The Assistant is a reality television series that parodies other reality shows such as The Apprentice, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Survivor, American Idol, and Fear Factor. Its eight episodes originally aired on MTV. It features comedian Andy Dick's search for a new personal assistant. The beginning of the first episode parodied The Bachelor, with the twelve contestants arriving in limousines, and Dick waiting outside to greet them with his maid and butler. A "rose ceremony" immediately followed, and one contestant was eliminated.

Dick assigns the Hollywood hopefuls to absurd tasks such as pretending to be him in an interview with a Japanese television station, bringing him coffee by traversing on a beam over a swimming pool, breaking up with his girlfriend, and attempting to get him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Contestants are usually "clipped" in elimination ceremonies parodying those on other reality series. Like some other programs, The Assistant also includes double elimination episodes and brings back fired candidates. Driving home Dick's message that they were starting from the bottom, candidates sleep in Dick's garage. He also wakes them with a flashing, siren-generating alarm, is prone to tantrums, and gripes that, "This reality show is ruining my life!"

Andy Dick actually had a relationship with one of the contestants on the show. Andy and Sarah Beckworth dated after the show's end. The end of the relationship led to a breach of contract lawsuit with MTV which prohibited relationships with the contestants.

Though the show was satire, the twelve contestants were real and the winner, Melissa Ordway, was awarded several prizes including a job at MTV. The runner-up was Mark, who had been fired, but was brought back in the seventh episode. The show was not renewed.