Why Did 'The Surreal Life' End on VH1 — And Why Did They Bring It Back?

The Surreal Life has always been a guilty pleasure of reality TV fans. Taking the concept from MTV's The Real World and adding celebrities into the mix proved to be insanely addictive to many viewers, who got to experience both the "fish out of water" premise and the often over the top antics of famous people.

Now VH1 has brought the series back after more than a decade — and with a brand-new famous cast for even more hijinks.

That naturally prompts the question of why The Surreal Life was canceled to begin with. Viewers want to know if there's a reason the show ever left the airwaves — and if it's possible that it's coming back for more than a single season.

Read on for what's been said about The Surreal Life's end and its new beginning.

The Surreal Life has actually ended twice. The show's first two seasons aired on The WB in early 2003 and 2004, with cast members including rappers MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice, televangelist Tammy Faye Messner, and adult film star Ron Jeremy. It quietly wrapped on The WB in February 2004, likely due to low ratings.

However, just two months later, VH1 announced that it had picked up the show for a third season.

The series went on to be a massive hit for VH1 as the channel moved away from music programming (remember how VH1 used to stand for "Video Hits One"?) and into reality TV. Not only did the channel air four more seasons of The Surreal Life, but it also ordered several spinoffs and even those spinoffs got spinoffs.

VH1 didn't publicize the show's cancellation in 2006, but it's possible that the network had moved on from the original series as it built out a few reality TV brands.

The Surreal Life was one of VH1's first reality shows, but it spawned more than a half-dozen spinoffs. VH1's Flavor of Love and Rock of Love with Bret Michaels both owe their success to The Surreal Life, as they were spun off from the first Surreal Life spinoff entitled Strange Love. VH1 also aired The Surreal Life: Fame Games in 2007.

As the network developed more celebreality series, The Surreal Life had likely run its course.

VH1 continues to be focused primarily on reality TV in the 16 years since the original Surreal Life ended, and with reboots and revivals all the rage on the small screen, it's not surprising that the network went back to one of its biggest hits.

"The Surreal Life is known for bringing together some of the biggest names in pop culture and creating many unforgettable moments in reality television," MTV Entertainment Group COO Nina L. Diaz said in a press release. "We are excited to see how this stellar celebrity cast will make captivating television for audiences everywhere."

The Season 7 cast includes former NBA star Dennis Rodman, adult film actress Stormy Daniels, and actor Frankie Muniz, best known for starring in the hit Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. Interestingly, that series ended in 2006 just a few months after The Surreal Life was originally canceled.

While there's never been a publicly stated reason for why The Surreal Life left the air either time, it's clear that the series still has a fan base and VH1 will be hoping to replicate that with the new season. It's possible viewers could see more seasons and even more spinoffs if the new celeb roommates capture ratings the way the originals did.

The Surreal Life airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on VH1.