Mary-Ellis Bunim & Jonathan Murray (Producers)

For more than a decade, cable and broadcast networks, syndicators and viewers around the world have looked to Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray and their production company for reality television that is groundbreaking and unforgettable.

Their hit series—including “The Real World” (MTV), “Road Rules” (MTV), “Making the Band” (ABC/MTV) and “Love Cruise: The Maiden Voyage” (FOX)—turned real tales of ordinary people into extraordinary television and made industry leaders of Bunim and Murray.

Whether their around-the-clock cameras are documenting the lives and loves of the MTV generation or writing scripted dramas that are grounded in life experiences, Bunim-Murray Productions continues to create a body of work that is, to quote their own company motto, “as real as it gets™.”

“The Real World: Las Vegas” (season 12) recently completed its season as the highest-rated “Real World” installment to date, and production is under way on “The Real World: Paris” and “Road Rules: South Seas.” Currently airing on MTV is “The Real World/Road Rules Battle of the Sexes,” an exciting competition series between alumni from “The Real World” and “Road Rules.” Upcoming is “Born to Diva” on VH1.

BMP is also working on a myriad of both reality-based and scripted projects including: “Simple Life” (working title), a real life version of “Green Acres” for FOX; “Altered Egos,” a reality/scripted hybrid; “Interns,” another scripted series for MTV; the syndicated series “Starting Over,” which is in pre-production for NBC Enterprises; and other projects being pitched to (and in development for) network, cable, syndication and feature films.

Before her partnership with Murray, Mary-Ellis Bunim executive network produced more than 2,500 hours of daytime television on “Search for Tomorrow,” “As the World Turns,” “Santa Barbara,” and “Loving.” Later, as Vice-President–Tape Programs for New World Entertainment, Bunim developed a variety of programming for Children, Network Daytime, Late-Night and First-Run. After graduating from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Jonathan Murray spent six years in local television news (WLUX-TV, WXIA-TV and WKYC-TV), programming and station management (WOKR-TV). From there he went to the national television sales rep firm, HRP, Inc., where he helped local stations buy and schedule their syndicated programming.

They first teamed on a dramatic detective series called “Crime Diaries” for Quintex and a six-part reality series, “American Families,” for FOX. Aware that MTV was interested in launching its own soap opera, Bunim and Murray pitched an alternate way to achieve drama by combining the elements of soap opera and documentary to create a new format for television: “The Real World,” a reality serial that follows seven young people picked to live together as housemates. Launched in June of 1992, “The Real World” quickly became an award-winning icon of the 18-34 demographic.

A “Real World” spin-off titled “Road Rules” premiered on MTV in July of 1995 and features 5-6 young people who travel together in extremely close quarters and are given a series of missions to accomplish. For 11 seasons, the Emmy-nominated “Road Rules” has traversed the United States and the world.

More information on all Bunim/Murray Productions is available at the company’s website
www.bunim-murray.com