ABC and Fox are trotting out three new unscripted series this week. One reality show has spoiled siblings dodging gainful employment, while another tackles troubled teenagers who slog through boot camp in Oregon. Finally, ABC's news department -- yes, news department -- delves into the world of online dating.
The Princes of Malibu
Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on Fox
The tagline you'll never see: Pop's loaded -- and we're lazy.
The basics: The stepsons of music producer David Foster are accustomed to partying hard, sleeping late and enjoying their stepdad's wealth, with flashy cars and unlimited funds. But Foster wants Brandon, 24, and Brody, 21, to be responsible, to get jobs or get out of the mansion. Their mother, Linda Thompson, a former Miss Tennessee who dated Elvis and was previously married to Olympian Bruce Jenner, lovingly defends her sons' slacker lifestyle. The boys, Jenner's sons, display no ambition, and the show promises no prizes for the princes, so their only incentive to shape up -- or camp it up -- is for the ever-present cameras.
The lowdown: Fox is pulling a fast one with "Princes." These royal slackers do have jobs -- they're actually the show's co-creators. Faced with Foster's ultimatum to find work, they approached pal and executive producer Brant Pinvidic with the idea for this show. So just like "The Simple Life," another Fox program that caters to the rich and famous (or infamous), there's little "reality" in this reality show. The six-episode series replaces reruns of a second "Simpsons" episode on Sundays, but it seems unlikely that the Jenner boys can maintain the laugh level guaranteed by sassy sibs Bart and Lisa.
Reality check: The boys' adventures may not amuse those who groaned at the exaggerated "Simple Life" exploits, but it's fun to watch their apparent cluelessness: In the first episode, singer Chaka Khan is irate and late for an appointment with Foster, thanks to the roadblock formed by the boys' carwash. Brandon and Brody's reaction: "Chaka who?" But this family's semi-comic reality is more watchable than some sitcom families' values.
-- Kathy Blumenstock
Brat Camp
Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC
The tagline you'll never see: Spawn of "Supernanny."
The basics: Drug addicts and runaways are among the nine out-of-control kids sent by their fed-up parents to a "therapeutic wilderness camp" in Oregon. At least that's what one counselor calls it -- essentially, this is a boot camp where it's early to bed and early to rise with back-breaking hikes in between. The goal: Set these kids straight as they learn to live with the harsh realities of camp life.
