some points as it didn’t have any drama.
This show features a new bratty teenager each episode, planning their “sweet sixteen.” For anyone other than an entitled teenager, it was maddening to watch the organizers planning the 16th birthday bashes, coddling the demanding teens and spending a staggering amount of money. One episode’s party’s theme was Sex and the City and Three 6 Mafia performed. That was just the tip of the iceberg.
The show features Lauren Conrad, a bleached blonde teenage girl who has the hots for a guy who has friend-zoned her. As the story progressed, she became our idol, and we sure did want to experience hanging out with the rest of the cast.