True Life

American documentary television series

Betsy Forhan
Lauren Lazin
Dave Sirulnick
Jim Fraenkel
Marshall Eisen

Running time42 minutesOriginal releaseNetworkMTVReleaseMarch 31, 1998 (1998-03-31) –
June 21, 2017 (2017-06-21)Related

True Life/Now
True Life Crime
True Life Presents: First-Time First Responders
True Life Presents: Quarantine Stories

True Life is an American documentary television series that aired on MTV from March 31, 1998 to June 21, 2017. Each episode follows a particular topic, such as heroin addiction as in the first episode – "Fatal Dose". The show is created by following a series of subjects by a camera crew through a certain part of their lives. A four-episode revival series titled True Life/Now aired in 2019 and a crime investigation iteration called True Life Crime premiered in 2020.^[1]

A TV special titled True Life Presents: First-Time First Responders premiered on June 9, 2020.^[2]

A four-part docu-series titled True Life Presents: Quarantine Stories premiered on August 5, 2020.^[3]

Topics covered

True Life has covered over 140 topics from drug use, money issues, and sexual topics to simple social behavior like visiting the Jersey Shore. The show has aired 18 seasons and 328 episodes so far. There is an occasional intersection between this show and other shows. For example, the episode "I'm a Reality TV Star" featured people from The Real World and Survivor, while the episodes "I'm a Muay Thai Fighter" and "I'm a Mixed Martial Artist" both featured Kit Cope, who has recently signed a deal with the WFA and Frankie Edgar, who was the UFC Lightweight Champion. In the episode "I'm Bisexual," Sydney goes on a date with A.D. from From G's to Gents. In 2011, Sydney was featured in season 6 of Oxygen's Bad Girls Club. Lazar, who was in the episode "I'm in A Love Triangle", was in a 2007 episode of Parental Control.^[4]

Awards and nominations

Won 2009 Emmy Award for Best Special Class Series.
Won 2000 Image Award for Outstanding News, Talk, or Information Special (For episode "I Am Driving While Black".)
Won 2005 GLAAD ashleeMedia Award for Outstanding Documentary (For episode "I'm Gay and I'm Getting Married". Accepted by Aaron Pike and Stephen Schonberg)^[5]
True Life: I'm on Crystal Meth Won 2007 Prism Award for TV Teen Series Episode or Special (awarded to Cheryl Horner Sirulnick.)
Nominated 2000 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Journalism (For the segment "Matthew's Murder".)
Nominated 2003 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary (For episode "I'm Coming Out.")
Nominated 2016 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Journalism - Newsmagazine (For episode "I'm Genderqueer" featuring Jacob Tobia.)^[6]

References

^ "MTV Goes Behind the Controversial Headlines with New Investigative Series "True Life Crime"". The Futon Critic. January 3, 2020.
^ "MTV to Premiere Groundbreaking New Project "True Life Presents: First-Time First Responders" on Tuesday, June 9th at 9PM ET/PT". The Futon Critic. June 5, 2020.
^ "MTV Set to Premiere "True Life Presents: Quarantine Stories" on Wednesday, August 5th at 9PM ET/PT". The Futon Critic. July 22, 2020.
^ "Lauren laner - YouTube". YouTube.
^ "GLAAD's Resources for Press". GLAAD. Sep 12, 2011. Retrieved Jul 14, 2019.
^ "GLAAD Media Awards (2016)". IMDb. Retrieved Jul 14, 2019.

External links

Official website
True Life at IMDb

Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Series

Daytime Drama Special
(1974–1977)

The ABC Afternoon Playbreak ("The Other Woman") (1974)
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak ("The Girl Who Couldn't Lose") (1975)
First Ladies Diaries ("Edith Wilson") (1976)
The American Woman: Portraits of Courage (1977)

Special Classification of Outstanding Program Achievement
(1978–1979)

Live from Lincoln Center ("Recital of Tenor Luciano Pavarotti from the Met") (1978)
Camera Three (1979)

Informational Children's Series
(1980)

FYI: For Your Information (1980)

Informational Children's Series
(1981–1984)

FYI: For Your Information (1981)
FYI: For Your Information (1982)
American Bandstand (1983)
FYI: For Your Information (1984)

Special Class Program
(1985, 1988–1999)

For Our Times ("To See a World") (1985)
No Award (1988)
China: Walls and Bridges / James Stewart's Wonderful Life (1989)
No Award (1990)
Live from Lincoln Center ("Yo-Yo Ma in Concert") (1991)
Spaceship Earth: Our Global Environment (1992)
Great Wonders of the World ("Wonders of Nature") (1993)
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1994)
Talk Soup (1995)
World AIDS Day Special (1996)
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1997)
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1998)
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1999)

Pre-School Children's Series
(1986–1987)

Chagall's Journey / Live from Lincoln Center ("Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center with Irene Worth and Horacio Gutierrez") (1986)
ABC Notebook ("The Children of Ellis Island") / One to Grow On / Taking Children Seriously (1987)

Special Class Series
(2000–2020)

Film Preservation Classics (2000)
Behind the Screen with John Burke (2001)
Behind the Screen with John Burke (2002)
A Baby Story (2003)
When I Was a Girl (2004)
Starting Over (2005)
A Baby Story (2006)
Made (2007)
Made (2008)
True Life (2009)
The Relic Hunter with Ian Grant (2010)
Made (2011)
Super Soul Sunday (2012)
Made (2013)
Super Soul Sunday (2014)
The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation (2015)
Lucky Dog (2016)
Super Soul Sunday (2017)
Xploration Earth 2050 (2018)
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors (2019)
The Day I Picked My Parents (2020)

MTV original programming

Current

All Star Shore (since 2023)
Catfish: The TV Show (since 2012)
Caught in the Act: Unfaithful (since 2023)
The Challenge (since 1998)
Couples Retreat (since 2023)
MTV Cribs (2000–2011; since 2021)
Ex on the Beach (since 2018)
The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist (since 2023)
Help! I'm in a Secret Relationship! (since 2022)
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation (since 2018)
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (since 2023)
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta: Run It Back (since 2023)
The Love Experiment (since 2023)
MTV Unplugged (since 1989)
The Real Friends of WeHo (since 2023)
Ridiculousness (since 2011)
RuPaul's Drag Race (since 2023)
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked (since 2023)
Siesta Key (since 2017)
Teen Mom: Family Reunion (since 2022)
Teen Mom: Girls' Night In (since 2022)
Teen Mom: The Next Chapter (since 2022)

Former

1980s debuts	MTV New Year's (1981–2014) We're Dancin' (1982–1983) I.R.S. Records Presents The Cutting Edge (1983–1987) Al TV (1984–1999) The Brawl to End It All (1984) Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes (1985–1987) Heavy Metal Mania (1985–1987) The War to Settle the Score (1985) Dial MTV (1986–1996) 120 Minutes (1986–2000) MTV Spring Break (1986–2014, 2019) Headbangers Ball (1987–1995) Stevie and Zoya (1987–1989) Club MTV (1987–1992) Remote Control (1987–1990) Yo! MTV Raps (1988–1995) Just Say Julie (1989–1992) House of Style (1989–2012) Camp MTV (1989) Street Party (1989–1992) Totally Pauly (1989–1994) PostModern MTV (1989–1993)
1990s debuts	Turn It Up! (1990) Pirate TV (1990) Sex in the '80s (1990) The Idiot Box (1991) MTV Rock N' Jock (1991–2001) Liquid Television (1991–2014) Æon Flux (1991–1995) MTV Sports (1992–1997) Lip Service (1992–1994) The Grind (1992–1997) The Ben Stiller Show (1992–1993) The Real World (1992–2017) Catwalk (1992–1994) Sex in the '90s (1992–1994) Alternative Nation (1992–1997) Like We Care (1992) You Wrote It, You Watch It (1992–1993) Beavis and Butt-Head (1993–1997, 2011) The Jon Stewart Show (1993–1994) The State (1993–1995) MTV Beach House (1993) Trashed (1994) Dead at 21 (1994) The Brothers Grunt (1994–1995) The Head (1994–1996) MTV News: Unfiltered (1994–1998) Squirt TV (1994–1996) The Maxx (1995) Road Rules (1995–2004, 2007) Singled Out (1995–1998, 2018) Buzzkill (1996) Amp (1996–2001) Idiot Savants (1996–1997) Loveline (1996–2000) Daria (1997–2001) The Jenny McCarthy Show (1997) Oddville, MTV (1997–1999) Apartment 2F (1997) Austin Stories (1997–1998) 12 Angry Viewers (1997–1998) Cartoon Sushi (1997–1998) MTV Live (1997–1998) Total Request (1998) Celebrity Deathmatch (1998–2002, 2006–2007) Total Request Live (1998–2008; 2017–2019) Wanna Be a VJ (1998–2000) Say What? Karaoke (1998–2003) FANatic (1998–2000) True Life (1998–2017, 2020) The Cut (1998) Say What? (1998–1999) The Sifl and Olly Show (1998–1999) Super Adventure Team (1998) The Blame Game (1999–2000) Station Zero (1999) Making the Video (1999–2009) Undressed (1999–2002) Downtown (1999) webRIOT (1999–2000) The Tom Green Show (1999–2000)
2000s debuts	The Lyricist Lounge Show (2000–2001) Diary (2000–2014) Spy Groove (2000–2002) Fear (2000–2002) Jackass (2000–2002) WWE Heat (2000–2003) Live Through This (2000) Kathy's So-Called Reality (2001) The Andy Dick Show (2001–2002) Undergrads (2001) Spyder Games (2001) WWE Tough Enough (2001–2003) Sex 2K (2001–2004) Becoming (2001) Dismissed (2001–2003) MTV Icon (2001–2004) The Osbournes (2002–2005) The Sausage Factory (2002) Made (2002–2014) I Bet You Will (2002) Sorority Life (2002–2004) Clone High (2002–2003) 3-South (2002–2003) Doggy Fizzle Televizzle (2002–2003) Carmen and Dave: An MTV Love Story (2002) Making the Band 2 (2002–2004) Scratch and Burn (2002) Fraternity Life (2003–2005) Punk'd (2003–2007, 2012) Surf Girls (2003) Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003) The New Tom Green Show (2003) Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica (2003–2005) Viva La Bam (2003–2005) Wildboyz (2003–2004) Rich Girls (2003) Room Raiders (2003–2009) Boiling Points (2004–2005) 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave (2004) High School Stories (2004–2006) Pimp My Ride (2004–2007) I Want a Famous Face (2004–2005) Wanna Come In? (2004) The Ashlee Simpson Show (2004–2005) The Assistant (2004) Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County (2004–2006) Battle for Ozzfest (2004–2005) Date My Mom (2004–2006) Damage Control (2005) PoweR Girls (2005) Trippin' (2005) My Super Sweet 16 (2005–2009, 2017) Making the Band 3 (2005–2006) Meet the Barkers (2005–2006) Next (2005–2008) The Andy Milonakis Show (2005–2007) MTV's The 70s House (2005) Run's House (2005–2009) Miss Seventeen (2005) Homewrecker (2005) Trick It Out (2005–2007) Wild 'n Out (2005–2007, 2013–2019) There & Back (2006) The Gamekillers (2006) Parental Control (2006–2010) 8th & Ocean (2006) Tiara Girls (2006) Call to Greatness (2006) Yo Momma (2006–2007) Blowin' Up (2006–2007) The Hills (2006–2010) The Adventures of Chico and Guapo (2006) Final Fu (2006) Two-A-Days (2006–2007) Rob & Big (2006–2008) My Own (2006) Sucker Free (2006–2008) twentyfourseven (2006) Why Can't I Be You? (2006) DanceLife (2007) Maui Fever (2007) Engaged and Underage (2007–2008) Bam's Unholy Union (2007) Wrestling Society X (2007) Exposed (2007–2008) I'm from Rolling Stone (2007) Juvies (2007) Taquita + Kaui (2007) Hilary Duff: This Is Now (2007) Adventures in Hollyhood (2007) Human Giant (2007–2008) Nick Cannon Presents: Short Circuitz (2007) Scarred (2007) Making the Band 4 (2007–2009) The X Effect (2007–2009) Room 401 (2007) Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County (2007–2008) Life of Ryan (2007–2008) Celebrity Rap Superstar (2007) A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila (2007) Pageant Place (2007) Kaya (2007) Barrio 19 (2007) Making Menudo (2007) America's Best Dance Crew (2008–2012, 2015) That's Amore! (2008) Rock the Cradle (2008) The Paper (2008) A Shot at Love II with Tila Tequila (2008) Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods (2008) FNMTV (2008) From G's to Gents (2008–2009) Buzzin' (2008) MTV's Top Pop Group (2008) Paris Hilton's My New BFF (2008–2009) 50 Cent: The Money and the Power (2008–2009) A Double Shot at Love (2008–2009) Bromance (2008–2009) The City (2008–2010) 16 and Pregnant (2009–2014; 2020–2021) Daddy's Girls (2009) How's Your News? (2009) Is She Really Going Out with Him? (2009–2010) Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory (2009–2015) The CollegeHumor Show (2009) T.I.'s Road to Redemption (2009) Dogg After Dark (2009) $5 Cover (2009) Making His Band (2009) Taking the Stage (2009–2010) Bully Beatdown (2009–2012) Music Feed (2009–2017) College Life (2009) The Phone (2009) DJ & the Fro (2009) It's On with Alexa Chung (2009) Silent Library (2009–2011) Nitro Circus (2009) Pranked (2009–2012) Popzilla (2009) Disaster Date (2009–2011) Valemont (2009) Gone Too Far (2009) Jersey Shore (2009–2012) Teen Mom OG (2009–2012; 2015–2021)
2010s debuts	My Life as Liz (2010–2011) The Buried Life (2010) The Dudesons in America (2010) Hired (2010) When I Was 17 (2010–2011) Downtown Girls (2010) The Hard Times of RJ Berger (2010–2011) The Ride (2010) Warren the Ape (2010) If You Really Knew Me (2010) Lucha Libre USA (2010–2011) The Seven (2010–2011) I Used to Be Fat (2010–2011, 2013) World of Jenks (2010–2013) Cuff'd (2011) Skins (2011) Teen Wolf (2011–2017) Awkward (2011–2016) I Just Want My Pants Back (2011–2012) Death Valley (2011) Plain Jane (2011) Good Vibes (2011) Friendzone (2011–2014) Teen Mom 2 (2011–2022) Caged (2012) The Pauly D Project (2012) Savage U (2012) Snooki & Jwoww (2012–2015) The Inbetweeners (2012) This Is How I Made It (2012–2013) Underemployed (2012–2013) Money from Strangers (2012–2013) The Alectrix (2013) Buckwild (2013) Girl Code (2013–2015) Nikki & Sara Live (2013) Kesha: My Crazy Beautiful Life (2013) The Show with Vinny (2013) Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous (2013) Teen Mom 3 (2013) Big Tips Texas (2013) Scrubbing In (2013) Are You the One? (2014–2019) Faking It (2014–2016) Finding Carter (2014–2015) Snack-Off (2014–2015) Virgin Territory (2014) Happyland (2014) House of Food (2014) Slednecks (2014) Broke Ass Game Show (2015–2016) Eye Candy (2015) Follow the Rules (2015) Kingin' with Tyga (2015–2016) Todrick (2015) Middle of the Night Show (2015) One Bad Choice (2015) Scream (2015–2016) Acting Out (2016) The Almost Impossible Game Show (2016) The Shannara Chronicles (2016) Fail Army (2016) Fast Food Heights (2016) Greatest Party Story Ever (2016) Ladylike (2016) Loosely Exactly Nicole (2016) Mary + Jane (2016) Owning It (2016) The Racket (2016) Suspect (2016) Sweet/Vicious (2016–2017) Are You the One? Second Chances (2017) Dare to Live (2017) 90's House (2017) Stranded with a Million Dollars (2017) Promposal (2017) Shinesty (2017) Undressed (2017) Teen Mum (2017) Amazingness (2017–2018) The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars (2017–2018) Fear Factor (2017–2018) Floribama Shore (2017–2021) SafeWord (2017–2018) Catfish: Trolls (2018) Too Stupid to Die (2018) Winter Break: Hunter Mountain (2018) Pretty Little Mamas (2018) How Far Is Tattoo Far? (2018–2019) Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant (2018–2022) Game of Clones (2019) Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club (2019) True Life/Now (2019) Made in Staten Island (2019) Double Shot at Love (2019–2021) Ghosted: Love Gone Missing (2019–2021) The Hills: New Beginnings (2019, 2021) Teen Mom: Young Moms Club (2019)
2020s debuts	16 and Recovering (2020) The Busch Family Brewed (2020) Deliciousness (2020–2022) Families of the Mafia (2020–2021) Revenge Prank (2020–2021) True Life Crime (2020–2021) Adorableness (2021) Messyness (2021–2022) Becoming a Popstar (2022) Buckhead Shore (2022) The Challenge: Untold History (2022) Love at First Lie (2022)