Reality TV

In the heat of an argument, most married couples have longed for a referee to declare a winner. NBC delivers with its real-life comedy series The Marriage Ref. Comedian Tom Papa takes the role of the ref with the help of a slew of celebrity judges on hand to help him out.

Many people probably beg Break.com for their own webseries, but few actually land one. Comedians Jeff Sloniker and Curtis Rainsberry are two of the lucky ones with their new real life comedy series called The Bro Show. But internet fame won't be easy for the funny men, who are surprised with new wacky challenges in each episode.

We've seen several web-based reality series, but few with the big budget and backing of If I Can Dream. The concept of following aspiring stars pursuing their dreams is nothing new, but only time will tell whether American Idol creator Simon Fuller's latest celebrity machine will encourage viewers to switch off their televisions and log on.

Many reality series have been made for the web, but few have the clout of 7-Eleven Road Trip Rally. It has a rumored budget of a million dollars, a fortune when compared to other web-based series, and it's got rapid fire turnaround. New episodes will be added each day of the three-week journey to Indianapolis.

Take one reality series about Dungeons & Dragons, add a bunch of porn stars, and you’ve got the recipe for geek guy heaven. And that's exactly what I Hit It With My Axe delivers. From an objective point of view, the production values are very low and the actual series not very compelling. But something tells me its intended audience won't care too much.

Torie Richie joins amateur cooks in the new cooking web series In the Kitchen. This is a branded series, and Jenn-Air's luxury appliances are definitely given a workout on the show. But the emotional journeys taken by the cooks appearing on the show makes it seem like more than just an advertorial.

Series showing real life romance are notoriously cringeworthy. Think The Bachelor, A Shot at Love, and Rock of Love. But the low budget webseries Double Date Us looks set to break the mould with its emphasis on fun. David and Ethan may not find love in this series, but at least they'll have each other!

They say there's nothing more beautiful than a blushing bride on her wedding day. But before she walks down the aisle, there's often nothing more ugly. Wedding Central takes a look at some of these infamous Bridezillas and gives them a taste of their own medicine in Bridal Breakdown.

While it's easy to enjoy the car crash element of this series, it's not as exploitative as it might have been. Rather than poke fun, this reality series is designed to remind brides-to-be to stress less and enjoy their big day.

Far too often reality series are exploitative and tacky. A Week With my Father belongs to the much maligned genre, but its willingness to tackle real issues is like a breath of fresh air. We watch the series creator Giacomo Knox meet his father, a man who despite the title is a virtual stranger. While it deals with the story of one relationship, its implications are much broader.

So many parents want to control the dating decisions of their precious children, but few ever get the chance. With the MTV reality TV series Parental Control, we see what happens when they do. Will the kid stay with their current flame, or be wooed by one of the potential love interests handpicked by mom or dad? It may not be deep, but Parental Control is lots of fun.