Welcome to Drama vs. Reality, a new four-part series brought to you by Complex and ITV, where Zeze Millz and Harry Pinero go head-to-head dropping their favourite selections of shows on ITV Hub. Here, UK culture journalist Chanté Joseph gives us a sneak preview of Episode 1, whilst offering up a couple of choice ITV Hub recommendations of her own.
The set-up of Drama vs. Reality sees YouTuber/presenter Harry Pinero representing Drama, and cultural commentator Zeze Millz representing Reality TV. Each episode, their task is to select a show from their respective lanes—from ITV Hub’s vast array of content—which they will then debate to see whose show is the best. For the first episode, the two series that Harry and Zeze pick couldn’t be more worlds apart.
Zeze is up first, offering up Bad Boy Chiller Crew—a chaotic and queasy reality TV show that follows three mischievous Bradford boys as they rise to music stardom. In the first season, the boys are working toward their debut at Reading & Leeds Festival; their journey is complete and utter chaos, and so is the day itself. This one here is lad culture on steroids, which makes you feel uneasy and worryingly invested; you can’t help but obsess over their hunger to make it in the UK music biz. As long as you can stomach the booze and occasional bodily fluid, you’ll find yourself hooked to this banger of a reality show.
In response, Harry also comes in strong, suggesting The Tower—a gripping British police drama that always feels eerily too close to home. As all good shows do, it opens up with a freak accident. A veteran police officer and a teenager have fallen from a tower-block in South East London. Left behind are a five-year-old boy and a rookie officer, who suddenly goes missing. Perhaps it is my bias, but I honestly feel like all great shows start with chaos and unravel backwards. This mystery sparks a winding investigation that will have you unable to switch off until you know the truth. Not short on suspense, action and fast-paced storytelling, if you’re looking for something that gets straight to the point and drops you right in the heart of the plot—this is it. The show also features the talented Black actor Jimmy Akingbola, who plays DC Steve Bradshaw.
While we’re on the topic of drama, if The Tower is your kind of vibe and you want to find something that’s filled with just as much mystery, suspense and deceit, then look no further thanThe Sister. This star-studded, seat-gripping production sees Russell Tovey play Nathan—a spouse with an explosive secret that threatens to unravel his life when his past pays him a visit. Without giving away too much, a side adventure at a party goes horribly wrong leading to a young woman losing her life. Nathan is sure he can continue living with this swept under the rug, but then an old friend shows up and threatens to let it out in the open.
Nothing feels better than people getting their comeuppance, but as a viewer, you’re conflicted: this man’s life exploding means other people suffer as well. This is one of those shows where there are no winners, only victims. You sit on the edge of the seat as Nathan barely manages to hold it together and encounters so many near misses with the truth. The Sister also borderlines the supernatural and spiritual, so be prepared for some spooky moments.
If the suspense is too much and you simply cannot deal with the drama and thrills, that’s totally understandable; we can’t all live on the edge constantly, can we? ITV Hub’s reality offering feels endless, but today I’d suggest you check out Karaoke Club: Drag Edition.
This high-energy reality show is for the singalong crew that take karaoke a bit too seriously. It’s a spin-off from Celebrity Karaoke Club—also essential viewing—which sees seven loud, glamorous and dramatic drag queens belt their glittery hearts out to impress their fellow contestants and avoid being sent home from the competition. Karaoke Club: Drag Edition is the epitome of fun; I’m not lying when I tell you it is ten times more dramatic than you ever thought it would be. The performances are far from bland, and the outfits might just blind you! So if you love all things drag, this one is definitely for you. In the famous words of Drake: you can thank me later!
To watch these and a stack of other top Drama and Reality shows, head over to ITV Hub.
