Is "Utopia" the worst reality TV show ever?
The show was cast and features at least one person who came from another reality show, "Red", aka Arthur VanWinkle who was billed as a "master (weed) grower on a failed Discovery show last year called "Blue Grass Boys." Others have voiced their disappointment with the show:
Reading fans comments on the Utopia Facebook page, it seems like the majority of folks were turned off because they thought the show was scripted due to the kinds of predictable drama and behaviors of the characters. I wouldnt go so far as to say the show is scripted, but I do think that you do wind up with a lot of predictable results (albeit seemingly wild and crazy) that often times seem like the result of people who want to be reality stars trying to act like reality stars and certainly having people who have been on reality shows before would seem to lend itself to that.
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Is it really a billion dollar insight that at this point casting people who are actively looking to be on a reality show all but guarantees it will not be that real? You have to find the people who would never have thought to visit reality show casting call websites, etc. if you want to find real deal characters that wont automatically start trying to act like they think reality stars should act once the cameras start rolling.
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I caught part of two episodes and thought it was a train wreck. Kept watching for a while to see just how bad it could get. The show lacks the kind of structure that will let an audience root for their favorites. There are no challenges or eliminations, and so far only injuries and resignations have sideline members of the cast. So the whole show plays like slow moving, pointless, pixelated soft core porn.