TLC’s latest entry into the reality ring had me skeptical at the first mention. But after reading the synopses for the reality show The Monastery, I think this could be an interesting show. The Monastery will premiere on October 22nd and will show how living the monastic life can change five men’s lives. TLC General Manager David Abraham had this to say about the series: “The Monastery is a social, spiritual and learning experiment in which people experience the intensity of monastic life. The purpose is to expose people to the reality of unplugging from modern life completely and creating the opportunity to explore their lives in a contemplative environment.”

This strikes me as an interesting concept, if only to have a contrast to the reality shows (I’m thinking Real World) where contestants show up to some pimped out house to live their “reality” for a few months. The Monastery takes all of the material items out of the picture and gets people stripped down to a more simplistic way of living.