I have a theory about one of the reasons why this show is so addictive. NIAZI: Something about watching these beautiful, goofy young people trapped on a boat trying to learn their jobs very awkwardly is just, like, instant relaxation for me. NIAZI: When the kids go to bed, that is how we relax. NIAZI: And now it's a show that, like - you know how you have shows with your partner and if one of you watches a recent episode without the other, it's, like, full-out war? And instantly, we binged every single season. I don't know if it's good, but I read that, you know, young people love it. So I said to my husband - I was like, we're going to watch an episode of this show. And I was just completely confused, thrown for a loop. NIAZI: My journey started in 2018, when I read that very young people were watching the show. Amil, how about you? How did your "Below Deck" fandom come to be? When young people who think they are going to live the rest of their lives get together in the summer and they have nothing else to do, they are going to hook up with each other. It doesn't matter whether you're working for the super-rich or if you're just at a YMCA summer camp. You know, I used to work at a summer camp briefly for two summers, and I can attest that this is how it goes. The deck crew versus the interior crew, which I'm sure we'll get into more, the drama between the romances and people loving each other. It's - there's so many different things, between the hierarchical structure of the crew. It's almost "Real World"-adjacent because - I was a huge fan of "The Real World," where these people have real jobs and they're stuck together the whole season. I like it for these, like, very low-maintenance young people hanging out, discovering their lives. I don't like Bravo for, you know, the big flagship shows - the "Housewives" shows, the real estate shows. What I love about this show is that it's so easy to watch. Of "Below Deck." And I'm like, oh, wow, this is fantastic.
#LIFE ON TOP TV FULL#
And the next thing you know, eight hours later, I had watched a full season. And I was like, oh, this scene is interesting. I was flipping through channels on the couch, and there was a marathon on. YOUNG: So I became a fan of "Below Deck" the way anyone becomes a fan of any Bravo show. That's all I heard when you said "Below Deck Adventure." Now, Ronald, how did you come to be a "Below Deck" man? Since then, Bravo has added "Below Deck Mediterranean" and "Below Deck Sailing Yacht," and there's more to come with Bravo announcements of shows called "Below Deck Down Under" - you can probably tell what that is - and a more adrenaline-oriented show called "Below Deck Adventure." Each season, it features eight or so crew members who work and party and sometimes have sex, obviously, as they take care of various charter groups who go out for a couple days at a time. As I mentioned, "Below Deck" came to Bravo in 2013 as one of the network's many shows about young hotties who live together or work together or both.
It's a pretty special day, I think, for all of us. She is a culture writer and panelist on the CBC's "Pop Chat." Welcome back, Amil.ĪMIL NIAZI: Hi. HOLMES: (Laughter) And also joining us is Amil Niazi. He is the host of the Pushkin podcast "Solvable." Welcome back, Ronald. I'm Linda Holmes, and today we're talking about "Below Deck" on POP CULTURE HAPPY HOUR from NPR. As reality shows are likely to do these days, it's expanded with spin-offs and reunions, and we have questions. For the past eight years, it's been showing viewers the world of deckhands and chefs, housekeeping and party planning as young, hot people work on luxury yachts chartered by people who have too much money. If you've always wondered what it would be like to see the world while making espresso martinis for the super-rich, you might already be watching the "Below Deck" franchise.