I must be really not up to date. Are there really shows like “Wedding Crashers” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”?

Still amazing the ratings are as high as they are for reality shows – what does that really say about regular drama’s and sitcoms.

Thanks again for your comments.

Merrill

Furthermore, i can’t stand watching judges ridicule people for mere ratings boosts, which is why i have a problem with Simon Cowell, and Gordon Ramsay. Why is America amused by that? Why is it OK to call someone a donkey? i think it’s disgusting. This is why i watch “Rock Star” instead of “American Idol” and “Top Chef” instead of “Hell’s Kitchen”. It is truly about the competition, and making people stronger so they can become great in their profession.

Another favorite, (and i can’t believe that Ashton Kucher is behind it) is “Beauty and the Geek” where they pair wicked smart men who lack social graces with beautiful women who get by on their looks instead of their brains. The men and women learn from each other, and for the most part it is a positive experience for all involved. Every time a couple is voted off they always say, “i really learned a lot, i wish i could stay longer, i will look at people differently from now on. i am so excited that i have to opportunity to be on this show”. THIS IS WHAT REALITY TV SHOULD BE ABOUT!
OK – i am jumping down from my soap box now…

To me, The Amazing Race is the gold standard of reality TV. I typically hide from cameras, but that is the one reality show I would go on in a minute if I had the right partner. I also watch Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, and (my guilty pleasure) Big Brother.

I watched the first season of the Apprentice, but will never watch again because I find Donald Trump tedious. I loathe anything related to American Idol; I’ve watched MAYBE three episodes in the entire time it has been on the air and will do a happy dance if the ratings ever plummet to the point it is cancelled, because I get angry at how the other networks program around it by moving shows. If it didn’t negatively affect so many other things I watch on television, then I’d gladly just ignore it.

In my opinion, CBS has the best reality shows (with the exception of the current Pirate Master, which I wanted to like but instead find boring). NBC’s are mediocre (with the possible exceptions of The Biggest Loser, which can be inspiring, and Last Comic Standing). But there should be a law that prevents FOX from ever putting a reality show on the air; some of theirs are just vile.