[B][SIZE=4]Here's what's coming to reality television[/SIZE][/B]
Reality TV fans are in for a treat if the week-old Writers Guild strike persists for months, as some in the industry fear.
Unscripted shows are largely unaffected by the strike, and in anticipation of the walkout, networks have been busily developing more strike-proof replacements.
"There's a lot of scrambling to grab up unscripted programming," says Fox reality chief Mike Darnell. "There's a lot out there that everybody passed on (before) that are now being picked up."
(Meanwhile, [I]The Tonight Show [/I]producers are considering bringing the show back with guest hosts in place of Jay Leno, who hasn't crossed the picket lines. And CBS News writers — not involved in the current strike — are scheduled to take a separate strike vote Thursday night.)
Some of the more immediate unscripted shows would have run regardless of a strike; others will move up from planned spring or summer launches. What's in store, with dates where available:
[B]ABC[/B]
•[B][I]Duel [/I][/B](week-long event, Dec. 17-23, 8 ET/PT). Quiz show in which contestants win by bluffing.
•[B][I]Dance Wars: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann [/I][/B](Jan. 7, Mondays at 8 ET/PT). [I]Dancing With the Stars[/I]' choreographers field their own teams in this live dance-off, which bridges the gap before [I]DWTS [/I]returns in March. Drew Lachey hosts.
•[B][I]Oprah's Big Give[/I][/B] Winfrey bestows cash on needy families.
•[B][I]Here Come the Newlyweds[/I][/B] A six-episode comedic game pitting couples in marital tests.
•[B][I]Wanna Bet?[/I][/B] Celebrities wager (for charity) on whether contestants can perform outrageous stunts.
• Also: New seasons of [B][I]Wife Swap [/I][/B]and [B][I]Supernanny[/I][/B], expanded episodes of [B][I]Extreme Makeover: Home [/I][/B]and possibly more [B][I]Funniest Videos[/I][/B].
[B]CBS[/B]
•[B][I]Big Brother[/I][/B] A first-time spring season of the summer staple will likely begin in February or March.
•[B][I]Million-Dollar Password[/I][/B] A high-stakes version of the game-show classic, hosted by Regis Philbin.
•[B][I]Do You Trust Me?[/I][/B] Tucker Carlson hosts a quiz show in which strangers bet on their mutual confidence in each other.
• Also: Additional cycles of [B][I]Survivor [/I][/B]and [B][I]The Amazing Race[/I][/B], and a new season of Drew Carey game show [B][I]Power of 10[/I][/B].
[B]Fox[/B]
•[B][I]The Moment of Truth [/I][/B](Jan. 23, Wednesdays at 9 ET/PT). Game show in which contestants are strapped to a lie detector and asked highly personal questions.
•[B][I]When Women Rule the World [/I][/B](Mar. 3, Mondays at 8 ET/PT). Alpha women control "a group of unsuspecting men used to calling the shots."
• Also: [B][I]American Idol[/I][/B] (Jan. 15), [B][I]Hell's Kitchen [/I][/B](Apr. 1), [B][I]Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?[/I][/B], [B][I]Don't Forget the Lyrics[/I][/B], [B][I]Cops [/I][/B]and [B][I]America's Most Wanted[/I][/B].
[B] NBC[/B]
•[B][I]Celebrity Apprentice[/I][/B] Stars compete for Donald Trump's approval as hot-dog vendors and in other unlikely occupations.
•[B][I]American Gladiators[/I][/B] The 1990s series is revived, with stuntmen competing against amateurs in physical competitions. Hulk Hogan, Laila Ali host.
•[B][I]Amnesia[/I][/B] Dennis Miller hosts this quiz show that asks contestants to recall key moments of their lives.
•[B][I]My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad[/I][/B] Families compete in stunt challenges.
•[B][I]Clash of the Choirs[/I][/B] Celebrities establish amateur singing groups, which compete live in yet another [I]Idol[/I] variation.
• Also: New season of [B][I]1 vs. 100[/I][/B], and [B][I]Deal or No Deal [/I][/B]continues.
[B]CW[/B]
•[B][I]Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants [/I][/B](Dec. 12, Wednesdays at 8 ET/PT). Mother-daughter teams compete for a beauty pageant title while shacking up in bunk beds in a Hollywood mansion.
•[B][I]Farmer Wants a Wife[/I][/B] A dating series in which a yokel selects a city beauty.
• Also: New seasons of [B][I]Beauty and the Geek [/I][/B]and [B][I]America's Next Top Model[/I][/B].
[URL="http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-11-12-new-reality-shows_N.htm"]Source[/URL]