Andy Cohen, the modernday father of unscripted series, on how the genre has changed and what fans can expect next.
THERE’S PROBABLY NOBODY on the planet more uniquely qualified to discuss reality TV than Andy Cohen. After spending years as a superfan of the genre—he began his career as a producer at CBS News—he was tapped to be a programming executive at Bravo in 2004. Once Cohen got into the game, he promptly started changing it, helping to pioneer docuseries like Top Chef, Project Runway and the Real Housewives franchise. These days, he’s in front of the camera as host of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live and Then & Now. And on May 25, he kicks off his latest gig debriefing disillusioned singles on Fox’s newly revamped Love Connection. Here, Cohen offers his take on how far unscripted fare has come—and what its future looks like.
The first true reality show in this country was 1973’s An American Family—and I missed it because I was only 5 years old! Luckily, PBS ran a marathon in the early 1990s, and I watched it all night. I was stunned. It was like a real-life soap opera, which of course is what Real Housewives ended up becoming.
This story is from the May 15, 2017 edition of TV Guide Magazine.
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This story is from the May 15, 2017 edition of TV Guide Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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