2003: Nick and Jessica Say 'I Do' to Reality TV
August 19, 2020
| By TV WW
On this day in 2003, MTV introduced one of TV's earliest celebrity reality shows, Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica. The series starred pop stars Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, then best-known as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees.
Following in the footsteps of Anna Nicole Smith and the family of Ozzy Osbourne, the newlyweds — who wed October 26, 2002 — allowed the cameras to capture their every day experiences, from the eventful to the mundane.
Thanks to an exchange in the debut episode where Simpson expresses confusion over the contents of a can of "Chicken of the Sea" tuna — is this chicken ... or is this fish? — the media quickly began following the show and reporting on Simpson's "ditzy blonde" moments. The resulting publicity pulled the couple to the front of the pop-star pack and made them individually recognized celebrities.
Alas, the show (and the marriage) didn't last. Newlyweds ran three seasons and ended its run in March 2005. The couple announced their separation in November 2005, and divorced in June 2006.