How Ozzy Osbourne went from Prince of Darkness to King of Reality TV with The Osbournes

From Prince of Darkness to King of Reality TV, Ozzy Osbourne has left a legacy that went beyond the stage and behind the scenes.

Black Sabbath frontman and rock icon Ozzy Osbourne died on Wednesday at the age of 76, leaving behind a legacy of hits.

While the rocker’s music will live on for decades on playlists and airwaves the world over, Osbourne also left a significant impact on television.

Along with his wife Sharon and their children Kelly and Jack, Ozzy starred in one of the first ever reality TV shows, The Osbournes – a show which pulled back the curtains on their private lives and became a hit with audiences.

Ozzy Osbourne and his family, wife Sharon and kids Jack and Kelly, showcased their lives in the reality TV show The Osbournes.

It was the noughties and the beginning of the reality TV boom with only Survivor and Big Brother on screens at that point, but The Osbournes had a point of difference and proved to be a runaway success for MTV.

“No one had ever done what we did before,” Kelly said during an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast in 2021.

“We didn’t know what [footage] they were going to use, and what they weren’t, because they filmed everything.”

But the footage that made the cut resonated with audiences when it premiered in 2002, and “the next day, everything changed. It was like Beatlemania, except for The Osbournes.”

Ozzy was known for being the Prince of Darkness, but the reality TV show exposed him as a giant teddy bear behind the scenes. Picture: AFP PHOTO / OLI SCARFF

The show went on to run for four seasons on MTV from 2002 and 2005, winning a Primetime Emmy Award in its debut season for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program (Reality).

The out-of-the-box hit also broke ratings records for MTV at the time, drawing in as much as 8 million viewers in one episode.

“We realised early on that anything Ozzy did was going to be funny,” Sue Kolinsky, who worked as a producer on the show, told the New York Post following Ozzy’s death.

“Like making a milkshake – we were gonna have [that be] three minutes of an episode. He was so funny, and he had no idea how funny he was.”

Ozzy and his family were part of the reality TV boom in the early 2000s. Picture: RICHARDS / AFP

After the success of the first two seasons, Ozzy and Sharon secured a $US20 million payday for the next two seasons of the show.

Perhaps what made the show a hit was that the Black Sabbath frontman was nowhere like his onstage persona, one who bites off the head of a bat when egged on.

In reality, this “Prince of Darkness” was more like a loveable teddy bear, and the viewers warmed to him.

The show ran from 2002 to 2005 and pulled in as much 8 million viewers per episode. Picture: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Safe to say, The Osbournes paved the way for other reality shows, such as Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie’s The Simple Life in 2003, and Keeping Up With the Kardashians in 2007.

Reality show aside, Ozzy also made great viewing in documentaries, with three docos about the legendary frontman available right now on Tubi.

So press play and remember the life of Ozzy Osbourne with these docos on Tubi, which are all completely free to stream.

The Decline of Western Civilisation Part II: The Metal Years (1988)

A fast-paced look at the heavy metal scene in late 80s in LA, with a focus on struggling musicians, fans and starstruck groupies.

In the doco, Ozzy shares the hard truths about living a rock’n’roll lifestyle.

The doco also features interviews with legendary musicians such as Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper and Gene Simmons, who was among the many to pay tribute to Ozzy after his death.

“Sad to report Ozzy has passed away,” the Kiss rocker tweeted. “He was a giant. Admired and loved by millions of fans worldwide. Prayers and condolences go out to the Osborne family.”

Ozzy Osbourne: Crown Prince of Darkness (2022)

This unauthorised documentary features interviews from the rocker while also airing previously unseen footage to reveal the true story of the often misunderstood frontman.

Black Sabbath: Up Close and Personal (2007)

This doco explores the history of Ozzy’s influential heavy metal band, Black Sabbath. Through archival footage and interviews, the film dives into the band’s impact on the music scene and the personal struggles they faced on their rise to the top.

All Ozzy Osbourne documentaries are free to stream on Tubi

Originally published as How Ozzy Osbourne went from Prince of Darkness to King of Reality TV with The Osbournes