TVSquad

Once upon a time, in the 1960's, the TV landscape was rife with westerns. In the 1970s, it was detective shows. Nowadays, the same can be said for reality shows, and it seems there's no end in sight to the genre. Today, CBS reported two new reality programs in development. Splitsville, which was previously announced, is now going into production. The marital-based series, which comic Jamie Kennedy is executive producing, is not about happy unions. It sounds more like Divorce Court meets Let's Make A Deal, with divorcing husbands and wives battling over their belongings in a series of competitive challenges. Hmm...can't wait to root for those people!

Another European import gets a stateside remake. In TV land, it's sometimes cheaper to buy somebody else's idea than to come up with one of your own. This would be funny principle if we started teaching it in schools. "I was going to do my own science fair project, but then I realized, I could just do a remake of the photosynthesis experiment that won two years ago." Kids could pay each other royalties for old book reports. I see a whole new economy in the works for the playground set. Anyway, these international translations are obviously working out quite well for the networks, Simon Fuller (American Idol) and Ben Silverman (The Office, Ugly Betty). So, why shouldn't they work out for producer Ashton Kutcher who has already made a bundle marketing Beauty and the Geek worldwide?

Kutcher is translating the British Game Show in My Head for CBS. While the production company has remained quiet on the details, we know that the show involves a hidden camera element and is casting "everyday people who are ready for a little fun in extraordinary situations." They're looking for people who considered themselves to be "daredevils, risk takers and great sales people." The pilot will be shot later this month. Anyone out there seen the British version? Got any insight for us?