Bible-toting Dirk Been gained fame as the Christian on the first Survivor show, but MTV's long-running The Real World has included Christians for a long time. Now, however, "reality" shows are upping the ante when it comes to including religion.
Show:
The Amazing Race
CBS
Premise:
Pairs race around the world
Contestants:
Russ and Cyndi Kalenberg, copastors of Agape Christian Center in Brainerd, Minnesota
Prospects:
"We're going to depend on amazing grace for The Amazing Race," they say. They're still in the game at press time, but falling behind.
Show:
Escape from Pentridge
Triple M, Melbourne
Premise:
Surviving simulated prison life
Contestants:
Kevin Lee, a Roman Catholic priest from Sydney
Prospects:
Won the competition, $20,000, and a car, converted his strip-club owner "cellmate"—then was suspended from the priesthood for being on the show.
Show:
TruthQuest: California
FamilyNe
Premise:
A youth missions trip
Contestants:
A dozen Southern Baptist teens from around the U.S.
Prospects:
No one gets voted off or eats bugs, but producer Martin Coleman promises entertainment. "Seeking a path with God is our reality," he told Fox News.
The official site for The Amazing Race has a profile of all the participants including Russ and Cyndi. The site also has Q&A interviews with the team before the race started and after they were eliminated. RealityTVfans.com also has a post-race interview.
Baptist Press has an archive of articles on TruthQuest. The official site for the show is up but now only has snappy music and pictures of the participants.