Guest FrigidSoul Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Reality TV Pioneer Mary-Ellis Bunim Dies By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer Producer Mary-Ellis Bunim, who brought television into the age of reality with MTV's "The Real World" and whose latest hit series was "The Simple Life," has died at age 57. Bunim died Thursday after a long battle with breast cancer, MTV announced Friday. She and business partner Jonathan Murray, who kicked off the reality trend in 1992 with "The Real World," were among the genre's most prolific producers. Their series included "Road Rules," "The Love Cruise," "Making the Band," "Starting Over" and, most recently, Fox's "The Simple Life" with party girl and headline-maker Paris Hilton. Bunim was "an extraordinary talent who pioneered an entire genre of television," Fox's entertainment president, Gail Berman said in a statement Friday. Bunim, Murray and other producers upended the TV order as reality shows soared in popularity, eventually wresting chunks of broadcast and cable schedules away from traditional scripted series. While some critics decried the shows as base, sometimes exploitive entertainment, audiences and networks embraced them. The Bunim-Murray productions targeted a young audience. "The Real World," for instance, threw a mixed group of young adults together as roommates, with an unblinking camera keeping tabs on them. "Mary-Ellis opened our eyes and our hearts to a whole new way of looking at young adult programming," Judy McGrath, MTV Networks Group president, said in a statement. The Bunim-Murray magic didn't translate to films, however. Their movie "The Real Cancun" was a critical and box-office dud. Before she turned to real-life soap opera, Bunim had vast experience in the traditional kind. She was responsible for more than 2,500 hours of daytime TV as executive producer of "Search for Tomorrow," "As the World Turns," "Santa Barbara" and "Loving." As a New World Entertainment vice president, she developed programming for children as well as for daytime and late-night. The native of Northampton, Mass., is survived by her daughter, Juliana. Sucks she died of breast cancer, but if there's any positive to this it would be Reality TV's creative genius is no longer around to contribute to the crap anymore. Still, condolences to her Family who live about 1hr45min away from me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Downhome 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Does everyone die of some form of cancer these days? I hate to hear this about this person, even though I've never heard of her, but whatever. It just seems that just about everyone I hear of that died, died of cancer, more so now than ever. Or maybe I'm just paying more attention to it, I dunno. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted January 31, 2004 I agree with what Soul said. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Now will there be a special reality Mary-Ellis Fighting Cancer series or something?... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ghettoman Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Well personally, it's a sad thing, gotta figure she was feeling good off of the success of that show *shivers*.... Professionally, good riddance bitch, you've made the world of entertainment a big land of prefabricated garbage. You too Murray, go choke on a cock. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DangerousDamon 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 You guys are horrible. Saying you're happy when someone dies is just wrong. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ghettoman Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Hey my post was split for a reason... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Condolences to her family, shame she had to die. Just wish she would have made a better contribution to society than slapping us with the 15 minutes of fame brigades. That's the best I can say without being mean. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NYU 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 I find it a little unsettling that a person who doesn't want a teenager put to death or forced to spend his entire life in jail for BEATING AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD TO DEATH is happy that a woman died from breast cancer, just so that she can't put out any more reality shows. It still sucks to hear of anybody dying from breast cancer, regardless if they made a TV show I dislike or not. My condolences to the Bunim family. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nevermortal 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Now will there be a special reality Mary-Ellis Fighting Cancer series or something?... No, because it looks like she lost that fight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ghettoman Report post Posted January 31, 2004 I'm not against her, just her contribution to the world of entertainment. The good riddance bitch part was just for sparkle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Now will there be a special reality Mary-Ellis Fighting Cancer series or something?... No, because it looks like she lost that fight. Well she had no problem doing that to Pedro... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mole 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 This is no good. I'm a big RW mark, so this makes me sad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lando Griffin 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 *Yawn* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mole 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Wow Lando, you're a tool. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
syxx2001 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Well she could have always created some new game show or unfunny sitcom. You would have still complained. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2004 Wow Lando, you're a tool. ..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mole 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2004 Wow Lando, you're a tool. ..... He's a tool for saying: *Yawn* when a women dies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lando Griffin 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2004 Awwww...pass me a tissue. Get me a bandaid, too, so I can stop my heart from bleeding. Being called a tool sure means something coming from you. Boy howdy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ghettoman Report post Posted February 1, 2004 Must mean something if you replied to him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lando Griffin 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2004 Oh BURN!!!!!!111111 You sure put me in my place. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
