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Reality forgettable in NBC's 'Fear Factor,' 'Spy TV'
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Theresa Carpine
Ferris

It's finally happened. After one year of CBS initiating the network-based reality show craze, NBC has jumped on the bandwagon with "Fear Factor" and "Spy TV." Neither can match -- or even compare to _ "Survivor."

"Fear Factor" is hosted by Joe Rogan, who enlists six contestants to compete in terrifying competitions. Whoever withstands the torture gets $50,000.

The tasks and reward are not very inspiring. For the premiere, contestants were pulled through the mud by horses, a stunt that was not exceptionally terrifying or dangerous. The contestants where whiny. They tried to make friends and adversaries during the course of an hour.

Rogan was an inappropriate choice as host, playing the bystander who eggs on his friends with platitudes like "Dude, that was totally awesome."

And then there's "Spy TV." When it began in 1948, "Candid Camera" was new and inventive but never really mean. "Spy TV" is a mean rip-off of the Allen Funt series.

The twist to "Spy TV" has revenge as a motive. In one clip, a reckless driver is set up to be involved in a high-speed police chase to get a taste of his own medicine. The scene was funny, and it even had a moral to it.

Yet there were other clips that involved random, insulting acts, and none of those insulted found it very funny because it doesn't mean anything when someone tells you, "You're on `Spy TV."'

Neither of these shows made a major impact on NBC, especially since they debuted in the summer schedule. I doubt these shows will even be remembered by the time the fall sweep season hits.

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