Mark Burnett, Keeping It Real

It's a combination. It used to be very small, me and couple of other people. Now we have a huge development team, and we get pitched ideas every week.

The stories about you always say that you went from selling T-shirts on the beach to producing "Eco-Challenge." There has to be more to it than that.

Not really. I was just trying to make a buck. I'd come out of a British army parachute regiment, and I always felt some affinity and was missing the mountains and the jungles. My mother around that time had terminal cancer, so I started to look at what was important in life. I had a list of things I wanted to do. I wanted to make more money, and I wanted to do it through adventure, and I wished there was some entertainment value to it. "Eco-Challenge" combined all those things that made me stop selling T-shirts and take a risk.

Down the road, do you think the impact you've had on television will be assessed as positive, negative or a combination?

Very, very positive. It can only be. "Survivor" really changed the model, and "Survivor" broke almost a monopoly for scripted work on television. Now, I'm not saying that non-scripted TV should replace anything, but a very healthy prime-time lineup would be an equal smattering of news, sports, non-fiction, comedies and dramas. You look now at what really works on TV. "Survivor" -- it has become part of the landscape. "American Idol" -- number-one show in the world. "Dancing With the Stars" -- very talked about. The NBA Finals -- talked about. Tiger Woods's golf game -- talked about. What does that tell you? It tells you the water-cooler and the consciousness of America is event-driven. These reality shows are events, because each week has an outcome that you talk about. Scripted shows have a massive place. "House" -- a fantastic show. "Grey's Anatomy" -- a well-constructed show. But I don't think they create water-cooler talk.

What kind of "Survivor" contestant would you be?

I'd be really good at suffering. I don't like whining. I don't. But I'd probably get voted off because I would lead from the front. No one does well by leading from the front on "Survivor." In normal real life, you don't just vote someone off. It takes a while for them to get on your nerves properly. In "Survivor," every three days they get to say "you're done." So very few people can lead from the front.

You also make shows families can watch together.

That is very important to me. I'm married to Roma Downey from "Touched by an Angel." Roma says, "Don't make anything our kids wouldn't be allowed to see." Quite frankly, I made a lot of money and success catering to families, so I'm really proud to hear you say that.

You got married last year, you're getting a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, you're rumored to be creating your own TV network. Is this the best time in your life?

It's a great, great time in my life. The important thing is Roma and I and the three kids. Life is great in that way. I've got a good company, I'm happy, and business opportunities have always been good for me. It's about making the right choices.