Reality shows are losing their novelty
By Gary Levin
USA Today
ABC
The July Fourth fireworks are long over, but network programmers have yet to create any of their own.
"The Real Roseanne Show" is one of the few new fall shows with original content. It premieres Aug. 6 on ABC.
For the first time in five years, there's no sign of a summer breakout hit, as ABC found in 1999's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," CBS discovered with 2000's "Survivor," NBC had with 2001's Fear Factor," and Fox mined with "American Idol" last year.
There's no secret to why the genre appears to have run its course: Executives say a glut of programs, hastily ordered during the heyday of "Joe Millionaire" last winter, offers rehashes of tired formats to viewers accustomed to novelty.
"We've hit the saturation point," says Fox scheduling chief Preston Beckman. "What was a novelty six months ago is now becoming just ho-hum."
Adds NBC senior vice president Mitch Metcalf: "I don't think anything has really looked terribly different; we're still groping for the next big thing."
NBC's "For Love or Money," which had a big finish last week with 12.8 million viewers, leads the summer derby among young adults.
But nothing has generated widespread water-cooler buzz or built substantial audiences week to week, as those prior season hits had.
And except for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," which aired initially for 13 consecutive days in late August 1999, the others all premiered by summer's midpoint. That suggests the chances for coming up with a big hit in summer's remaining weeks are slim.
A few newcomers are aiming for originality:
• "Banzai" (Fox, began Sunday) is a British parody of Japanese game shows encouraging viewers to "bet" on stunts.
• "The Restaurant" (NBC, Sundays at 9 p.m., begins Sunday) is a reality series set at a new Manhattan eatery owned by celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito.
• "The Real Roseanne Show" (ABC, Wednesdays at 8, begins Aug. 6) follows the comedian as she develops and produces a lifestyle-cooking show.
But the next wave largely consists of retreads: Tonight, NBC tries the "Meet My Folks" spinoff "Who Wants to Marry My Dad?" (9 p.m.) and begins a new edition of "For Love or Money" (8 p.m.) with the sex roles reversed.
Last Tuesday, CBS' "Big Brother" returned for a fourth season with a new "twist" — reality's latest catch phrase — as five housemates find that their exes also are contestants.
