Steven Weinstock and Glenda Hersh are the only producers in the industry to serve as co-presidents and CEOs of two separate unscripted production companies: They founded True Entertainment in 2000 and then took over Original Media in 2015.
Through these two companies – which they’ve chosen to keep separate, though they currently lead the creative, development, programming and operations for both – the duo has created many successful reality TV programs for multiple networks covering a wide range of subject areas and styles. Original Media had produced series including Spike’s Ink Master, History’s Swamp People and AMC’s Comic Book Men, while True Entertainment is the company behind TLC’s Love, Lust or Run, I.D.’s Vanity Fair Confidential and Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Real Housewives of Potomac and Don’t Be Tardy.
Hersh said she and Weinstock have had the opportunity to watch from the inside as the reality TV industry has ‘matured and grown up.’
Weinstock began producing news and information programming in 1975, and, by 1979, he’d already won his first Emmy Award for
Hersh pointed out that in 1994, when she and Weinstock were principals at Video News International, The Real World – which is often referenced as the show that set the stage for reality TV as we now know it – was only in its second season.
In 1997, Weinstock and Hersh co-founded
“Cable became a real platform in the 80’s, and networks and other potential buyers needed content,” Weinstock said. “In the burgeoning cable landscape, unscripted programs were in demand, as they were low cost to produce. So our transition from news and documentaries to reality made sense and was common for people like us from that world who had the necessary skill sets.”
As people who have been players in the unscripted industry for decades, Weinstock and Hersh said they have certain qualities that they look for when they are creating and developing a reality TV show.
“Ensemble shows can be hits, but they are more challenging and labor intensive,” he said. “Format shows – like competitions – can be much more easily produced.”
Weinstock said another crucial component of unscripted TV is having cast mates who are willing to be vulnerable and present their true selves.
“It’s a challenge when the talent develops a persona,” Weinstock said. “The audience is smart, and that’s when they tune out.”
Weinstock said that as producers, they sometimes have to encourage cast mates to be ‘real’ and to avoid getting trapped in a persona they create for themselves, which can lead to their demise.
“We’re really focused on trying to find normal people doing extraordinary things,” he said.
Weinstock said he tries to envision how an episode will actually break down while they’re shooting the show.
“We visualize what 44 minutes are going to look like with a five or six act structure,” he said.
Hersh said that diversity is one of the qualities most in demand for unscripted TV programs in the current market.
“We’re constantly looking for diversity, whether it be different cultures or LGBT material and so on,” she said. “The country is changing and morphing, and that’s a great thing for us. It means we get to tell more stories.”
Producers need to provide the market – in terms of viewers, networks and advertisers – with relatable stories that resonate, Weinstock said.
“Demographically, as America changes, our shows need to change as well,” he said.
One show that demonstrates the success of diversity in casting is The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Bravo approached Hersh and Weinstock about making a Housewives franchise that was not centered around a white cast. True Entertainment produced the show, which is now in its eighth season. The show has not only the top-rated show of all the Housewives series, but it is also the highest-rated series on the Bravo network.
The relatable elements of a show don’t always have to be obvious or surface level, Hersh added.
“A lot of times it’s schadenfreude, like ‘Thank god that’s not my life,’” she said. “But, it can also go the other way and be aspirational, where the audience might feel like, ‘I wish I had that in my life.’”
Hersh said because of market saturation – and recent events like the Television Writers’ Strike in 2007 which inspired an outpouring of unscripted TV – it’s now harder than ever to have an reality show that is not only initially successful with ratings, but then also able to maintain that relevance and viewership.
“Things that work last longer,” she said. “That’s good though, it gives time for things to happen. Cast mates can start new businesses and relationships, and have kids.”
Another product of trying to milk a successful concept for all it’s worth is the increasing number of spinoffs, Hersh said. Weinstock and Hersh themselves have produced spin offs, such as Don’t Be Tardy and Kandi’s Wedding which derived from The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Across the industry, in general, with shows like The Real World creating The Challenge and Keeping Up With The Kardashians leading to several shows like Kim and Kourtney Takes New York, reality spin offs are highly visible and can amass large viewerships.
While their shows have earned a total of three Emmy awards and ten Emmy nominations, Hersh said the industry can still be tough to navigate and predict, even for people with their body of knowledge and history of work.
“You can have great characters, a great story, and a great concept, but it might still not make a great show,” she said. “We’ve made hundreds of shows, and while many have been huge successes, a lot of others that had incredible potential didn’t work.”
In that way, the entertainment industry can be a bit of a crapshoot, Weinstock added.
“It’s an interesting time as networks are trying to figure out the new entertainment world with the Internet, because no one can guarantee ratings,” Weinstock said. “Not every show has been a hit, but the networks do keep coming back to us.”
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