Original ‘Real World’ Cast Reunites for a Homecoming Edition

The Real World Homecoming: New York

The original cast of The Real World is reuniting for The Real World Homecoming: New York. The franchise’s return will be part of the launch of the rebranded CBS All Access streaming service which is transforming into Paramount+ on March 4, 2021.

The Real World is credited with creating the Reality TV genre and was one of the first series to tackle important and yet unrepresented topics such as LGBTQ, race, gender, HIV/AIDS and religion,” stated Chris McCarthy, President of MTV Entertainment Group. “With Paramount+ being the home to so many global reality hit franchises it seems only fitting to bring back the franchise and cast that started it all for the launch.”

The Real World Homecoming: New York special docuseries will star Becky Blasband, Andre Comeau, Heather B. Gardner, Julie Gentry, Norman Korpi, Eric Nies, and Kevin Powell.

Paramount+ released the following description of what TRL fans can expect from the upcoming Homecoming reunion:

Created for MTV by Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim of Bunim/Murray Productions, The Real World helped shape a generation and sought to spotlight culturally resonant stories like never before — including one of the first LGBTQ+ relationships documented on a TV series, the first televised same-sex commitment ceremony, and its unforgettable portrayal of Pedro Zamora’s battle with HIV.

In the multi-episode docuseries, the original seven strangers will revisit the shocking moments and explosive issues that transpired during the historic season and discuss how they parallel in today’s social climate. After spending decades apart, viewers will reconvene with the New York housemates to find out how the series transformed their lives since the cameras stopped rolling and to find out, once again, what happens when they stop being polite… and start getting real.

Celebrated for its diverse casting and honest portrayal of contemporary young adulthood, The Real World illustrated a simple yet powerful idea of connecting people from widely divergent backgrounds to find common ground on the issues that divided them and generated conversations that reverberated loudly through media and youth culture.