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Reality TV is here to stay, but shows look their age

CBS file photo (2004)

These are the 18 castaways participating in "Survivor: All Stars," a CBS program.

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 21, 2009

Reality as a TV genre will never die, but some long-running favorites are showing their age this season.

Viewership is down for "Survivor," "The Amazing Race" and "Dancing With the Stars."

Part of the decline is due to being around awhile. Some viewers tend to wander away after the freshness wears off.

CBS' "Survivor: Samoa" is the 19th installment of the franchise. The network's "Amazing Race" is in its 15th season. "Dancing With the Stars" is in season nine.

Each series also faces a different challenge this fall.

With 11 million viewers, "Survivor" manages to squeak in to the top 20 network ranking each week so it's not in danger of being canceled. But Thursday nights have become highly competitive and newcomers "The Vampire Diaries" on The CW and "FlashFoward" on ABC have nipped away at the "Survivor" audience.

Multiple Emmy-winner "The Amazing Race" suffers a ratings dip every time NBC has a hot NFL matchup on "Sunday Night Football." But even more damaging are overruns of NFL Sunday games on CBS. The long-running games sometimes delay CBS' prime time by more than an hour.

Usually ranking among the top five shows every week, "Dancing With the Stars" is still a major hit for ABC, averaging 16 million viewers each week. But last season it averaged 20 million.

Blame a lackluster list of celebrities for this round. Donny Osmond? Melissa Joan Hart? Kelly Osbourne? Kathy Ireland? Macy Gray?

You know the C-list is running thin when the casting includes former teen singer Aaron Carter, a has-been at age 20; reality show host Mark Dacascos of "Iron Chef America;" ultimate fighting champion Chuck Liddell; and professional snowboarder Louie Vito.

Missing this year is a wild card comedic character such as Cloris Leachman, or a plucky middle-aged celebrity making a comeback such as Marie Osmond, or a charming older guy hanging in there such as John O'Hurley; or an aging athlete who wows us with his moves such as Warren Sapp.

My predicted winner at this point: one-named singer Mya.

REALITY BITES: The 4-year-old Fox Reality Channel is being shut down due to lack of viewer interest.

Owned by the same folks that gave us the successful Fox Network, and the popular Fox News Channel, the Fox Reality Channel remains an obscure home for reruns of reality shows, as well as a handful of original programs.

A new channel, presumably with different programming, will replace it. But that announcement has yet to be made.

LOSING IT: One reality show that is gaining viewers this season, NBC's "The Biggest Loser," is being spun-off into a second reality show starring trainer Jillian Michaels.

"Losing It With Jillian" will follow the 35-year-old host as she moves in with families to help change their diet and exercise habits. NBC has ordered eight episodes but there is no debut date yet.

NBC's sister network Bravo also is developing a weight loss series called "Thintervention" starring Jackie Warner, celebrity personal trainer from Bravo's "Work Out" series.

Warner will try to put people through workouts as well as a therapy sessions and lessons in eating right.

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