With last week’s premiere of the CW’s High Society, New York City and its residents now have to suffer another 30 minutes of reality television ridicule (The City, NYC Prep and Real Housewives of New York were clearly not enough). Watching my hometown depicted as a farce and fellow residents painted as surface-obsessed caricatures only worried about what row they’ll sit in at this year’s Fashion Week, is more than painful. In order to balance out all this hate, my mind turned to what reality shows could be set in Durham.
Durham: Because Portland Isn’t Real Anymore: Follow two hipster clothing designers who open up their own baja (read: drug-rug) shop at Golden Belt. Watch as they attend brunches at The Pinhook, listen to Megafaun, shop at the farmer’s market and mourn the loss of The Electric Blender.
The Lofts: Jessie, a sexy and astute 20-something who works at a hot advertising agency downtown has just moved in with boyfriend Dylan, a surgeon-in-training at Duke Hospital. They quickly befriend the gay gymnast and trust-fund sculptor next door. Tensions arise when the four start swapping partners after one too many drinks by the pool. “The common and the ordinary have no place at the Lofts.”
The Tobacco Life: Two privileged legacy Duke students fail a few classes and get caught face down in a mound of cocaine. Rather than expulsion, the deans send them to a local farm to learn the craft of tobacco farming. Eruditio et... Nicotiana?
Bull City Burning: The life and times of Crystal Mangum.
No Esse-vations: let Georgios Bakatsias guide you through the world of local Mexican food. Will the crazy fat guy from Cosmic win over his heart? Will the Dillo make him barf? Could the cow atop the Tacqueria La Vacquita come to life? Tune in.
Welcome to Durham: an investigatory look into the violence caused by local gangs and—oh, wait, nevermind...
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.