2005/09/13 10:04:58 GMT
BBC
The popularity of reality TV in the US appears to be on the wane, with four out of five people surveyed saying there are now too many reality shows.
Some 82% of those in the AP-TV Guide poll said reality shows were either "totally made up" or "distorted".
Only 4% of the 1,002 questioned said there were not enough reality shows.
Half of those questioned also believed there were too many crime shows on TV, with elderly viewers more inclined to dislike the genre.
The survey was carried out to coincide with the beginning of the new season of programmes in the US.
Of the new shows introduced last season, viewers are most looking forward to the return of CSI: NY, the second spin-off of the Crime Scene Investigation franchise.
Desperate Housewives was second, eagerly awaited by twice as many women as men.
But the talk show format is leaving viewers cold, with 56% of viewers believing there were too many such programmes.
Despite the apparent slip in popularity of reality shows, there is still a proliferation in the genre.
Recent examples include Rock Star: INXS, which charts the Australian band's search for a new lead singer, and Tommy Lee Goes to College, in which the Motley Crue drummer attends classes at the University of Nebraska.
However, only Dancing with the Stars - the US version of the BBC's Strictly Ballroom - proved a hit with viewers this summer.
Former convict and lifestyle guru Martha Stewart will also be trying her hand at reality TV this season with the launch of her version of The Apprentice.
The poll also revealed that the older generation watch more hours of television a week.
The average number of weekly hours watched by over 65s is 14.7 hours, compared with nine hours for 18 to 34-year-olds, the primary target of advertisers.
The AP-TV Guide poll, conducted by international polling firm Ipsos, surveyed 1,002 adults between 6 and 8 September.
