LOUISIANA'S
Reality Shows Based in Louisiana Reality TV took off in the 2000s, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Though often thought of as trash television, reality shows portray the interesting, unique, and sometimes unsavory aspects of people, their lives, and communities. By Emily Hingle
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Best of the Big Easy | Where Y'at Magazine
The first season featured students at Southern University in Baton Rouge. 2009 was an eventful year for Louisiana reality shows, and their quick success may have enticed more show makers to travel down here. A&E premiered Billy The Exterminator and Steven Seagal: Lawman that year. Billy The Exterminator followed the eccentric owner of Vexcon Animal & Pest Control Billy Bretherton as he performed animal and pest control in the Shreveport area. The show was canceled in 2012 after six successful seasons because Billy moved from Louisiana to Illinois following his arrest involving drugs. There was one season of Billy Goes North in 2016 which showcased his new ventures in the northern U.S. Steven Seagal: Lawman surprisingly showed famed actor Steven Seagal working with Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department as a
FROM TOP: BET/EVERETT COLLECTION; DUCK COMMANDER (2); A&E
Louisiana is a vibrant state with a rich history full of colorful characters, and it’s an attractive place to film reality shows. Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne sponsored the 2002 bill granting tax credits to the film industry. He commented in an interview that Louisiana and its intriguing residents in conjunction with lucrative filming incentives were excellent fodder for reality shows: “It captures this interesting, fascinating, very unique aspect of Louisiana life with its beautiful landscape and a strong streak of adventure. It’s not something you’re going to find anywhere else. It’s indigenous to Louisiana.” Since the dawn of reality TV, Louisiana has attracted producers for such shows. For the ninth season of MTV’s hit reality series The Real World, a cast of seven young adults lived together in the Belfort Mansion in the Garden District as they worked at a publicaccess TV station in the first half of 2000. The Real World came back to New Orleans for a season in 2010. In 2004, BET premiered College Hill, a show about students attending historically Black universities around the country and beyond.
