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Ruby

2008–Ongoing4 seasons42 episodesTV-PGMidcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

Ruby is an American reality-documentary television series on Style. The series debuted on November 9, 2008 and follows the life of Ruby Gettinger who lives in Savannah, Georgia as she attempts to lose weight. On December 12, 2011, it was announced that Style has passed on a fifth season order of the series and it has since been cancelled.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Ruby?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Ruby to rent or buy on Apple TV, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Ruby?

Ruby earns 2 badges, led by Top 10% in Reality-TV and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Rank
  • Reception

Reception

Is Ruby worth watching?

Ruby's Midcredits score is the 79th percentile of all shows, from 609 ratings across 2 sources. 89% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

79th percentile

Better received than 79% of shows

90th percentile among Reality-TV74th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)63rd
Approval (how many liked it)91st

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

73 /100

63rd percentile of all shows

73rd percentile among Reality-TV55th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

89% liked it

91st percentile of all shows

97th percentile among Reality-TV88th percentile among 2000s
89% rated it 7–1011% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

37th percentile

606 ratings across platforms

77th percentile among Reality-TV29th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 22% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both fans and detractors agree the show centers on Ruby's personal weight-loss struggle and the emotional ups and downs of her journey.

Fans praised

  • inspirational weight-loss journey with courage and willpower
  • honest, unglamorous look at addiction and setbacks
  • relatable everyday struggles and small victories

Detractors panned

  • exploitative, circus-like treatment of Ruby's issues
  • no useful medical facts or practical advice
  • Ruby's childish, sing-song voice and immature outbursts

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive75

Inspirational to fans, life-changing; detractors feel manipulated or annoyed

CharactersDivisive65

Supporting cast seen as engaging; Ruby seen as brave by fans, immature by detractors

OriginalityDivisive55

Fans see fresh authenticity; detractors find it derivative reality TV

Plot and story45

Focus on daily journey rather than structured narrative; detractors see as formless drama

Dialogue40

Fans value honesty, but detractors mock Ruby's verbal tics

Episodes

4 seasons

Season 4 · 2011 · 10 episodes

  • S4E1
    S4E1

    Ruby & Denny: Toxic Relationship

    Mar 6, 201140 min
  • S4E2
    S4E2

    Secrets in the Attic

    Mar 13, 201140 min
  • S4E3
    S4E3

    Ruby's High School Reunion

    Mar 20, 201141 min
  • S4E4
    S4E4

    Ruby Goes Under

    Mar 27, 201141 min
  • S4E5
    S4E5

    Ruby's Beach Meltdown

    Apr 3, 201141 min
  • S4E6
    S4E6

    Ruby Falls for a New Guy

    Apr 10, 201141 min

Watch experience

What is Ruby like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you hopeful.

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Realistic
  • Domestic
  • Urban

Story

  • No archetype

Style

  • Warm
  • Tender

What it asks of you

  • Slow burn
  • Casual
  • Affecting
  • Resolved

Feelings

  • Hopeful
  • Bittersweet

Themes

  • Illness and disability
  • Self-worth

How it leaves you

  • Hopeful
  • Rousing
ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Heaviest: throughout
Told as
Unscripted · 15% of showsStatus quo each season
ToneThe series treats its subject with genuine warmth and empathy, celebrating small victories without irony.
The rideThe series sustains a gentle, earnest register across its run, balancing hope with the weight of daily struggle.
StructureThe series is presented as a straightforward real-life chronicle with no special narrative devices.
Episode formatThe series follows a repeated non-fiction format: chronicling Ruby's life and health journey without a plotted script.
Season formatSeasons continue the same format and cast, with no overarching story arc that concludes; each season is an interchangeable batch of episodes.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves viewers inspired by Ruby's perseverance and genuine hope for her journey.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is an unscripted reality series following a woman's weight loss journey; it has no narrative plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9% (this title): Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1% (this title)
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Survival

Illness and disability · under 1% of showsSelf-worth · 7% of shows
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe series examines life at 500 pounds, centering on the physical and emotional challenges of severe obesity and the struggle to reclaim a sense of value.
StanceThe camera watches Ruby's life without overt judgment, presenting her struggles with illness and worth neutrally.

The world

AmbientSupportive music · original score · Jason Moss
SettingSavannah, Georgia
MusicGentle, unobtrusive score underscores the emotional beats without dominating.

Content guide

Is Ruby okay for kids?

TV-PG

Ruby is rated TV-PG.

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Ruby have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Ruby?

Cast

Georgia Thompson
as Georgia Thompson
Jeff Parsons
as Jeff Parsons
Denny Starr
as Denny Starr
Jim Gettinger
as Jim Gettinger

Crew

Cinematography

Harry Frith

Edited by

Daniel Price, Charles Donohoe, Minh Duc Nguyen, Seth G. Sherman, Heather Abell, Hilda Rasula
+13 more, David Armstrong, David Timoner, John W. Richardson, Karin Hoving, Ken Bornstein, Joel Watson, Chris W. Hill, Timothy Schultz, Jason Wood, Aimee Durrant, Kevin Benson, Kevin Connolly, Brian Freundlich

Music by

Jason MossDan Radlauer

Produced by

Myrna Everett, Charlise Holmes, Barak Grass, Gay Rosenthal, Ally Hilliard, Matthew B. Morgan
+26 more, Chris Roach, Jody Schiesser, Christian Patterson, Katy Stumpf, Kelly Franklin, Tim Puntillo, Robert Carroll, Natalie Aaron, Carrie Franklin, Tara Higgins, Nicholas Caprio, Brittany Daniel, Scott Slifer, Norman Anderson, Victoria Zielinski, Robert Zimmerman, Sarah McWilliams, Tom Berry, Brooke Stangeland, Sarah Weidman, Jarrett Lambo, Andrew Hurckman, Lyndee Brown, Ruby Gettinger, Paul Barrosse, Jeff Nucera

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What are shows like Ruby?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Ruby include Vanderpump Rules (2013), The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2008) and My 600-lb Life (2012).

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