Terrace House: Boys & Girls in the City

Though certainly not a unique setup in the reality TV world, this show's built-in chatter circle gives it a distinct quality that will appeal to viewers who love on-screen drama. No matter how mundane the events inside Terrace House (choosing beds and deciding as a group what's for dinner, for instance), the commentary team always finds something to gossip about. Often that winds up being more entertaining to watch than the roommates themselves.

On the upside, Terrace House's cast of millennials is a mostly appealing group, all gainfully employed and/or pursuing degrees at local universities. They have their share of disagreements, but they're generally polite and considerate, which really offsets the usual stresses of cohabiting. And although reading subtitles can be tiresome for non-Japanese speakers, the show's Tokyo setting exposes viewers to some elements of Japanese culture.