• by Ken Liebeskind , July 3, 2001

The reality of the upcoming fall TV season is that it will be inundated with reality shows. All six major networks will offer them in what will be "the first fall season to feature a heavy dose of reality programming," according to Ed Martin, programming editor of The Myers Report.

The distinction is that in the past, reality programs ran as spring or summer replacements, but now they get top billing in the networks' premiere fall lineups.

The biggest news here is NBC's The Weakest Link, which will run Sundays and Mondays. "It's a big step forward because they were coming under a lot of criticism for not having a reality series," Martin says. The Weakest Link debuted this spring and is running this summer, but will become a major network property this fall.

Not to be outdone, ABC is reducing the number of Millionaire episodes from four to two per week. It brings back The Mole, a reality series launched last January, for Fridays at 8. It plans an even bigger reality show, The Runner, produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, for January and will be promoting it all fall. The Runner is bigger than most others because it has "star power," Martin says.

CBS comes back with Survivor, the blockbuster hit making its third comeback. It started as a summer series, then mid-season and now for the first time will be a fall show. CBS will also launch The Amazing Race, a reality show that will compete with West Wing, the NBC hit, on Wednesdays at 9. "It's a bold move," Martin says.

Fox brings Temptation Island back on Thursdays at 9, the most competitive time slot on TV opposite CSI and Will & Grace.

The WB offers a twin bill aimed at teen girls on Thursday nights, "the only audience left in the time period," Martin says. Pop Stars will be followed by Elimidate Deluxe, a reality game show. On Sundays, The WB will run Lost in the USA, a reality show with an interactive element that permits viewers to contact contestants by phone or email.

UPN is the only network without a new reality show but it brings back WWF Smackdown, which is considered to be a reality show.

Myers Reports has released a white paper on the fall lineup that includes share predictions. Among the estimates are Tuesdays, when NBC's Frasier will earn a 16.0, ABC's Bob Patterson with Jason Alexander a 12.95 and CBS's The Guardian a 13.0. On Wednesdays, Myers predicts NBC's The West Wing will earn a 17.5 to outpace CBS's The Amazing Race at 13.5. On Thursdays, CBS's Survivor will wallop NBC's Inside Schwartz, but Fox's Temptation Island will be "competitive."