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Recession Hits Reality Shows Hard

The recession seems to be driving viewers away from reality programming with some of the networks' biggest unscripted series sinking in the ratings lately.

Horizon Media's analysis of Nielsen data for the first two months of the TV season finds that established reality and game shows, including "Dancing With the Stars," "Survivor" and "Deal or No Deal," are suffering a slump. While you could argue that all network TV is down this fall, the fact is all of the series that have shown improvement are scripted shows.

Part of the explanation is that many of the reality shows are old and some have been overexposed. Another factor: During times of upheaval, viewers' tastes can shift. Comedies become popular again. For many viewers, everyday life already contains more reality than they can bear.

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