Random Behind-The-Scenes Stories From 'Room Raiders' The Producers Tried To Keep Secret (13 items)

(#1) One Contestant’s Father Grabbed A Gun After The Abduction Scene

To maintain the scandalous integrity of the contestant's room, the Room Raiders production crew set up a fake "abduction" to surprise the teen and take them away. This made sure the participant didn't have any spare time to stash away embarrassing stuff - which made for better content.
When the crew went in to break down one girl's door and filmed the abductor taking her to the van, the girl's father wasn't impressed. After they finished filming the teen's fake abduction, her dad came out with a gun strapped to his hip. The crew insisted his daughter was fine and there was no need for alarm - she was simply out getting breakfast.
(#8) MTV Made Fun Of The Kids

The production team might have respected the integrity of the show enough not to plant stuff around the contestants' rooms, but they didn't care to protect their secrets. They dug through contestants' computers, turned over their rooms, and casually made fun of them afterward.
Claiming the show's production was the "most exciting two days" of these kids' lives, the production crew didn't think these people had anything else going for them.
(#3) The Production Team Found A Live Bobcat While Scouting One Teen's Bedroom

In the days before heavy background checks and pre-screenings for reality TV shows, it was easy for innocent-seeming nut jobs to coerce their way on the contestants list. To avoid any mishaps or dangers, the crew went through the entire house for a pre-raiding process.
During their pre-raids, the production crew found tons of illicit objects - from drug stashes to weapons. It wasn't uncommon to find a gun underneath someone's pillow or in their sock drawer. In one incident, one family kept a wild bobcat as a pet, and the crew asked for the animal to stay in another room during filming.
(#2) The Blacklight Became Banned Because Of The Infamous Jackson/Timberlake Halftime Performance

The first season of Room Raiders used the infamous blacklight - the tool used to swipe over people's floors, pillows, and sheets to expose sexual activities. After the first season, the blacklight disappeared, but what happened to it?
When Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson showed a bit too much skin during their Super Bowl halftime show, MTV got in big trouble. MTV produced the halftime show, and the FCC wasn't too happy with how Janet's pasty ripped off.
This started a wave of FCC crackdowns on suggestive TV shows, including Room Raiders. While they could get away with censoring sex toys, they had to completely scrap the blacklight.
(#13) 'Room Raiders' Won't Get A Reboot Because It Would Do Terribly

Room Raiders will likely never get a reboot because it would do poorly - even the production crew admits it. It aired during a time when people lived in a less transparent society. The thrill of diving into someone's life wasn't possible with a click of a button, so seeing teens go through the rooms of other teens was an entertaining and indulgent experience.
It was a golden age for reality TV, which allowed for Room Raiders to become a cultural phenomenon for MTV. It had a slot on daytime TV during an era where social media wasn't prominent, people didn't stream video content, and teens were super terrible at hiding their explicit materials.
With modern technology constantly exposing the inner workings of people's daily lives and reality television's negative connotation, the Room Raiders production crew doesn't think a reboot would hold the same appeal.
(#5) They Never Told The Kids About The Show's Concept Before Filming

Before the shoot, the selected contestants for Room Raiders stayed in the dark about the TV show's concept. Before the days of social media and spoilers, the production team remained vague about their intentions and got away with it. They would simply tell the kids it could be a current or future show, but was definitely on MTV. For most teens, this promise was alluring enough.
When production came over to scope out each contestant's house, the crew examined everything from kitchens to cars. These kids had no idea if they were getting their room raided or their ride pimped. It wasn't until they started filming when the contestants found out they were on Room Raiders.