Catfish: The TV Show

Catfish: The TV Show
Screencap of show's logo
Genre	Reality Documentary
Developed by	Ariel Schulman Nev Schulman Max Joseph
Starring	Nev Schulman Max Joseph
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	12
Production
Executive producers	Andrew Jarecki Ariel Schulman Brad Bishop Dave Sirulnick David Metzler Henry Joost Jonathan Karshis Jonathan Mussman Julie Link Steffens Mark Smerling Marshall Eisen Nev Schulman Nomi Ernst Leidner Tom Forman
Production location	United States
Cinematography	Max Joseph
Editor	Jami Philbrick
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	40-42 minutes
Production companies	Relativity Media Catfish Picture Company
Original release
Network	MTV
Release	November 12, 2012 (2012-11-12) – present
Related
Catfish (film)

Catfish: The TV Show is an American reality-based docudrama television series airing on MTV about the truths and lies of online dating. The show is based on the 2010 film Catfish and is hosted by Nev Schulman. It premiered on November 12, 2012.

Plot

"They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They'd keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them and the catfish will keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank God for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn't have somebody nipping at our fin." -from Catfish

Why the term "catfish" is used to describe people who portray someone else online

A "catfish" is a person who creates fake profiles online and pretends to be someone they are not by using someone else's pictures and information. These "catfish" use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, usually with the intention of getting other people or a person to fall in love with them. MTV and the producers of the 2010 documentary film Catfish send Nev Schulman and his friend and filmmaker Max Joseph to help couples who have never met in real life. They want to know if the person they have had a relationship with and fallen in love with is the real deal or if they are a "catfish." Some couples have been together for a few months, others have been together for years.

Nev, who has fallen victim to a "catfish," claims that he has received requests from people asking him for his help in determining whether or not their online-only significant other is lying or telling the truth about their identity. Each episode is a different couple with a different story and Nev flies out to wherever they live and does background checks and research to uncover the truth. He contacts the other person to get a meeting set up so they both can meet for the first time and documents the outcome. Schulman says it's not all about pulling the rug out from under people.

Reception

The film Catfish was criticized and its authenticity was argued but executive producer Tom Forman stresses that Catfish won't just tell "...stories of deception. We've also stumbled into some love stories. We found people who are exactly who they say they are. We are putting those on television, too. We find people who are willing to get past an initial deception and really do make a connection at the end – in person and in real life. That's been really heartwarming. So I think, when we set out, we really don't know how it's going to end: good, bad, or in the middle somewhere."

Schulman said at the Television Critics Association press tour in August 2012:

"Whether or not two people are totally lying to each other and it turns out to be a huge disaster, that's only the first part of the story. We then want to know why they are doing it, who they are, what they are feeling, what led them to this place, and why that resonates with thousands of other young people who have the same feelings, who don't have someone to talk to or don't know how to express themselves."

On December 19, 2012, MTV announced that the series has been renewed for a second season.

Episodes

#	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	"Sunny & Jamison"	November 12, 2012 (2012-11-12)	2.68
Nursing student Sunny met and fell in love with model "Jamison" or "RJ" while chatting on Facebook, but they had never met in the 8 months they had talked. When Nev finally introduces Sunny to "Jamison", he turns out to be a girl named Chelsea, who originally created the profile for revenge on a former friend, but admits she is bisexual and had feelings for Sunny. Nev introduces Sunny to the real Jamison in the end.
2	"Trina & Scorpio"	November 19, 2012 (2012-11-19)	2.74
Exotic dancer Shawnise aka Trina, met fellow exotic dancer Lee aka "Scorpio" on MySpace and had been talking for over a year and never met. When Nev does some online investigating, he finds that the pictures of "Scorpio" belong to Larry Drummer, a model from Atlanta. When Nev introduces Shawnise to Lee, he tells her the truth about having 4 children instead of 2 and that he is really 32 years old instead of being 27 like he told her. Nev introduces Shawnise to the real Larry Drummer in the end. Lee said he's happy to be friends with Trina, but still hopes one day romance will blossom between them. Trina has quit dancing and is pursuing other career opportunities.
3	"Kim & Matt"	November 26, 2012 (2012-11-26)	2.61
Kim had been talking to Matt for over 10 years when she contacted Nev for help to meet him. She is in a relationship with a man named Scott, who knows about Matt. Kim opens up to Nev that the love of her life Steven committed suicide and that Matt helped her through the grief. She meets Matt at his home, where he reveals he has refused to meet her because he is ashamed of his weight. In the epilogue, Matt continues to diet and exercise everyday, and since filming ended, he has lost another 20 pounds. Kim went home and broke up with Scott, and she and Matt remain best friends. Kim is finally taking the time to deal with the loss of Steven, but she's not ready to think about starting a new romance yet.
4	"Jasmine & Mike"	December 3, 2012 (2012-12-03)	2.23
Jasmine had been texting "Mike" for 2 years, though they had never met or talked on the phone. Mike turns out to be a girl named Mhissy who Jasmine knew in real life. Mhissy said she created the fake profile to get revenge on Jasmine for not leaving Mhissy's boyfriend Josh aka Triggs alone after they hooked up. In the epilogue, Jasmine has put her interest on finding romance on hold since filming ended, and instead, she's been focusing on school and spending time with her son. Mhissy has made the decision to adopt her niece and become her legal guardian. Mhissy says that she had no plans to create a fake profile again. Jasmine and Mhissy have had no contact since they appeared in this episode.
5	"Jarrod & Abby"	December 10, 2012 (2012-12-10)	2.41
Jarrod is a divorced father from Georgia who met and fell for a blonde girl on Facebook named "Abby". Jarrod told Nev that he had even proposed to Abby and she said yes. She also promised to move in with him but then she never did. When Nev finally introduces them after a year and a half of talking, "Abby" turns out to be an overweight girl named Melissa that created the fake profile due to her low self esteem. In the epilogue, Jarrod has put his romantic pursuits on hold and is focusing on music since filming ended. He and Melissa continued to talk to each other everyday. Melissa had deactivated her Abby profile and also lost 15 lbs. She is also happy that Jarrod has kept her in his life, and she's hopeful love could still blossom between them one day.
6	"Kya & Alyx"	December 17, 2012 (2012-12-17)	2.07
When Kya first met "Alyx" online, she used a fake name and fake pictures. She later told him the truth and Alyx forgave her. Nev helps Kya finally meet Alyx, who she says she has fallen in love with but has never actually met. When they meet, Alyx turns out to be a transgender named Dani who was born a girl and is making the transition to be a boy. Kya and Dani decide to remain a couple even after Kya learns the truth. In the epilogue, Dani is continuing hormone replacement therapy, and he is also saving up for gender reassignment surgery.
7	"Joe & Kari Ann"	January 7, 2013 (2013-01-07)	2.52
Nev helps Joe meet the girl he's been talking to who says she is former Miss United States Teen 2003, Kari Ann. Kari Ann agrees to meet Joe at his farm and when she shows up, it's in fact a girl named Rose, a girl Joe went to high school with. She said she did it because she's always had feelings for Joe. She apologized but admitted to having been a catfish for years, having multiple fake profiles and claims to have "mastered" being a catfish. In the end, Rose moved to California to live with her boyfriend whom she met through the fake Kari Ann profile. He was surprised when he found out the truth but accepted her anyway. Joe and Rose haven't talked since filming ended.
8	"Tyler & Amanda"	January 14, 2013 (2013-01-14)	2.17
Tyler has fallen for "Amanda" when he asks Nev for help. When Tyler tells his friends about her, they are all surprised it was with a girl from online. When Tyler goes to her house, "Amanda" is actually a gay teenage boy named Aaron. Aaron and Tyler have not talked since filming ended.
9	"Rod & Ebony"	January 21, 2013 (2013-01-21)	2.75
Rod hasn't been honest with "Ebony" about what he looks like or his name, which he told her is "KJ" in the 4 years they have been talking. Ebony is transgender and said she couldn't meet up in the beginning of them talking because she had cancer. Rod wants to be honest and tell her the truth but is afraid that Ebony might be lying to him too.
10	"Stephanie & David"	January 28, 2013 (2013-01-28)	TBA

External links

• Official website
• Catfish: The TV Show at IMDb