Missing ‘1000-lb Sisters’? Check out these scandalous shows on TLC next
TLC is rapidly coming to define a specific type of reality show, one increasingly hard to describe. TLC originated as The Learning Channel, and the title isn’t lost with the network’s current stream of reality programming.
1000 lb sisters is the latest of the shows on TLC to make waves, and the show falls in line with TLC’s brand of reality content; TLC brings reality shows to audiences which unpack a specific community or way of life.
While other reality shows rely on heavy scripting for drama, TLC’s reality shows present different walks of life in which the people and areas of the world we see are more fascinating than the scripts tying each season together. We’ve thrown together some of the most interesting shows on TLC to check out next time you have a reality fix.
90 Day Fiancé
90 Day Fiancé is the crown jewel of shows on TLC, and as a result, the network has shelled out a bunch of spinoffs to keep the 90 Day content flowing, as audiences hope the well never runs dry.
To those not in the know, the series follows couples from different countries, most often meeting online, who meld wildly different lives together in the ultimate culture shock when the two meet and have ninety days to get married.
90 Day Fiancé is ripe for drama, but what’s more interesting than the relationships it presents is the background in which they come together; episodes of 90 Day Fiancé can feel like mini rom-com documentaries, as we peek into the daily lives of people in Nigeria, India, Moldova, Brazil, and of course, every nook & cranny of Middle America.
Stranger than fiction, and one of the best reality shows in years, 90 Day Fiancé will have any reality fan hooked in seconds.
Unexpected
Unexpected is like MTV’s 16 and Pregnant was at its start, but to an even more raw degree, and as such is one of the most fascinating shows on TLC.
While now, the cast of 16 and Pregnant have become full fledged celebrities to the degree gossip blogs keep tabs on them, Unexpected has only been on the air for a few years and gives an unblemished look into the lives of future teen moms.
Furthermore, the situations of the cast of Unexpected are even more dire than other teen mom reality shows, as the moms-to-be are as young as fifteen at the time of filming. Moreover, in TLC fashion, viewers get a peek into the small towns of the U.S. which despite making up most of the country, often exist without the luxuries with which the country’s major cities so define it.
Unpolished
Unpolished provides a window into the lives of a family on (not in) Long Island, NY who run a nail salon. The family is a living caricature of a wealthy Long Island family, equipt with thick accents and gaudier outfits, hair, and makeup to match which viewers soon see is the family’s bread & butter at their salon.
Things get interesting when we get to see the impressive nail art of the show’s most-worked cast member, but things get even more interesting as we see the family try to function under the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic in season two.
Say Yes to the Dress
Say Yes to the Dress is perhaps the most formulaic of TLC’s programming, as the show provides a different bride-of-the-week ala countless TV shows of yore showing a different player in the same story each episode.
However, the charm of Say Yes to the Dress is hard to beat; the show’s stylists help to find brides-to-be the dress of their dreams, and viewers get to size up the choices along with the gals. While other reality shows provide drama to an almost uncomfortable degree, Say Yes to the Dress gives audiences a show with a quiet atmosphere that is (dare we say it) calming.
