Crothian said:
Because a reality show, that's 1/20th the price with those kind of ratings and add money would be even better......
And a $1000 car that gets 1000 miles to the gallon would be better than the Saturn I bought. But no such car exists...
Seriously, reality programs, for the most part, actually get pretty
low ratings... but as you mention, they are so cheap to produce that even with low ratings, they can make a profit on modest advertising fees. Also note that most reality shows are usually less than a full season of a regular series, either being mid-season replacements or alternatives to summer re-runs.
Does ABC have a sure-fire reality series that can fill in
Lost's shoes for a full season (or more?) Most likely not. And as the saying goes, a bird in the hand...
Also, there seems to be a lot of backlash against reality TV (always a misnomer in my book) these days, especially on the major networks... people want to see something different, and shows like Lost and Desperate Housewives have shown that there are still interesting characters and innovative stories out there to be told (that don't involve hidden cameras, midgets or injesting earthworms with pig eye garnishes.)
On the topic at hand, the article sounds like a load of hooey to me.