Is Below Deck scripted?
BravoBelow Deck has become known for its drama, both between the crew and between crew and guests. But this is making fans wonder if the show is scripted. Here’s everything you need to know.
Below Deck is a reality TV franchise that follows crew members on various different yachts during charter season. The series has had a number of spin-offs, including Below Deck Sailing Yacht and Below Deck Down Under, and is getting more popular each day.
Each season of the show has featured plenty of dramatic scenes, storylines, and iconic moments, with many clips going viral on social media.
However, many viewers have wondered whether or not the popular Bravo TV show is scripted. Here’s everything to know.
BravoIs Below Deck real & is it scripted?
Below Deck is not scripted. In 2015, Captain Lee Rosbach told Reality Blurred that he thinks the show is “a pretty accurate snapshot, I really do. What happens, happens and it’s all caught on film.”
He also admitted that some elements of the show surprised even him, adding: “Hell yes, I’m surprised. I think one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned since I started doing a series is that a captain who thinks they really, really knows what goes on with his crew all the time is fooling himself, because he doesn’t.”
He went on to add that he thinks the drama is “typical” of the yachting industry. “Some people may disagree with that assessment,” he said, “but you’ve always got drama on board a boat. Any time you get people that are living and working together in that close proximity, you’re going to have issues and things are going to happen, and drama’s going to ensue. It’s been that way in yachting for years, long before the series came around.”
Are the clients on Below Deck real?
The guests on Below Deck are real, and they spend their real money to be on the show according to executive producer Mark Cronin. Guests who feature on Below Deck reportedly also have a 50% discount on their charter.
Courtland Cox added: “They’re not people that are coming on because they feel like this is a good chance for them to get on TV. This is a great experience for them to charter a very large yacht with a very experienced and fun crew and have an amazing three-day charter in an amazing location.”
Is Below Deck true to life?
As it is a reality TV show, Below Deck reportedly does not entirely accurately represent the industry as it is in real life, despite not being scripted.
Cast member Ben Robinson told the Mirror in 2020: “It’s a TV show, they like drama and they like relationships. Real yachting, you don’t focus on the small dramatic snippets. Everybody is just trying to do their best. With a lot of these people, there isn’t much respect of rank. That wouldn’t happen normally on a yacht.”
YouTube: BravoFans aren’t convinced Below Deck is 100% scripted
While they aren’t denying that the cast members chosen to join the show are experienced in the yachting industry, viewers aren’t sure that the show as a whole is not scripted, judging by their Reddit comments.
One fan wrote, “I think it’s one of the least scripted as they are actually all working and living together. But I think producers plant difficult crew and guests, come up with annoying guest demands and force crew members to confront eachother when there has been a problem.”
Another fan chimed in and wrote, “When they interview and say the little comments, I can tell some are completely scripted. The crew look off to the left or right of the camera to read what the producers tells them to say… It also doesn’t seem genuine and emotional.”
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