The Best Reality Competition Shows Your Friends Are Binging
Streaming websites are full of reality competition shows ranging from dating competitions to fashion shows to blown glass competition shows. With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to decide which one you need to binge next. To make the struggle easier, here is a list of our top 10 favorite reality competition shows that you won’t want to stop watching!
1. The Circle
When Netflix’s “The Circle” first came out, my roommate and I binged the whole show in two days. Being stuck inside for a month during quarantine left us searching for new shows to watch to pass the time, and this became one of our most suggested reality competition shows. Netflix describes the two-season series as a “social experiment and competition show” where players flirt and talk to one another through online profiles. It’s a fun, exciting show about making connections and catfishing other catfishers, and you’ll be up until midnight just like we were, screaming at the exciting reveals!
2. Next in Fashion
One of my favorite reality competition shows hosted by one of my favorite television icons, “Queer Eye” fashion guru Tan France, “Next in Fashion” is all about the innovations and creativity showcased by young fashion designers. As a lover of fashion and design myself, it’s fascinating to watch the competitors and young designers go above and beyond with their iconic looks, showcasing the talent and inventive spirit required to be the next big thing in fashion. Plus, any opportunity to see Tan France teach me more about clothing and fashion is an absolute must.
3. Glow Up
Another one of my top reality competition shows, “Glow Up” is all about the transformative powers of makeup. It shares a lot of the same themes of innovation and creativity found in “Next in Fashion” and “The Big Flower Fight,” but it also provides a lot of useful and relevant facts and tips for different makeup techniques. Not only did I see some amazing makeup designs while watching the show, but I also learned all about the correct way to get a cut crease and how to make sure my eyeliner was applied smoothly and sharply. This show taught me the correct way to do my eyebrows, and I can’t thank it enough for that.
4. Forged in Fire
One of the most interesting and innovative reality competition shows I’ve seen, “Forged in Fire” is all about the amazing designs and creations made by bladesmiths. These amazing bladesmiths compete for a cash prize by attempting to forge the best metal weapons found throughout history. If you’ve ever watched fantasy shows like “Merlin” or “Game of Thrones,” or visited a Renaissance Faire and seen the amazing skill in person, then this is the competition show for you. You didn’t know you wanted to watch a show about making weapons, but now you do.
5. The Big Flower Fight
This was one of the reality competition shows from 2020 that brought me incredible amounts of joy – I mean, how do you watch a show about making amazing sculptures out of different flowers and not smile? It’s like watching a botanical garden in a competition show format. The whole show feels a little like walking through an “Alice in Wonderland” garden, and the competitors are so talented and skilled that every episode is an exciting and creative adventure. Plus, you get to learn all about the different names and properties of various plants, shrubs, succulents, and flowers, which makes it both educational and interesting!
6. Blown Away
Another one of the more interesting reality competition shows I’ve seen this year, “Blown Away” is a competition show centered around the incredible art of glass blowing. If you can’t tell, I love watching competition shows that help teach me interesting facts and tips, and “Blown Away” is full of interesting factoids and hacks you may not have known otherwise. I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t utterly fascinated by glass blowing, so this is a great competition show for anyone who wants to see some amazing sculpture creations.
7. The Great British Baking Show
This is one of the most beloved reality television shows of all time, and if you haven’t watched it yet, you definitely need to. There are 8 seasons of the wholesome baking show available on Netflix, which means there is plenty of material to binge and watch, either by yourself or with your family. It’s most definitely one of my absolute favorite baking shows, and I highly suggest it for anyone who frequented FoodNetwork as much as I did growing up. Also, the host of “The Great British Baking Show” is English Actor Noel Fielding, who has played some absolutely iconic characters, most notably “Old Gregg” from BBC’s “The Mighty Boosh.”
8. Too Hot to Handle
This was one of my quickest binges as far as reality competition shows go, and definitely not one I thought I would enjoy as much as I did (but hey, quarantine brings out some unexpected tastes in all of us). I mean, the show is literally about what happens if you put a bunch of hot, non-commital contestants on a tropical resort and tell them they can’t do anything sexual. It’s a ridiculous concept (and an even more ridiculous show) but I won’t pretend that I wasn’t super invested in the outcome from the first episode. Did I like any of the competitors? No, not really. Did I still root for them to find love and win the cash prize? Of course I did.
9. Dragula
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” is one of my favorite reality competition shows, but after I finished watching all the seasons available online I had the struggle of “well what do I watch next?” The answer: “The Boulet Brothers Dragula.” Dragula is all about queens being their “fiercest, filthiest” selves, and is incredibly inclusive to queens of all sexualities and gender identities. We love an inclusive drag competition show, and therefore we unquestionably stan the amazingness of “Dragula.” I highly suggest this competition show for anyone looking for fun, creative new reality shows to binge.
10. Nailed It!
“Nailed It!” is a classic in the “reality competition shows” category for its relatability and hilarity. Have you ever tried (and failed) to make a Pinterest cake recipe? Have you ever struggled to understand what a crafting video or DIY guide was trying to tell you to do? Us, too, and that’s why we love “Nailed It!” It’s essentially like watching your own struggles in real-time, and laughing with the competitors over their disastrous DIYs is a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.
