7 of my 2025 plans for reality blurred
Dear newsletter friend,
Happy (almost) new year! I’m so glad we hung out virtually this year, watching and discussing a wild year of reality TV together.
As 2024 ends, I wanted to share with you, first, my plans for 2025.
A programming note: This week, I will most likely review Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and recap Drag Race’s return, but otherwise keep pretending it’s a holiday week until next week, so no newsletter until next Friday. Though I guess writing two stories isn’t exactly pretending. 😅
My 2025 plans
In the coming months, you can expect:
More fun recaps. My coverage of our favorites, like Survivor, The Traitors, and Amazing Race will continue. This year, I did more recaps, and especially loved recapping Below Deck, in part because it’s light and fun and dumb. 🤪 I’m going to do more of that, and experiment with new formats, like shorter, punchier recaps.
More behind-the-scenes stories. Some of my favorite 2024 stories were my deep dives into Joe Millionaire and Amish in the City, and I have more of those coming in 2024.
More interviews with cast and producers. That’s nothing new, of course; what I’m specifically thinking about for 2025 are 1) interviews with people who were on reality TV years ago and we haven’t heard from recently, and 2) talking more to producers about what their reality is like, as I did in this fall series.
🎧 My new podcast. My podcast re-launches next week, and I’m excited to use that space to informally share behind-the-scenes stories from TV and my writing. All episodes will be on reality blurred, or you can subscribe now in your favorite podcast app.
More coverage from other writers. While reality blurred was just me for years, it’s since expanded to include Sarah and Eve’s excellent true-crime-worth-your-time coverage, and occasional op-eds and pieces from others. I will be actively seeking to publish more from writers who, like me, love this genre and have strong, unapologetic voices—and who can cover stories I, as one human being who sometimes gets tired, cannot do alone!
I also want to pay back what others gave to me as a young writer, which was an opportunity to write about the things I cared about and get paid while not having to worry about anything other than great writing and reporting.25th anniversary celebrations! 🥳 I honestly don’t know what these will be yet, but a quarter century of reality blurred is a milestone I want to celebrate. One idea I'm kicking around is a virtual community event for us all to gather—maybe in a Q&A, maybe a panel discussion.
Have ideas for that or things you’d like to see? Hit reply and let me know!
💬 Improved commenting for regulars. I love that reality blurred has a thriving comments section, especially when so many sites have dumped community features and Facebook is turning into an AI hellscape. For those who contribute frequently, I want to make that even easier, so you can track replies, see what you’ve posted, et cetera.
There they are: my early plans. I’m sure a lot more will come as ideas and opportunities present themselves.
And I’m always open to thoughts, feedback, and ideas from you; reply to any newsletter, any time! It goes right to me.
One final note: All of this work costs money, and my cats need to eat 😹, and thus I am so grateful to those who support my work. Want to join them? Click away:
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If that’s not possible for you now, it’s all good—just giving me space in your inbox is a gift, truly! 😀
I hope you have a wonderful New Year’s Eve, a happy New Year’s Day, and a terrific 2025! 🎆 🎉 🎇
best,
Andy
