Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) calls on reporters during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
A forthcoming reality show is looking for Capitol Hill staffers to star.
As flagged by Roll Call, the posting on Brad Traverse Jobs says:
The Executive Producer behind Catfish, 30 Days, 9 By Design & Architecture School is casting a new reality show and looking for congressional staffers and D.C. influencers. Democrats and Republicans are welcome as long as applicants have a strong point of view and aren’t afraid to express it. There will be filming of a short reel on July 24-26 so applicants must be in the D.C. area and somewhat available on those dates.
This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen reality television try to mine the inherent drama of politicking and grandstanding on the Hill.
Remember House Divided, a version of The Real World formula that put seven twenty-somethings with various political ideologies in a D.C. rowhouse to duke it out? Yeah, us either. There’s also Bravo’s Real Housewives of D.C., which didn’t make it to a second season as a result of low ratings and general unpopularity. Back in 2010, Rob Lowe sold E! Network a show called “Potomac Fever,” but we can’t find any proof of it making it to air.
Even well-established unscripted series like Real World and Top Chef saw lower-than-usual ratings when they came to the District for the season.
But now that our president is a bona fide reality star, politicos may see the opportunity to talk smack in a confessional booth a career opportunity. Consider it Meet the Press, only you don’t have to deal with Chuck Todd.
Rachel Kurzius