"The Osbournes", which ran from 2002-2005, was an Emmy Award Winning Mtv Reality-Show following the Prince of *Bleeping* Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne, and his family (sans daughter Aimee, who chose not to participate) living their normal, day-to-day lives. It was revolutionary, and was one of Mtv's biggest hits of all time. It brought us a personal view with the family of a rock icon, and showed us that despite at the glitz and glamor, all the controversy and whatnot... they are a true family, like any others.
The series starts with Ozzy, his wife Sharon (who I just adore, she seems like so much fun), and his kids Jack and Kelly (along with about a dozen dogs and cats), as they move into their new home. Each episode deals with something eventful happening around the Osbourne home... from his kid's dating lives, to the disappearance of their cats, to the annoying neighbors, to Ozzy touring and even to personal struggles like Sharon's battle with cancer. It's all here. It's all blatant. It's real.
The thing about the show that worked so well was the dynamic of the Osbournes as a family. While there were obviously some circumstances that set them apart from others (such as wealth and notoriety), it really doesn't matter- they went through struggles that are universal for virtually every family. It was quite touching (and refreshing) to see people interacting with one another as a family first on television. It was very humanizing, and nobody was ever portrayed as a bad person. They were presented as human beings, with flaws and perfections. It was indeed a very touching show... it never felt exploitive of the family, and you never were laughing or experiencing feelings at the expense of them.
And after that thought, I will say that the show was extremely humorous, because it was so identifiable. Many people seem to point out the profanity in the show, or some outlandish situations, but for me, the humor was always an organic extension of the family, and was the same humor I find within my own family- humor from bickering, humor from saying the wrong thing, humor from doing something you later regret. It is extremely funny, from a personal perspective, as one can easily relate to these humorous situations.
All in all, I found "The Osbournes" to be one of the few Reality Shows that actually was real, and was worth watching. Despite having ended after only three years, and having never released it's final seasons on DVD (only the first two were released), it remains one of the shows I still love and occasionally watch, and to me, was the best Reality program of its decade. A 10 out of 10.
The series starts with Ozzy, his wife Sharon (who I just adore, she seems like so much fun), and his kids Jack and Kelly (along with about a dozen dogs and cats), as they move into their new home. Each episode deals with something eventful happening around the Osbourne home... from his kid's dating lives, to the disappearance of their cats, to the annoying neighbors, to Ozzy touring and even to personal struggles like Sharon's battle with cancer. It's all here. It's all blatant. It's real.
The thing about the show that worked so well was the dynamic of the Osbournes as a family. While there were obviously some circumstances that set them apart from others (such as wealth and notoriety), it really doesn't matter- they went through struggles that are universal for virtually every family. It was quite touching (and refreshing) to see people interacting with one another as a family first on television. It was very humanizing, and nobody was ever portrayed as a bad person. They were presented as human beings, with flaws and perfections. It was indeed a very touching show... it never felt exploitive of the family, and you never were laughing or experiencing feelings at the expense of them.
And after that thought, I will say that the show was extremely humorous, because it was so identifiable. Many people seem to point out the profanity in the show, or some outlandish situations, but for me, the humor was always an organic extension of the family, and was the same humor I find within my own family- humor from bickering, humor from saying the wrong thing, humor from doing something you later regret. It is extremely funny, from a personal perspective, as one can easily relate to these humorous situations.
All in all, I found "The Osbournes" to be one of the few Reality Shows that actually was real, and was worth watching. Despite having ended after only three years, and having never released it's final seasons on DVD (only the first two were released), it remains one of the shows I still love and occasionally watch, and to me, was the best Reality program of its decade. A 10 out of 10.