Reality TV Pioneer Mary-Ellis Bunim Dies - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

SBTB Geek · 01-31-2004, 03:26 AM

Reality TV Pioneer Mary-Ellis Bunim Dies
By Lynn Elber, AP Television Writer
FROM: Associated Press/Yahoo!
LINK: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._tv/obit_bunim

Quote:

LOS ANGELES - Producer Mary-Ellis Bunim, who brought television into the age of reality with MTV's "The Real World" and whose latest hit series was "The Simple Life," has died at age 57.

Bunim died Thursday after a long battle with breast cancer, MTV announced Friday.

She and business partner Jonathan Murray, who kicked off the reality trend in 1992 with "The Real World," were among the genre's most prolific producers.

Their series included "Road Rules," "The Love Cruise," "Making the Band," "Starting Over" and, most recently, Fox's "The Simple Life" with party girl and headline-maker Paris Hilton.

Bunim was "an extraordinary talent who pioneered an entire genre of television," Fox's entertainment president, Gail Berman said in a statement Friday.

Bunim, Murray and other producers upended the TV order as reality shows soared in popularity, eventually wresting chunks of broadcast and cable schedules away from traditional scripted series.

While some critics decried the shows as base, sometimes exploitive entertainment, audiences and networks embraced them.

The Bunim-Murray productions targeted a young audience. "The Real World," for instance, threw a mixed group of young adults together as roommates, with an unblinking camera keeping tabs on them.

"Mary-Ellis opened our eyes and our hearts to a whole new way of looking at young adult programming," Judy McGrath, MTV Networks Group president, said in a statement.

The Bunim-Murray magic didn't translate to films, however. Their movie "The Real Cancun" was a critical and box-office dud.

Before she turned to real-life soap opera, Bunim had vast experience in the traditional kind. She was responsible for more than 2,500 hours of daytime TV as executive producer of "Search for Tomorrow," "As the World Turns," "Santa Barbara" and "Loving."

As a New World Entertainment vice president, she developed programming for children as well as for daytime and late-night.

The native of Northampton, Mass., is survived by her daughter, Juliana.

vienna waits · 01-31-2004, 10:16 AM

whoa that's sudden. I hope they don't cancel all of their shows...

SBTB Geek · 01-31-2004, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Idol Fanatic
whoa that's sudden. I hope they don't cancel all of their shows...

I highly doubt they will cancel those shows. "Road Rules," "Real World," and "The Simple Life" have been too successful to throw away.

Brian Damage · 01-31-2004, 03:20 PM

That's sad news.

Short Circus · 01-31-2004, 04:00 PM

I'm sorry to hear this. After 10+ years, I doubt Real World and Road Rules are in any imminent danger of being cancelled though.

factsoflife · 02-03-2004, 03:56 PM

Thats very sad news. She was a pioneer and helped to create one of Teleivisons most popular current genres. She was way ahead of her time and will be sorley missed in this industry.

Dean Winchester · 02-05-2004, 07:07 PM

that is sad to hear she died.

However, to paraphrase an old song, "Reality Killed The Scripted Series". And that is not a good thing IMO.

01-31-2004, 10:16 AM	#2
vienna waits avatars are stupid. Forum Superstar Join Date: May 18, 2001 Location: Ravenclaw Common Room Posts: 29,859	whoa that's sudden. I hope they don't cancel all of their shows...
	__________________ Me: Did you see Dunkleman in the audience at the finale? Crystal: No! Me: Yeah, that's because he wasn't invited.

02-03-2004, 03:56 PM	#6
factsoflife Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 11, 2000 Posts: 8,744	Thats very sad news. She was a pioneer and helped to create one of Teleivisons most popular current genres. She was way ahead of her time and will be sorley missed in this industry.
	__________________ "and to the fans. I was only supposed to be on every other Tuesday. But, thanks to you, I'm here, and I promise! I will try my best never to let you down. I am going back into that studio on Monday, and I'm going to play Erica Kane for all she's worth!"-- Susan Lucci, May 1999 Daytime Emmy Speech.

01-31-2004, 03:20 PM	#4
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	That's sad news.

01-31-2004, 04:00 PM	#5
Short Circus Senior Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 22, 2003 Posts: 141	I'm sorry to hear this. After 10+ years, I doubt Real World and Road Rules are in any imminent danger of being cancelled though.

02-05-2004, 07:07 PM	#7
Dean Winchester Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 14,803	that is sad to hear she died. However, to paraphrase an old song, "Reality Killed The Scripted Series". And that is not a good thing IMO.