"Every good reality show starts with a memorable cast, but the producers of Below Deck set themselves up for an especially difficult task. Not only do they need to find capable and willing yachties who are going to pop off the screen whether they're making beds and cleaning heads or inflating that godforsaken slide, they need crew who can do all that while keeping the show's docusoap elements afloat."
"That means production can keep salaries down (lucky them!), but it also means that each season we get a mostly new cast to meet, judge, and get excited about, secure in the knowledge that most of them didn't go on the show with the sole intention of becoming a professional reality-TV personality. They're doing this for fun and their love of the yachtie lifestyle,"
"There have been a ton of them - 214, in fact, as I learned when I set out to rank everyone who has ever served in Bravo's armada of drama. Some were memorable and some barely invited a second thought, some were hard workers and some spent most of their time on smoke breaks, some were affably charming and some were in boatmances so toxic not all the self-help books in the world could help."
Producing Below Deck requires finding yacht crew who can perform technical duties—making beds, cleaning heads, operating equipment—while also delivering compelling docusoap television. Frequent cast turnover means most crew appear for only a season or two, which reduces salaries and brings mostly new faces each year. Many participants join for love of the yachtie lifestyle rather than to pursue reality stardom. Across the main series and four spinoffs there have been 214 performers. Cast members vary from diligent workers to smoke-break regulars, from affably charming to toxic in relationships. Boatmances increase screen time but often invite harsher judgment.
Read at Vulture
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