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Andy Dehnart

writer, TV critic, teacher, improviser

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long-form journalism

Andy Dehnart > writing > long-form journalism

Some stories and topics take more time to explore, and more words to explain. These are stories that I spent weeks and months writing and reporting, and that take deep dives into their subjects.


Photo Credit: Playboy

Reality on the High Seas

Sea Shepherd activists went to the Faroe Islands to try to stop whaling, a tradition that goes back centuries. Aboard their ship was an Animal Planet film crew.

This piece won the Society for Professional Journalists’ Sunshine State Award for magazine feature reporting.

Photo Credit: Playboy

The Curse of Reality TV

No genre of television leaves more human wreckage in its wake than reality television. But who’s at fault? The shows themselves, or the people they attract? I tried to find out, reporting from the set of Hoarders, a show that either helped or exploited mentally ill people in crisis,  and spent time with a Survivor cast member, soccer coach, and pastor who felt like the show damaged his reputation.

Photo Credit: Salon

Behind the scenes of Trading Spaces

The first time I watched an episode of television be produced was in suburban Houston, during the height of the Trading Spaces craze. In this piece, I shared what I learned about how reality becomes TV.

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Andy Dehnart, photographed by Kellie Warren, March 2019

Hi! I'm Andy, a writer and teacher who obsessively and critically covers reality TV and unscripted entertainment, focusing on how it’s made and what it means. Learn more about me.

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RSS recent writing on reality blurred

  • Mikey Eyebrows left Tough As Nails after a dramatic episode that also sent Tara home
  • Road Rules is returning! Drag Race All Stars is leaving VH1! And other Paramount+ shows
  • Design Star Next Gen isn’t just great, it’s better than HGTV’s Design Star
  • How Name That Tune was produced and filmed (in Australia!)
  • Holey Moley is returning, and Frogger is on the way!
  • Magical Elves reveal what TV networks want from reality TV today
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  • What a Real World cast member’s identity crisis revealed

what I’ve been doing

  • Me and my writing, in your inbox October 24, 2019
  • I asked CBS executives about their reality shows’ problems with race. Here’s what happened. August 16, 2019
  • An anniversary, and three recommendations, plus a way to really stay up to date July 15, 2019
  • Three magazine articles, one cheesy appearance September 20, 2018
  • The return of Jersey Shore, and cake wrecks worth watching April 5, 2018

“It’s good to be curious about many things.”

—Mister Rogers

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RSS recent reality blurred stories

  • Mikey Eyebrows left Tough As Nails after a dramatic episode that also sent Tara home
  • Road Rules is returning! Drag Race All Stars is leaving VH1! And other Paramount+ shows
  • Design Star Next Gen isn’t just great, it’s better than HGTV’s Design Star
  • How Name That Tune was produced and filmed (in Australia!)
  • Holey Moley is returning, and Frogger is on the way!

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