VH1 continues to be the network for fans of "celebreality" shows, as it was in the 2000s. From its crazy dramatic dating shows featuring rockstars and rappers to celebrities competing to lose as much weight as possible, there was no shortage of reality shows for the pop culture obsessed.
Currently, VH1 continues its "celebreality" programming with shows like Love & Hip Hop and Basketball Wives, but fans of early reality television still talk about these wild shows that changed 2000s pop culture forever. Fans have taken to IMDb to rank the shows from the best of the best to the most forgettable and unsavory.
The Surreal Life followed celebrities whose star power was fading living together in a house. The show took the successful format of The Real World but also added in challenges. The show was filled with drama but exposed the stars to new audiences that may not have known who they were outside the show.
The show joined the VH1 programming schedule for its last four seasons, with the WB network holding the first two seasons. The show eventually lost viewership as the stars used for the show became more obscure.
Before The Masked Singer showed off the singing talents of celebrities, there was But Can They Sing? The show was before its time, focused on celebrities who weren't known for their singing talents but wanted to venture into music. The show only lasted one season.
But Can They Sing? failed to bring in big names, which ultimately failed to bring in viewers. Like other VH1 shows the short-lived series has been overshadowed by bigger talent competitions and received neutral ratings since it wasn't a groundbreaking show.
Celebrity Fit Club capitalized on the focus placed on celebrities' physical appearance by the media. The show was a challenge-based show that followed stars as they tried to drop weight, and those who weren't successful were sent home. The show had lots of drama between the contestants and their drill Sargent trainer, which made for excellent reality TV.
Weight loss shows have since come under heavy criticism for their lack of reality and sustainability in the lifestyle contestants are expected to maintain after the show. Most networks have subsequently distanced themselves from them.
Margaret Cho let fans into her life as she explored things that sparked her curiosity and followed her daily struggles with body image and self-confidence. The Cho Show took on genuine issues that women, especially Asian women, face daily while capitalizing on Cho's hilarious comedic timing.
The show was short-lived and only aired seven episodes before being canceled. The show has some genuinely wholesome moments and gives an inside look into people who make a career off of other people's happiness.
Dr. Drew ruled VH1 and MTV during the 2000s as he was the creator of several of the networks' biggest reality shows. The show followed several celebrities as Dr. Drew, and his team tried to guide the stars to a life of sobriety. However, the show included more than group therapy sessions and often became hard to watch as moments of detoxing were shown.
The show ran for a long time but left a sour taste in viewers' mouths as several of the patients on the show relapsed and several others died (per CBS News).
Fans of paranormal documentaries and TV shows may remember VH1's Celebrity Paranormal Project, which dropped stars in "haunted" locations while the cameras rolled. The show thrived off of the Blair Witch Project style filming and the over-the-top reactions of the celebrities as they traversed the places they were dropped into.
Despite the decent rating of the show, it did not last long and has since been overshadowed by the plethora of ghost-hunting reality shows now on the air.
Before playing Butchie in Pam and Tommy, Andrew Dice Clay was selling out venues with his offensive stand-up comedy act. This was the first attempt for the comedian to make a comeback on TV, and he has had several shows since then.
Even though the show only ran for six episodes, it received a good rating from fans of the comedian. However, Dice Clay couldn't achieve the level of stardom he held in the '80s and faded into obscurity until his acting career took off.
Nothing catches viewers' attention more than the domestic lives of rappers from the '80s and '90s. Run's House followed the life of Run-D.M.C member Rev Run as he raises his kids and they forge their paths in life. The show was surprisingly wholesome for a hip-hop-themed reality show.
The focus on family life and coming to terms with your kids growing up appealed to audiences who may not have known Rev Run for his musical career. The show was so successful that Rev's daughter got their own spin-off show.
Dr. Drew wasn't done with his mission to help celebrities struggling with addiction after canceling Celebrity Rehab. He created Sober House, which followed stars as they experienced life in a sober living facility and were under constant supervision.
While fans were initially drawn to the show for the dramatic aspects of the show, they continued to watch because of the triumphant moments of the residents. Even though it was a reality show, the show didn't shy away from the most challenging parts of addiction, sobriety, and relapse.
Before their hit song, "Shoop," was used in the iconic Deadpool freeway scene, Salt-N-Pepa were chronicling their comeback to music in The Salt-N-Pepa Show. The show gave fans some closure as it explained why the dynamic duo decided to part ways years prior. But the show also provided a personal look into each of the women's lives that fans had never seen before.
The show was less about drama and more about the music, which appealed to fans of all ages, and helped the rappers revitalize their careers.
