When a reality TV show starring San Antonio was teased in a series of cryptic TikTok videos in early January, a buzz broke out across the city. There was also skepticism over what facets of San Antonio would be shown and how casting took place, along with one significant question: Is this actually happening?
Director-showrunner Luiggi Svagelj of For the People Pictures is addressing some speculation about the show, telling MySA that Socialites of San Antonio is in production, fully funded by a “silent investor” to the tune of $80,000. According to Svagelj, filming for the intro is complete.
Seemingly, Svagelj wants to take a different approach than one of the first reality shows to take a crack at San Antonio — Bravo’s Texicanas — which wrapped in 2019 after one season. Featuring six Alamo City “sophisticates,” the series was not the favorite of locals, many of whom drew comparisons under the initial announcement of Socialites.
San Antonio has starred in a reality TV show before. What’s different this time?
According to Svagelj, who moved to San Antonio from Peru when he was 4 years old, the showis about building a life and career in the Alamo City. He claims he doesn’t want to focus on meltdowns, the “throwing drinks at each other” element of numerous reality TV shows. He’ll “save those things for certain moments” and instead keep the spotlight on the 210 in a way that fuses documentary and reality TV with “a narrative push” focusing on “real-world current events,” he claims…