This year has been—shall we say?—brutal. But the good news is that there are plenty of brand-new reality shows to fill the void 2020 has left where all of our plans used to be. Each one of these involves watching real people navigate crazy situations that make for mindless entertainment gold. From WTF social experiments to cutthroat competitions, you’ll be instantly hooked on these best reality shows of 2020–whether they’re good or so bad that they’re good.
Million Dollar Beach House
Anyone who’s into Selling Sunset will immediately take a liking to this luxe real estate reality show on the East Coast. It follows agents who are determined to score listings, please their clients, and close multimillion-dollar deals in the Hamptons. It’ll have you so engrossed in the world that you’ll start to think homes in the low millions are cheap as you watch while eating ramen noodles in your tiny apartment.
Down to Earth With Zac Efron
Our forever heartthrob and collective daddy Zac Efron travels around the world with wellness expert Darin Plien in this reality series. Together, they search for healthy, sustainable ways to live. It will fuel your desire to travel, be in a relationship with Zac, and, of course, make you think more critically about the world we live in—all solid reasons to watch!
The Big Flower Fight
If you appreciate a good floral arrangement, you need to binge-watch this show—stat. It pits 10 pairs of amateur gardeners from around the world against each other as they each try to make the most stunning, super-sized floral sculpture. Those who gravitate toward baking and other competition shows will adore this one.
Floor Is Lava
Finally! Someone took the classic floor is lava game that every kid used to play in their living room, turned it into a game IRL, and let those kids who are now full-grown adults play it. Who wouldn’t want to live out this childhood dream rooted in total imagination?
Say I Do
Okay, where are my wedding-obsessed reality show people at?? Here’s another one to add to your watchlist next to the classics like Say Yes to the Dress. This one comes from the creators of Queer Eye, and it centers on experts in design, fashion, and food who help couples pull off their ideal wedding. The true gem of this show is finding out about the couples’ love stories. Whether you’re in a relationship or single, you’ll feel some type of way after watching it.
Too Hot To Handle
Some of the hottest people on the face of the earth come together in a tropical paradise for the chance to win $100,000. The catch? The contestants later find out that the rules are specifically catered for their thirsty selves: no kissing, no making out, and no sexual activities of any kind. But it's easier said than done when temptation is all around, and you all have to share a bedroom. And no, there's no way to sneak around the rules, because Lana (their A.I. companion in a cone) is always watching.
We're Here
Three of our faves from RuPaul’s Drag Race—Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara, and Shangela Laquifa Wadley—set out on a mission to recruit small-town residents for an absolutely stunning, one-night-only drag performance of a lifetime. These fierce queens make their way to places like Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Branson, Missouri, to find drag daughters who want to express themselves in a way they never have before.
Celebrity Watch Party
Celebrities welcome audiences into their homes for a watch party. So you’re basically watching a show about celebs watching a show or a movie in their house. And it may sound like such a simple concept, but it’s a ton of fun to see how people like Tyra Banks, Raven Symoné, Jojo Siwa, and more react to some of the funniest, grossest, and most exciting scenes.
Labor of Love
Labor of Love is kind of like The Bachelorette, only the woman at the center of the show isn’t just looking for the love of her life. She knows 100 percent that she wants to settle down and is looking for the father of her children. So the entire reality series puts these guys to the test in terms of their skills as a partner, and also as a parent, to prove whether they’re ready to start a family with her. If not, the mother-to-be can also decide to walk away and start a family by herself.
The Circle
This competition/social experiment hybrid reality show has contestants move into the same apartment building, but none of them ever meet each other in person. They can only communicate using a social network called The Circle, and they can be as honest or as they deceitful as they want with their profiles. The goal is to rate one another, with the people at the bottom at risk of being “blocked” from The Circle forever, losing their chance at $100,000.
Love Is Blind
This hit Netflix original reality series tests the hypothesis “Is love blind?” It begins with singles hopping between pods, dating day-to-day in search of their perfect match, without ever seeing the person they’re talking to. When they find “the one,” they propose and then finally see the love of their lives. At the end of the monthlong experiment, which also involves going on vacation with each other and meeting the parents, the couples will have a wedding ceremony where they say their “I dos”—or “I don’ts.”
Next in Fashion
Next in Fashion is a competition for designers who’ve already made a name for themselves. Now, they have to prove that they are the future of fashion and show how they are moving the industry forward with their work. Beating other top designers is a pretty sweet victory, and the $250,000 prize money doesn’t hurt either.
Be Our Chef
Families compete in this Disney-themed cook-off show for a chance to add their creations to the Walt Disney World menu as a signature dish. The series features a diverse set of competitors who use their different cultural backgrounds for their culinary masterpieces.
The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart
Twenty single musicians try to find love while also trying to launch their music careers. All the challenges and dates are music-themed. There are also live performances involved. The couples who wind up in the finale are tested by seeing how they deal with maintaining their relationships, while also maintaining their careers.
Spy Games
Evy Poumpouras, a former intelligence officer, is one of the judges for this spy competition. Ten men and women will live under the same roof and train to be secret agents. Like spies, they’re given missions to carry out. The winner might not become an actual spy, but they gain life skills and win $100,000.
Making the Cut
Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum are back for another fashion competition series. Making the Cut brings 12 designers together to test not only their design skills but also their business management abilities. And as a totally awesome bonus, you’ll be able to buy some of the products as the season progresses.
Lego Masters
Lego lovers come together for the ultimate competition. The contestants are challenged to make the most incredible creations in each episode, with every possible Lego piece imaginable at their disposal. Yeah, the 12-year-old you would have LIVED for this show.
Girl Scout Cookie Championship
Five bakers compete in a bake-off with the goal of turning all your fave Girl Scout cookies into even more incredible treats—if that’s even possible. How I Met Your Mother’s Alyson Hannigan hosts the show.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
If you’re into interior design and extreme transformations, this show is perf. This revamped version of the ABC show features a team of designers who have one week to renovate an entire house—redoing every single room and even the front lawn and yard.
Flirty Dancing
Part dating show and part dance show, Flirty Dancing follows two strangers who learn choreography to the same dance separately. When they meet for the first time on a blind date, they dance the routine together without speaking. Each person dances with two different partners, and then decides who they want to go on an actual date with. The show is hosted by none other than Jenna Dewan.
Survivor 40
Okay, this is technically not a new show, but the landmark 40th season of Survivor brings back 20 of its winners from previous seasons to battle it out on the island—not only in the challenges but also the games of deception played the rest of the time. Whoever comes out on top proves they’re the ultimate survivor.
