The Real World: New York

The Real World: New York
Title frame
Format	Reality
Created by	Bunim/Murray Productions
Starring	Eric Nies Heather Gardner Julie Gentry Kevin Powell Norman Korpi Becky Blasband Andre Comeau
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of episodes	13[1]
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	MTV Syndication
Original run	May 21, 1992 – August 13, 1992
Chronology
Followed by	The Real World: Los Angeles

The Real World (retrospectively referred to as The Real World: New York, to distinguish it from subsequent installments of the series) is the first season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The series was filmed from February 16 to May 18, 1992,^[2] and premiered May 21 that year. It was produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. This was the first of three seasons to be filmed in New York City. In 2001 the show made a repeat visit with The Real World: Back to New York, and in 2008, set its twenty-first season, The Real World: Brooklyn,^[3] in the borough of Brooklyn.

The residence

Co-op at 565 Broadway, where the season was filmed. The loft built for filming was on the second and third floors.

The cast lived in a nine story, ten unit residential co-op building at 565 Broadway, at the corner of Prince Street, in Manhattan's SoHo district. The location was discovered by producers after much searching. Walls separating two adjacent apartments on the second and third floors were removed in order to form a single 4,000-square-foot (370 m²), four bedroom residence, and were renovated for the filming of the series. Production personnel, which included up to 13 people at one time, utilized a work space with a separate entrance.^[2]

Cast

Cast Member	Age1	Hometown	Biography
Becky Blasband	24[4]		Becky is a folk singer who finds herself at a crossroads in her life. She knows she wants to do lots of things in her life but is unsure about which direction to take. Described by MTV as "a moody wanderer", she is searching for a mature relationship, and in Episode 8, begins seeing one of the show's directors.[4]
Andre Comeau			Andre is a singer and guitarist in an indie rock band called Reigndance. Described by MTV as "the prototypical Gen-X guy", he and Reigndance make a video. He divides his time between Detroit and New Jersey.[5]
Heather B. Gardner			Heather is a hip-hop artist with the group Boogie Down Productions, who is on the verge of getting her big break, careerwise. During the season, she is seen recording her album, The System Sucks. According to MTV's biography for her: "She has a lot of drive and dedication to whatever she is doing. She makes friends quickly and always speaks her mind regardless of the consequences."[6]
Julie Gentry	19[7]	Birmingham, Alabama[7]	Julie, a Southern girl, is an aspiring dancer. The youngest of the cast, her time on the show represents her first time in New York. According to MTV, her "innocence, engaging personality and desire to learn about the world make her the darling of the loft." She and Eric become especially close. She has not been successful in love, claiming that she could write a book on bad dates.[8]
Norman Korpi		Wakefield, Michigan[9]	Norman is a painter whose homosexuality becomes the focus of attention during the season, as when he has to deal with the issues that arise after he develops a serious relationship. MTV describes him as a free spirit who enjoys a good conversation, a joke, a story, or an anecdote at the drop of a hat, and who adds a lot of humor and heart to the show.[10]
Eric Nies		Ocean Township, New Jersey[11][12]	Eric is a print and TV model with a troubled past that includes being on probation for some unspecified crime.[13] Described by MTV as a "charismatic" man whose good looks easily get him attention from women.[12]
Kevin Powell		Jersey City, New Jersey[14]	Kevin, the oldest member of the cast, is a poet, writer and educator. He has strong beliefs regarding issues of race, and more than once gets into heated arguments with his housemates over these issues.[15] He sometimes finds it difficult to connect with his housemates, and considers leaving the show during the season.[16] and in Episode 11, a tearful Julie says that he threw a candleholder at her during a heated fight.[17]

^Note 1 : Age at the time of filming.

Episodes

Ep #	Total	Title	Airdate
1	1	"This is the True Story..."	May 21, 1992 (1992-05-21)
19-year-old Birmingham, Alabama native Julie is excited to go to New York, but her family is nervous. She is the last to arrive at the New York loft, and joins the group gathered around the dining table. Her remarks about why Heather has a pager prompts questions about whether Julie is racist. A book found in the loft prompts a discussion on sex, and the revelation that Julie is a virgin. At dinner, Kevin, Julie and Heather discuss prejudice and racism. Kevin is impressed with Julie's open attitude, considering where she grew up.[7]
2	2	"Julie and Eric...Could it be Love?"	May 28, 1992 (1992-05-28)
Julie and Eric begin a flirtatious relationship. The housemates learn that Eric appeared in a Jōvan Musk commercial and on the television show A Closer Look to discuss sexually suggestive advertisements, leading to a discussion among the cast on nudity, pornography and whether or not Eric is simply selling himself and his good looks to the highest bidder. Julie and Eric attend Heather's recording session for her upcoming album, The System Sucks, and see how rough the music business is. The sexual tension between Julie and Eric continues as Julie makes her interest more obvious, and Eric joins her at her hip-hop dance class, but Eric later gets upset when Becky talks about setting Julie up on a blind date.[18]
3	3	"Leather Chaps and Sequins? What is Eric Getting Himself Into?"	June 4, 1992 (1992-06-04)
Julie puts a performance that is critiqued at the Broadway Dance Center, while Eric is working on a magazine shoot with Taryn, a topless female model. At the photographer's encouraging, Eric and Taryn begin kissing. They later date, but Eric thinks they have nothing in common. Andre's band, Reigndance, practices for an upcoming show when the police show up and shut their basement rehearsal down. The band performs on Staten Island, where several of the roommates attend. Grateful for their support, Andre dedicates the song "Redspot" to his housemates.[19]
4	4	"Trouble Throughout the House"	June 11, 1992 (1992-06-11)
Becky records her music, and spends some time with her friend and producer. Heather is unnerved by Becky's overt sexual behavior at a Limelight party. A house meeting is called after Heather and Becky wake up Kevin after the party, and the roommates gang up on Eric and his visiting sister. Kevin leaves Eric a letter about their conflict, which the others read. Eric, angered by what he sees as passive-aggressiveness in Kevin, verbally attacks him when he returns home.[20]
5	5	"Kevin and Eric Mend Their Relationship"	June 18, 1992 (1992-06-18)
Kevin and Eric discuss the issue of stereotypes and their own differences, finding common ground in the process. Kevin takes Morris, a teenage boy he is mentoring, to dinner and an art exhibit and talks to Morris about having a commitment to help others. Eric works in a basketball program for troubled kids as community service requirement for his probation. He also awaits the arrival of a lady friend, Missy, and becomes closer to Kevin as they discuss his relationship with her. Eric also invites Kevin to a Knicks game, where the two meet Isiah Thomas, and Kevin gains insight by watching Eric interact with his dad, an NBA referee.[21]
6	6	"Kevin...Come Back!"	June 25, 1992 (1992-06-25)
Julie and Kevin's brother/sister dynamic continues as they discuss their views on sex. After Kevin fails to show up for a group dinner that he suggested, his roommates, upset by his increasing time away from the loft, play a prank on him by changing their personas when he comes back, with Julie pretending to be a promiscuous dresser and Eric pretending to be gay, etc. Kevin leaves the house in response. Several hours after he fails to return to the loft, the others are concerned as to whether he'll return.[22]
7	7	"Heather Wants to Grab His Booty!"	July 2, 1992 (1992-07-02)
Following a prank the cast played on Kevin, the cast is worried about his whereabouts. After he returns and sees the video they made of the prank they played on him, he forgives them. He also says he considered quitting the show due to his roommates' behavior. Meanwhile, Heather and Julie attend a Knicks-Hornets game, where Heather flirts incessantly with Hornets player Larry Johnson, on whom she has a crush. Julie slips Heather's phone number to Larry Johnson. A package arrives, informing the ladies of the house that they will spend a week in Jamaica. Becky has a heated argument with Kevin over American imperialism and race relations.[23]
8	8	"Becky Falls into Troubled Love"	July 9, 1992 (1992-07-09)
The girls head off to Jamaica, but are disappointed by the poor choice of men there. Back at the loft, the bond with each other, with Andre and Kevin enjoying a night on the town and talk for the first time, and finding much common ground. Norman also is far from bored as he develops a relationship with Charles Perez, who he thinks may be the man of his dreams. Becky, returns to New York with a new boyfriend in tow, Bill "Corky" Richmond, one of the directors from the loft's control room.[24]
9	9	"Julie in a Homeless Shelter?"	July 16, 1992 (1992-07-16)
As the housemates prepares for their trip to a pro-choice rally in Washington D.C., Norman is falling in love with Charles, though Charles is not ready to make the same commitment. As Julie, Norman, and Heather travel by car to the rally, Norman gets pulled over for speeding. Within fifteen minutes of the group's arrival in Washington, Norman spots Charles in the crowd and the two spend some of the day together. Back at home, Julie comes across a group of homeless people living on the street, and makes a connection a woman among them named Darlene. She spends the night in the makeshift community, an experience that affects her deeply and impresses her housemates.[25]
10	10	"He's So Ugly He's Cute!"	July 23, 1992 (1992-07-23)
The cast finds a stray dog and names him Yoda. After searching for his owner in Washington Square Park, the dog's owner is eventually found. Julie shows her visiting mother around New York, but laments that she has no rapport with her, and argues with her over their relationship. By contrast, Andre feels a strong connection with his mother, who also visits and sees him perform.[26]
11	11	"Julie Thinks Kevin is Psycho!"	July 30, 1992 (1992-07-30)
Norman and Eric arrive home, where a very upset and frightened Julie explains that she and Kevin had a fight during which Kevin threw a candleholder at her. Kevin denies this, saying that Julie was rude to him and may have cost him a job. Eric states that he is really pulling for Julie, because he observes that Kevin behaves the way he did when he was in trouble as a teen. Kevin, after retreating to Jersey City to visit his mother in order to provide some space between him and Julie, tries to resolve the issue by speaking to Julie outside the loft, but the two continue to argue, and fail to resolve their differences. Kevin and Eric throw a big birthday party, during which a female guest claims to have been assaulted by Heather, resulting in Heather's arrest.[27]
12	12	"WWF is in the House!"	August 6, 1992 (1992-08-06)
Heather is arrested and is questioned about her fight. She decides not to press charges against the guest after she learns that the guest did not press charges against her, and the police eventually release her. She and Eric, whose personality conflicts regularly lead to fights, end up wrestling through the loft.[28]
13	13	"Goodbye to the Big Apple!"	August 13, 1992 (1992-08-13)
During the cast's last few days in the loft, as they prepare to say good-bye to New York, they take over the production room in the loft, gaining perspective from the other side of the cameras, reflecting on how their time in the loft has changed them, and expressing their resolutions for the future.[29]

After filming

Real World/Road Rules Challenges

Cast Member	RW/RR Challenges	Challenges Won
Becky Blasband	Battle of the Seasons	None
Andre Comeau	-	-
Heather Gardner	Challenge 2000	None
Julie Gentry	-	-
Norman Korpi	Battle of the Seasons, The Gauntlet*	None
Eric Nies	All-Stars, Battle of the Sexes, Battle of the Sexes 2	All-Stars, Battle of the Sexes 2
Kevin Powell	-	-

^* The contestant was a finalist on the Challenge, but lost in the Final Race.

References

1. ^ Episode synopsis list for The Real World: New York at MTV.com
2. ^ ^{a b} "SoHo Loft". realworldhouses.com. November 28, 2010
3. ^ Sicha, Choire. "The Real World: Brooklyn. For Real." The New York Observer. May 13, 2008.
4. ^ ^{a b} Biography page for Becky Blasband at MTV.com
5. ^ Biography page for Andrew Comeau at MTV.com
6. ^ Biography page for Heather B. Gardner. MTV.com. accessed September 14, 2011.
7. ^ ^{a b c} Summary page for Episode 1 ("This is the True Story...") at MTV.com
8. ^ Biography page for Julie Gentry at MTV.com
9. ^ "Biography", normankorpi.com, accessed March 17, 2011.
10. ^ Biography page for Norman Korpi at MTV.com
11. ^ Lynn, Allison (October 7, 1996). "Nies 'n' easy: MTV stud Eric Nies has his life back in shape". People magazine. "It is a sunny morning in the spring of 1995, and Eric Nies is fiddling with the sunroof of the stretch limo heading to his hometown of Ocean Township, N.J." 
12. ^ ^{a b} Biography page for Eric Nies at MTV.com
13. ^ Revealed in Episode 5.
14. ^ Revealed in Episode 11.
15. ^ With Eric in Episode 5, and with Becky in Episode 7.
16. ^ He indicates this in Episode 6.
17. ^ Biography page for Kevin Powell at .com
18. ^ Summary page for Episode 2 ("Julie and Eric...Could it be Love?") at MTV.com
19. ^ Summary page for Episode 3 ("Leather Chaps and Sequins? What is Eric Getting Himself Into?") at MTV.com
20. ^ Summary page for Episode 4 ("Trouble Throughout the House") at MTV.com
21. ^ Summary page for Episode 5 ("Kevin and Eric Mend Their Relationship") at MTV.com
22. ^ Summary page for Episode 6 ("Kevin...Come Back!") at MTV.com
23. ^ Summary page for Episode 8 ("Heather Wants to Grab His Booty!") at MTV.com
24. ^ Summary page for Episode 8 ("Becky Falls into Troubled Love") at MTV.com
25. ^ Summary page for Episode 9 ("Julie in a Homeless Shelter?") at MTV.com
26. ^ Summary page for Episode 10 ("He's So Ugly He's Cute!") at MTV.com
27. ^ Summary page for Episode 11 ("Julie Thinks Kevin is Psycho!") at MTV.com
28. ^ Summary page for Episode 12 ("WWF is in the House!") at MTV.com
29. ^ Summary page for Episode 13. ("Goodbye to the Big Apple!) at MTV.com

External links

• The Real World: New York at MTV.com
• Episode synopses page at mtv.com
• Cast page for The Real World: New York at MTV.com
• The Real World: New York at the Internet Movie Database