The very first reality" series was this tale of Andre, Becky, Eric, Heather, Julie, Kevin and Norman living and putting up with each other in a stylish SoHo loft in New York City. All 13 episodes on 2 DVDs. 1992/color/6 hrs/NR/fullscreen.

Rescoring music for home video release has long been commonplace in the video industry. "Sixteen Candles" (the 1980's Molly Ringwald flick) had about half of its theatrical music deleted and replaced when it made it to video. The difference between that and this is that the "Sixteen Candles" video packaging offered a disclaimer: "Some of the music has been changed from the original theatrical version." There is no disclaimer on the "Real World" packaging. This is quite misleading.

If you can get past that (and I must admit... it does make a difference. The tone of the show has been changed somewhat, but it's still entertaining nontheless), you'll love this collection. The original pilot (featuring a different group of 7 strangers) is included, as well as a copy of Julie's acceptance letter. That is quite an interesting read for any "Real World" fan. The only thing that would have made this collection even better would have been commentary from the cast. Even if they couldn't have got the entire cast (Andre' has only been back for one reunion show), it would have been really interesting. Some outtakes and bloopers would have made nice extra goodies as well.

All in all... a decent collection for fans. Maybe MTV will get it right with the next season's DVD release.

22 of 23 found the following review helpful:


Better than the show it has become  Sep 23, 2005 By Jenopolis
The first Real World was fascinating because it took 7 people who each had their own ambitions and wanted to take on New York City and become artists: a dancer, a model, a rapper, a poet, a folk singer, a grunge singer, and a painter. They had issues with each other, there was a little in-house romance, and the whole series was more compelling and interesting. The show really is about 7 people confronting real world issues and problems, and being young adults.

Watching it made me really sick about what the show has become-- an extended spring break for college kids with three priorities-- taking their clothes off, having sex with each other, and getting drunk. Don't get me wrong, I like all of those things, and enjoyed doing them in college very much. But as a TV show, it is SO MUCH BETTER when the cast members have real reasons for being there, and lives to pursue outside of hangovers and hooking up.

I miss the music, but all in all, this is a wonderful glimpse into reality TV before it got too TV to be real, overrun by attention whores living on islands, running amazing races, working for Donald Trump, swapping wives, and singing for Simon Cowell.

26 of 29 found the following review helpful:


And this is from a die-hard RW fan.  Mar 15, 2004
Ok. I love the Real World. Love it. Watched it from season one on . . . religiously until season nine or so. I bought this DVD the day it was released.

I could not have been more disappointed.

The original soundtrack is gone, replaced by a horrible, grating score (no "Finally" at Roxy?!). The crawl is gone (and some of the best moments--like Eric's scar story--took place during the closing credit sequence). The features (asinine episode intros and a schlocky "pilot") just suck.

My advice to fans: Get a DVD recorder and wait for a marathon on MTV.

13 of 15 found the following review helpful:


The Most 'Real" Real World Now On DVD  Oct 30, 2002 By johnspearman
In 1992, MTV's The Real World: New York premiered. We didn't know what was going on, and neither did the young people it documented. It was raw, unrehearsed, and really the only season that didn't include casts that acted strictly for the camera. This series pretty much started the reality TV craze (if you don't count American Family on PBS), broke down taboos and made people think and question their own beliefs. Although its the shortest season (it was experimental), its packed with enough drama for the normal 22 episode season. You can see Julie adjusting to big city life, Becky getting it on with a producer, Eric primping, pouting, and eating pasta, Heather rapping, Kevin accusing everyone of being racist, Norm freaking out over the fact that Star Trek was not recorded, and Andre becoming the first of many cast members that made you wonder why they were even there. This collection is a must have if you want to see the show when it was actually good. However, the fact that they replaced the background music is totally ridiculous.

9 of 10 found the following review helpful:


A WONDERFUL EPIC ADVENTURE OF YOUNG LIFE BUT...  Sep 26, 2002 By C. Cloutier "Cameron Cloutier"
Whe this first aired on MTV, it showed us all something we had never seen. A reality show that as it went on, the people portrayed went from every day people to epic characters worthly of the greatest fiction. This was the first year of MTV's The Real World, therefore what you see is not fake, staged or as in other seasons, knowing that the more drama and fighting we saw, the better. This goes completely the opposite. Sure, there are heated arguments but the people here are struggling with the camera not embracing it like other shows or seasons. I have had this on tape for almost ten years now and I rushed out and got the dvd. My only problem is because MTV could not get the rights to any of the original music, it used hack instrumental music over the proceedings. Part of the power of the piece was watching these people struggle with the day to dayness of their lives while the music of the time dictated that mood, chaos and love expressed here. Music like Guns and Roses, Metallica and many others are sorely missed and as wonderful as this collection is, something is missing. I wish this could be released complete.
People or shall I say epic characters like Julie, Becky, Eric, Kevin, Andre, Heather and Norm deserve so much better.

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