The Real World New York: The Complete First Season

Featuring all 13 episodes from The Real World's initial season, The Real World New York: The Complete First Season marks the debut of MTV's decade-old reality-based soap opera that throws seven twentysomething strangers into a swanky residence with the cameras rolling to capture the outrageous results. Shot in a New York City loft, season one follows the interpersonal relationships of southern sweetheart Julie, muscle man model Eric, explosive chip-shouldered Kevin, gay good-natured Norm, and musicians Becky (artsy rock), Heather (aggressive rap) and Andre (alternative rock). Living together for three months (the shortest season ever), the original cast provided great entertainment in shows revolving around a practical joke on Kevin (everyone drastically changes their personalities), Eric's racy modeling gigs, a stray dog, tense family visits, musical events, a D.C. pro-choice rally, wild parties, and the girls' trip to Jamaica. While the New York cast spent much of their time fighting (Kevin and Eric, Julie and Kevin, Kevin and Becky--well, Kevin spent a lot of time fighting), they also engaged in meaty conversations about racism, sex, politics, and--of course--themselves. Although there were some rough spots, the pioneer cast left the loft in friendship, and thanks to the unprecedented nature of the show, this first season remains the best, most sincere outing of the series. The double-disc DVD version includes a 25-minute pilot episode with unknowns, an audio-only track by co-creator Jon Murray (topics include the origins, problems, evolution, and future of the show), and character profiles (with then and now pictures and text updates). Highly recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams)