The Real World: Chicago

For the 2014-2015 season of the same TV series set in the same city, see Real World: Skeletons.

The Real World: Chicago
Season 11
The cast of The Real World: Chicago
Starring
No. of episodes24[1]
Release
Original networkMTV
Original releaseJanuary 15 (2002-01-15) –
July 9, 2002 (2002-07-09)
Season chronology

The Real World: Chicago is the eleventh season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. It is the first season of The Real World to be filmed in the East North Central States region of the United States, specifically in Illinois.

The season featured seven people who lived in a converted bookstore/coffeehouse in the Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood, which production started from June 28 until November 3, 2001. This was also the first season in which production would start months (sometimes weeks) after wrapping the previous season allowing filming and broadcasting almost immediately unlike the usual annual season. The season premiered on January 15, 2002, and consisted of 24 episodes. This was the first of two seasons to be filmed in Chicago. Twelve years later, the show returned to the city in its thirtieth season.

The season depicted cast members dealing with learning of the September 11th attacks, although criticism was leveled at the series because the cast was actually at Wrigley Field for a photo shoot when they first learned of the event. However, contrary to rumors, the reactions seen were not staged. Producers brought a television in to the loft so the cast could see the attack footage.[2]

Amateur footage of Ed Marszewski protesting at the location during the production in 2001. Chalk slogans read: "I'm not an actor in my neighborhood"[3]

Bunim-Murray Productions experienced a number of problems with the production of this season, including a nearby shooting,[4] and numerous protests, vandalism, and arrests[5] by locals critical of MTV and its parent company, Viacom, and opposed to the production's perceived contribution to the neighborhood's gentrification.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ Episode synopsis list for The Real World: Chicago at MTV.com
  2. ^ "'Real World: Chicago' cast admits their September 11 reactions were staged".
  3. ^ Kleine, Ted (August 2, 2001). "Reality Bites". Chicago Reader. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  4. ^ "The Real Truth behind MTV's The Real World - Wicker Park Loft Shooting". www.realworldhouses.com.
  5. ^ "A 'Real World' Protest". CBS News. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  6. ^ "Joshua Fischer. "Real World Order: Digging into the obsessions behind Wicker Park protests of 'The Real World'" August 9, 2001" (PDF).
  7. ^ "The Real Truth behind MTV's The Real World - Wicker Park Loft Vandalism". www.realworldhouses.com.
  8. ^ "Former Home of MTV's "The Real World Chicago"". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved January 2, 2017.