C-SPAN used to be the closest thing Washington had to reality television, but that was before MTV’s The Real World came to town. Thus far, it seems pretty boring: nights out drinking in Dupont, nights out drinking in Rockville, Fourth of July drinking on the Southwest DC waterfront. Washington has more drama to offer than bars.
Here are some other ideas for reality TV with a Washington twist.
America’s Next GOP Model
You want to be on top, Republicans? Conservative contestants battle it out for the chance to direct the future of their party. Mike Huckabee tries to show off his better angles. Rush Limbaugh struts his stuff. And Sarah Palin learns how to smile with her eyes.
Marcus & Kate Plus Eight
Washington Post executive editor Marcus Brauchli and publisher Katharine Weymouth try to put out a daily newspaper with a staff that, due to yet more buyouts, has dwindled to eight. Will their love survive?
Rahm Emanuel: No Reservations
He fights (with Congress), he travels (on Air Force One), he eats (Republicans for breakfast), and he’s hungry for more. It doesn’t matter what nasty bits you throw at him; he can still serve up a mean dead fish.
The Hill
Watch out, Lauren Conrad, life on The Hill is no day at the beach. Follow the lives, committee hearings, and debates of some of America’s most dysfunctional couples—Nancy and John,Harry and Mitch—as they bicker like Heidi and Spencer and spend more money than Audrina, like, ever could.
Project Runway DC
Either you’re in—or you’re outside the Beltway. Twelve contestants take on the power suit to decide who makes the cut as the city’s top fashion designer. Michelle Obama guest-judges the ball-gown challenge. Hillary Clinton judges the pantsuit challenge.
Top Chef-in-Chief
Tom Colicchio, please pack your knives and go. Citronelle’s Michel Richard, Komi’s Johnny Monis, Blue Ridge’s Barton Seaver, and other local chefs compete for the title of top toque. The final elimination challenge: Cook dinner for the Obamas’ date night.
The Amazing Race to Work
Follow six teams as they brave traffic pileups, HOV-lane restrictions, tolls, Metro delays, and cell-phone-chatting drivers on their daily commute from Herndon to downtown DC and back again. Which route will prove fastest—Beltway or parkway? Will picking up “slugs” guarantee a victory?
Pimp My Commute
Rap superstar Xzibit and car-customization specialist Mad Mike take aim at the biggest clunker on the road: The Metrobus. Can X to the Z turn the ugly-as-yo’-mama bus into a machine fit for a king? Chrome rims and a subwoofer can work wonders.
This article first appeared in the August 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
Bring On the Pantsuit Challenge!
DC Reality TV we’d like to see.
C-SPAN used to be the closest thing Washington had to reality television, but that was before MTV’s The Real World came to town. Thus far, it seems pretty boring: nights out drinking in Dupont, nights out drinking in Rockville, Fourth of July drinking on the Southwest DC waterfront. Washington has more drama to offer than bars.
Here are some other ideas for reality TV with a Washington twist.
America’s Next GOP Model
You want to be on top, Republicans? Conservative contestants battle it out for the chance to direct the future of their party. Mike Huckabee tries to show off his better angles. Rush Limbaugh struts his stuff. And Sarah Palin learns how to smile with her eyes.
Marcus & Kate Plus Eight
Washington Post executive editor Marcus Brauchli and publisher Katharine Weymouth try to put out a daily newspaper with a staff that, due to yet more buyouts, has dwindled to eight. Will their love survive?
Rahm Emanuel: No Reservations
He fights (with Congress), he travels (on Air Force One), he eats (Republicans for breakfast), and he’s hungry for more. It doesn’t matter what nasty bits you throw at him; he can still serve up a mean dead fish.
The Hill
Watch out, Lauren Conrad, life on The Hill is no day at the beach. Follow the lives, committee hearings, and debates of some of America’s most dysfunctional couples—Nancy and John, Harry and Mitch—as they bicker like Heidi and Spencer and spend more money than Audrina, like, ever could.
Project Runway DC
Either you’re in—or you’re outside the Beltway. Twelve contestants take on the power suit to decide who makes the cut as the city’s top fashion designer. Michelle Obama guest-judges the ball-gown challenge. Hillary Clinton judges the pantsuit challenge.
Top Chef-in-Chief
Tom Colicchio, please pack your knives and go. Citronelle’s Michel Richard, Komi’s Johnny Monis, Blue Ridge’s Barton Seaver, and other local chefs compete for the title of top toque. The final elimination challenge: Cook dinner for the Obamas’ date night.
The Amazing Race to Work
Follow six teams as they brave traffic pileups, HOV-lane restrictions, tolls, Metro delays, and cell-phone-chatting drivers on their daily commute from Herndon to downtown DC and back again. Which route will prove fastest—Beltway or parkway? Will picking up “slugs” guarantee a victory?
Pimp My Commute
Rap superstar Xzibit and car-customization specialist Mad Mike take aim at the biggest clunker on the road: The Metrobus. Can X to the Z turn the ugly-as-yo’-mama bus into a machine fit for a king? Chrome rims and a subwoofer can work wonders.
This article first appeared in the August 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.
More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Party Photos
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Meet DC’s 2025 Tech Titans
The “MAGA Former Dancer” Named to a Top Job at the Kennedy Center Inherits a Troubled Program
White House Seriously Asks People to Believe Trump’s Letter to Epstein Is Fake, Oliver North and Fawn Hall Got Married, and It’s Time to Plan Your Apple-Picking Excursion
Scott Bessent Got in Another Argument With a Coworker; Trump Threatens Chicago, Gets Booed in New York; and Our Critic Has an Early Report From Kayu
Trump Travels One Block From White House, Declares DC Crime-Free; Barron Trump Moves to Town; and GOP Begins Siege of Home Rule
Washingtonian Magazine
September Issue: Style Setters
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
These Confusing Bands Aren’t Actually From DC
Fiona Apple Wrote a Song About This Maryland Court-Watching Effort
The Confusing Dispute Over the Future of the Anacostia Playhouse
Protecting Our Drinking Water Keeps Him Up at Night
More from News & Politics
How a DC Area Wetlands Restoration Project Could Help Clean Up the Anacostia River
Pressure Grows on FBI Leadership as Search for Kirk’s Killer Continues, Kennedy Center Fires More Staffers, and Spotted Lanternflies Are Everywhere
What Is Free DC?
Manhunt for Charlie Kirk Shooter Continues, Britain Fires US Ambassador Over Epstein Connections, and Sandwich Guy Will Get a Jury Trial
Can Two Guys Ride a Rickshaw over the Himalayas? It Turns Out They Can.
Trump Travels One Block From White House, Declares DC Crime-Free; Barron Trump Moves to Town; and GOP Begins Siege of Home Rule
Donald Trump Dines at Joe’s Seafood Next to the White House
White House Seriously Asks People to Believe Trump’s Letter to Epstein Is Fake, Oliver North and Fawn Hall Got Married, and It’s Time to Plan Your Apple-Picking Excursion