MTV and Bunim-Murray Productions announced yesterday that the network has ordered five more The Real World seasons and two more The Real World/Road Rules Challenge editions, a commitment that represents the largest pick-up in MTV’s history.

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"Bunim-Murray Productions pioneered an entirely new concept known as reality TV with the first Real World season in 1992," said Brian Graden, president of entertainment for the MTV Networks Music Group. "Five years ago, when Bunim-Murray took another risk and combined The Real Worl with Road Rules for the Challenges, it became an instant hit. We remain committed to our long-term partnership with Bunim-Murray and are excited to see what the next few seasons will bring."

"MTV has been an incredibly nurturing place to make innovative television during the last twelve years," said Jon Murray, chairman of Bunim-Murray Productions. "Brian and the network’s support and commitment have helped us keep our MTV shows fresh year after year for generations of teen and young adult audiences. Today’s long-term pick-up guarantees that we’ll be advancing this programming genre together for years to come."

While the Real World and Challenge renewals will ensure that the two series will air through 2008 and 2006 respectively, conspicuously absent from the pick-up announcement was any mention of the regular Road Rules series whose future has been the subject of rumors for several weeks. When asked about the future of the series, an MTV spokesperson told Reality TV World on Thursday that "no decision has been made yet on whether Road Rules will come back or not."

The Real World: Austin, the recently announced sixteenth Real World edition, is scheduled to begin filming this month and premiere in June 2005.

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