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NBC, ABC, and Fox all have jumped on the voyeur-show bandwagon in a quest for boffo ratings and low production costs. With increasing competition from cable channels, videos, and the Internet siphoning viewers, the networks are more willing to put the offensive on the air. NBC is interested in Chains of Love, a Dutch import in which a woman is shackled at the ankles to four men. At the end of a week, she has unchained all but the one she wants to date. While most reality shows will die quickly, Thompson says there is the potential for memorable television. Winzenburg agrees, noting the promise of ABC's The Runner (a contestant crosses the country trying to be avoid detection) and The Mole (10 contestants try to complete tasks even though one member of the group is a saboteur). "There is nothing inherently evil about the format," Thompson says. Winzenburg believes it is a misnomer to call such programs "reality shows" because they are, in essence, game shows.Such programming could be a fad that fails to become a durable trend. Last season's ratings champ Who Wants to Be a Millionaire propelled ABC from third to first place in the Nielsen rankings and thus spawned copycats. But most quickly left the air because of low ratings.

John Kennedy examined the popularization of professional wrestling, Redeemed Bad Boys of the WWF , for Christianity Today in June.Concerned Women for America believes Survivordevalues human life.You can check out CBS's official sites for Survivor and Big Brother , which are full of gossip, games, and contestant profiles.To view video clips of Survivor interviews with each contestant who has been kicked off the island click here.

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September 4 2000, Vol. 44, No. 10