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You have to admit – the early 2000s were when MTV reality shows were at their prime.

You had The Real World (before they had unrealistic plot-twists like the recent Ex-Plosion), Making The Band (the drama on that show felt too real), and one of reality TV’s first families, The Osbournes, amongst many others.

But let’s not forget the dozens of oddly-concepted MTV dating shows that were always on when you came home from school or work. Yes, a lot of them were trash and ridiculously scripted, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t shamelessly watch them.

So let’s take a scroll down memory lane.

1) DisMissed (2001)

DisMissed was pretty much the MTV version of Blind Date, where a guy or girl would go on a blind date with two contestants in the hopes of convincing one of them to date further. But the show was definitely more about the concept of winning than finding a real connection.

2) Room Raiders (2004-present) 

In Room Raiders, contestants would basically get “kidnapped” without warning from their homes into some sketchy van where they would watch a stranger “raid” their room and make some pretty general judgment calls. At the end they would send the three victims contestants to then raid the stranger’s room. In the end they would choose who they wanted to date based off how clean their sheets were or whether or not they had a Fight Club poster in their room. That’s true love right there.

3) Date My Mom (2004-2006) 

To simply put it, this show took the phrase “like mother, like daughter” to a whole different level.

4) Wanna Come In? (2004-2005) 

There’s a good chance you don’t remember this show but if you do, try not to think too much about how it made little to no sense. Read more about the concept here.

5) Parental Control (2005-2010) 

Parental Control was definitely not the GOAT in MTV scripted shows, but it was still one of the most entertaining. In an attempt to get their son or daughter to dump their current boo, parents would set their kid up on individual dates of their choosing. The parents and current boyfriend or girlfriend would then watch how the dates played out. Yeah, MTV went there.

6) Next (2005-2008) 

Next was speed-dating with a different and maybe unnecessary twist. Contestants would earn a dollar for every minute they’d last on a blind date, but if the guy or girl wasn’t “feeling it,” they’d yell out “Next,” the poor soul would get sent back on the bus with their pocket-money, and the next contestant would be brought out. The ultimate burn was when some contestants would only last seconds.

7) Exposed (2007-2008) 

Exposed’s short run was probably due to the fact that its whole entire plot was a little creepy and could be played out today as social media stalking. Read more here.

PHOTO CREDIT: MTV

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