I Edit Reality TV Shows. Here's What I Wish Fans Knew About The Industry.

Reality TV is dying. I know it’s hard to believe with social media users yapping about Season 21 of “The Bachelorette” and the upcoming season of “Love Is Blind.” But on the other side of that black mirror, the people who make these beloved reality shows are being starved out of the business.

Unscripted TV production has slowed dramatically. Reality TV production dropped 18.6% in the first quarter of 2024, according to a recent report from FilmLA , the official film office of the City and County of Los Angeles.

“Since the first week of January people have called FilmLA to say, ‘I am still looking for work. The phone isn’t ringing. Is the industry back?’ FilmLA president Paul Audley said in the report. “Unfortunately, production is still slow, and things are not as they were.”

In the most recent quarterly report from ProdPro , a crewmember job portal, the news isn’t any better.

“Looking at the last 12 months, production volume and spend are down 50% compared to the prior period,” the report states.

I am a reality TV editor, and I know firsthand how dire the state of the industry is right now. Eighteen months ago, I started getting random calls from producers and editors I hadn’t worked with in years, asking me if I knew of any jobs. The calls became more regular; one or two colleagues a month looking for work turned into two or three a week. Sadly, I could not help them. Nobody could find any work.

Those of us with jobs were beginning to notice changes as well. Budgets were being slashed, staff was being cut, and airdates were being pushed up so more ad dollars could flow into networks. Yes, I was thankful to be employed, but having to post-produce and edit the same content in less time — with fewer people to help —