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

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  (#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.
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  (#6) MTV Wanted The Cast To Have A Specific Socioeconomic Slant

  Airing every weekday after TRL, Room Raiders landed the perfect spot on daytime TV for their young, suburban demographic. While other channels on basic cable television were airing soap operas and talk shows, MTV was barreling through with content proving hot, heavy, and hilarious to kids who were hungry for entertainment.

  Because Room Raiders wanted to keep all eyes on MTV, they selected contestants who would appeal to the same demographic as TRL. Since it was mainly upper/middle class teens tuning in, they didn't want to stray too far out of that box. In turn, Room Raiders mainly cast upper/middle class people to keep their dedicated audience's attention.
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  (#11) Producers Claim They Never Planted Anything, But Some Items Seemed Strategically Placed

  Everything found in the rooms raided by MTV belonged to the contestants. While the production team admits to making the more scandalous things, such as dirty magazines and personal gadgets, much easier to find, the crew never planted anything. They had no intentions of framing anyone for anything they didn't actually own - after all, most of these contestants were underaged kids who lived with their parents.

  Before the seeker came in to investigate the contestant's room, the production team went in to dig up the hidden goodies. If someone had an extra-sexy edition of an adult magazine buried at the bottom of their seemingly innocent magazine collection, for example, producers would move it to the top of the pile.
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  (#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.
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  (#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.
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  (#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. 

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