Monday, January 2, 2012

Reality TV Shows That Need To Slow Down

There's no such thing as too much of a good thing.

But when it comes to reality TV, we feel we've been served an excessive amount of some very average things, and that's no good at all.

The "America's Next Top Model" all-star season, Cycle 17, just ended scandalously a few short weeks ago on The CW. But never fear -- Tyra will be smizing on the small screen again in just a few short months.

Yes, "ANTM" is prepping for its 18th "cycle" in less than nine years on the air. But Tyra and Co. are not alone. Here are five shows that need to give it a rest. And my advice: Take a breather between seasons so we, as viewers, don't start losing interest.

1. "The Biggest Loser" (NBC)
It's the perfect time for this popular weight-loss reality competition show to air right after the New Year so viewers will be inspired to stick to their own healthy living resolutions. But with two seasons a year, and less than a month between December's Season 12 finale and the Season 13 premiere (Tues., Jan. 3, 8 p.m. EST on NBC), the "Biggest Loser" is starting to feed us more than we can chew.

2. "The Bachelor" (ABC)
In under 10 years, we've seen 16 bachelors looking for love on national TV (#16, Ben Flajnik, will get his chance starting Mon., Jan. 2, 8 p.m. EST on ABC). And that's not even counting the seven seasons of "The Bachelorette" and two recent seasons of the horrifying "Bachelor Pad" spin-off. We won't mention the sad success rate of relationships on this show ... we'll just say it might be time to consider handing out the final rose soon.

3. "The Real World" (MTV)
For the first 10 seasons of "The Real World," MTV took their time, making sure to get compelling footage of the six strangers picked to live in a house. But the second they found that winning formula, they started cranking out seasons, totaling a whopping 26 seasons since 1992. Add the two annual seasons of "The Real World" spin-off series "The Challenge" to that, and we've been witness to 48 seasons of "The Real World" stars as they stop being polite and start doing very dumb, "real" stuff.

4. "Dancing With the Stars" (ABC)
With two seasons each year, "Dancing With the Stars" is a reality TV machine, leaving less than four months between the end of one season and the start of the next. This juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down, but we're just a tiny bit concerned that they'll run out of so-called "stars" soon. Anyone know what that "Mikey Likes It" kid from the Life cereal commercials is up to?

5. "Jersey Shore" (MTV)
It may not seem like a lot by comparison, but packing five seasons of "Jersey" antics into just a little over three years' time has given many fans GTL fatigue (Season 5 premieres Thurs., Jan. 5, 10 p.m. EST on MTV). Pauly D famously said, "I'll do as many 'Jersey Shore's as we can." But how much longer can we really keep watching this same cast of orange characters terrorizing Seaside Heights, Miami and Italy?

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