An acidic satire of reality TV, this Lifetime series is set behind the scenes of a Bachelor-like show (here called Everlasting). Constance Zimmer stars as Quinn King, the manipulative producer who engineers conflict in order to create the kind of showy drama that earns ratings, while Shiri Appleby is production assistant Rachel Goldberg, Quinn's star protégé. Nobody is better at mind games and psychological manipulation than Rachel…which makes her miserable. And that pretty much sets the stage for everything that happens behind the curtain of this contrived dating show, in which a dozen or so contestants compete for a handsome young British bachelor (Freddie Stroma) who is heir to a hotel fortune. But while there is a catty competitiveness between the women, the real drama occurs behind the camera where Quinn and her team conspire to bring out the worst behavior in the contestants. Created by Marti Noxon and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (a war-scarred veteran of the real The Bachelor), UnREAL is less an outright parody and more of a scathing commentary on the culture that feeds the genre. Presenting all 10 episodes from the 2015 debut season, extras include bonus footage. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)
UnREAL: Season 1
Lionsgate, 2 discs, 440 min., not rated, DVD: $26.98 Volume 31, Issue 2
UnREAL: Season 1
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