Image via Complex Original
The reality television world is pretty small. At some point, people are going to run into each other. Case-in-point: Vinny Guadagnino from Jersey Shore and Drita D'Avanzo from Mob Wives tweet each other all the time. Two seemingly unrelated shows where the stars know each other—why didn't we know this before now? Since most reality TV seems to be centered on cameras infiltrating every single moment of subjects' lives, it's a shame not to catch these encounters on camera for the world to see and judge them about.
That got us thinking: What would happen if shows legitimately had crossover episodes and concepts? What would happen if a Bridezilla met a designer from Project Runway, or a stage mom from Toddlers & Tiaras met Abby Lee from Dance Moms? Or, the ultimate question, what if the cast of Jersey Shore and Geordie Shore met each other?
We may never know the answers to these fascinating questions, but we can speculate the hell out of them with 10 Reality Show Crossovers We Want to See. And, if any of our ideas happen to take...well, we called it first.
Written by Tanya Ghahremani (@tanyaghahremani)
10. 16 and Pregnant & Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
People love to watch other people make fools out of themselves on live television. Let's be honest, that's why reality TV is so popular in the first place! With that in mind, we're positive that this show would be a hit. The kids on 16 and Pregnant already make fools out of themselves socially on television, so why not go to extra mile and see how they stack up intellectually against a bunch of 10-year-olds? Our money is on the fifth graders, to be honest.
Studio execs reading this, just remember that we expect our cut of the profits to be in the mail when this show gets big.
9. The Real World & Survivor
Survivor is one of those shows where the drama is mostly derived from tension surrounding the challenges, as opposed to the messy relationships between the contestants, and while it can be absolutely nerve-wracking, we'd honestly prefer to see people falling all over each other and fighting about nothing important like in The Real World. But, The Real World is a rather tired contept at this point—it's been on for over 20 years, and they've run out of cities and alcohol-fueled circumstances to throw the group of fame-whoring hot messes into.
So, here's the solution: The Real World: Amazon, a.k.a. a season of The Real World spent in the wilderness. No lavish house, no hot tubs, no clubs, just camping and survival. With alcohol, because come on, Jack Daniels is practically a castmate at this point. How much boozing can some 20-something fame whores do in the jungle while watching out for giant snakes? Aren't you curious to find out?
8. Project Runway & Bridezillas
Bridezillas is one of the most trashy, yet entertaining shows out there. If you're not familiar (you should be, though—it's hilarious) each episode follows different brides who are attempting to plan their wedding day, and they're so stressed out because picking a caterer and a bouquet are, like, so hard that they become bitches that even other bitches are afraid of and usually they end up coming short of killing one of their bridesmaids.
One part of Bridezillas is normally finding a wedding dress, and here's where Project Runway could easily come in. Each week on that show, designers are given challenges to complete an outfit that a model then wears in front of bitchy judges, so a challenge in this magical crossover realm could be designing wedding dresses for crazy bridezillas!
Designers would cry, brides could rip things, Tim Gunn would go all Tyra Banks on someone's ass, and it'd be hilarious. The episode would probably end with someone's stiletto being thrown at a contestant, but nobody said good TV didn't come without the loss of someone's dignity!
7. Basketball Wives & Football Wives
Whose husband has the most game? Like, literally? Why pass up the opportunity for them to settle the score once and for all by sticking them all in a room and letting them go crazy? Think of the egos that would clash, the weaves that would be pulled, the clothes that would be ripped, the shoes that would be destroyed.... We'd watch that show. If anything, it'd be a great source for go-to YouTube videos of catfights.
6. Extreme Couponing & The Real Housewives of New Jersey
As much as they try to deny it, there have been rumors floating around about the financial state of a few of the housewives on this show. While we get that, since they're on TV, they wanna have swag and all that shit, but there's nothing wrong with being a little frugal if you're facing an empty bank account after you buy that pair of $800 stilettos.
Besides, all the women are competitive, so pitting them against one another to see who can save the most might have some positive effects on their finances. Or it'll result in Teresa flipping over her cart at the supermarket. Either way, good TV.
5. Jersey Shore & Geordie Shore
The shows are already somewhat similar in format and even characterization, so it would be especially fascinating to send the cast of Geordie Shore to Jersey to meet up with their American counterparts. We'd suggest the other way around, but the Jersey kids just got back from a pretty underwhelming Italy trip, so it's clear Europe and them don't exactly mix.
Anyway, we think it's a crime that this hasn't happened yet, because the possibilities really are endless: Sitch and Jay getting into a fight to see whose got the better abs, Deena trying to teach them all the Jersey Turnpike, Snooki and Sophie forming a Team Meatball hybrid, Gaz trying to smush Jenni, Vinny getting jealous of Gaz for, well...
And then the ultimate of the ultimates: Fist-pump competition.
Toddlers and Tiaras & Dance Moms
Dance Moms follows a bunch of overbearing stage moms whose daughters dance. Toddlers & Tiaras follows a bunch of overbearing stage moms whose daughters compete in pageants. The shows are so eerily similar that it's a wonder there hasn't been any sort of crossover special yet.
Of course, putting a bunch of little kids together with parents who would probably end up killing each other by the end of the episode might be a little dangerous, but they have security for that. Besides, we're pretty sure the only thing everyone would worry about is Abby Lee when she makes this face.
3. Mythbusters & Hoarding: Buried Alive
Considering that the outcome of most Mythbusters episodes includes something being blown up, think of how much more efficient cleaning out the hoarder’s homes would be with their expertise! Because what's better to watch on television: Cleaning shows, or shows where things blow up? I think we've just proven this idea valid.
2. Sister Wives & What Not To Wear
OK, Sister Wives has nothing to do with fashion but, you can even see from the picture up there that they need help. Stacy and Clinton could easily help update the entire weird family's wardrobe while gossiping off to the side about how weird they are, and maybe even sneak in a couple of identical outfits just to mess with them.
1. Jersey Shore & Mob Wives
If you think it seems like a stretch, consider this first: cast members already know each other anyway, if Twitter is any indication! Vinny and Drita, Pauly and Renee—it truly is a match made in reality television heaven. The fights on Jersey Shore seem completely tame in comparison to what we've seen from Drita on Mob Wives, especially in the finale, when she nearly killed Karen while they were arguing about Drita's husband. Snooki and Angelina's fight in Season Two was probably the only one that can somewhat compare, but even then it doesn't come particularly close.
Besides, Jersey Shore is in a bit of a need of a ratings revitalization, thanks to a lackluster season across the pond, so some partying, drinking, and fighting with a couple of people affiliated with the mob (the other guys giving Italian Americans a black eye) might be exactly what the show needs. Of course, we've also seen The Sopranos, so there's no guarantee this crossover would have a happy ending at all.