Should tv networks just give all their reality tv shows a rest?

Reality TV is cheap because they don’t have to pay actors. It’s not going away any time soon.
However my answer is a resounding “yes”. It’s just lazy programming.

The only reality TV I don’t despise, is most of what’s on discovery. Like mythbusters and dirty jobs. All that other crap I hate with a passion.

Hmm. I don’t hate all reality tv, but I do dislike the shows you stated as examples. I’ve never watching American Idol, and Survivor was interesting the first couple seasons..

I still watch crappy VH1 reality shows, because they’re entertaining. And I find things like Wife Swap to be funny, and Super Nanny can be informative.
They all push it too far though.

I hate shows that are about actors…Who the hell cares about the Kardesians[whatever] or Ryan’s Sheckler’s life…?. ugh!

I’ll allow them one last show in which the eight last remaining persons who didn’t participate yet can show that, indeed, they can’t dance.

Yes, but they won’t. They still get ratings and, as The_Compassionate_Heretic said, they are cheap to produce—much cheaper than one hour dramas.

stop watching TV and they’ll stop making crappy shows. Personally I watch shows two ways.

Netflix, either getting the disks or streaming on Xbox Live.

Hulu, the best thing for shows since the TV. (maybe not true, but it sounds good)

The Amazing Race is good fantastic.

Are Idols and SYTYCD called reality TV? I would have guessed talent shows (kk, now that I actually typed it, I see the contradiction in that). When the first Big Brother was shown (yes another great exportproduct from Holland, you’re welcome) there was no word for it and reality TV was born. It grew up to be a brat and it needs to change.

They won’t, but they should. There is wwwwwwwway too many.

yes (please)

I am a great TV watcher but with 100 channels, I never watch the celebrity or model reality shows or the “sit around the pool thinking up nasty things to say” reality shows. And then there are the pseudo-dramas that are so stupid that they end up being the butt of jokes on comedy shows. I see this Heidi and her boyfriend who seem to be a pair of talentless, witless boobs who go on interviews to talk about how great they are. It looks like a mockumentary.

Anyway there is a lot of original drama on cable stations, the programming on the premium channels eventually come to regular cable, the slew of real {not reality) channels like ihe many PBS, Discovery channels, Food Network, Animal Planet, HGTV, NatGeo, History and reruns of L&O and CSI, there is no reason to watch AI, BB or any of the rest.

I personally love reality tv . . .Its the bulk of what i watch. I know it’s mindless dribble it’s garbage it’s stupid. But I still love it. I dont personally watch the examples you used so I could do with out American idol and so you think you can dance. But any reality show that comes out i’ll usually watch atleast one episode of.

The networks produce reality TV because it gives them a much better return on their investment. They can spend $2 million on an episode of Law & Order, or $250K on an episode of Survivor, and if they get comparable ratings and comparable ad revenue, which one do you think they will choose?

I hate reality TV I refuse to watch it and I think American Idol is about done after last season with them shorting Adam Lambert because he was gay I refuse to watch it they only let the hick win because he wasn’t gay how stupid is that ? they set up the votes now it really is becoming reality tv its just like a real American election

Please do away with them! I had hoped at one point they would run out of crap to make reality shows about… but then I see previews for a show about Pawn Shops and Fishing…Oh brother! Doesn’t look like that’s gonna happen. Yeah, it’s cheap and apparently people will watch anything. That being said, I will admit that I occasionally will watch the Beginning and the End of both Americas Next Top Model and Project Runway because I like photography and clothes making. ( in my defense, I only watch the parts that tell them what they have to do and the final products, I turn it away for the rest of the crap ) And I will say that I feel myself getting Stupid everytime I hear Tyra Banks talk…. Tim Gunn, I like though, he helps keep me in touch with my feminine side.

Yes, I agree that reality TV is so overdone that it has gotten totally out of hand. Who the he** is the Kardasians, anyway? And do I care? And why would I care about Sarah Palin’s family life? American Idol was fun the first couple of times – now just boring. Little People, Big World was cute at first. Now they have saturated the tube with shows about whalers, loggers, truckers, and every other profession. They should come and do one at my work – it would be more entertaining (I work in the office of a high school.) Last week we had a kid drive a 3-inch nail into his thigh bone with a nail gun in wood shop. Another kid jumped off the balcony of the gym onto one of those mats they use for pole vaulting, but he missed. I guess I shouldn’t post this – I don’t want to be the instigator of yet another showl. The only reality show I have continually loved is Hell’s Kitchen. I like to watch people cook. Even more entertaining when they cook badly, so I am anxiously awaiting the next Worst Cook in America.

As long as they’re profitable for the networks they’ll keep running.