Such a Thing as Too Much Reality?

With the latest ratings sweeps beginning Thursday, one of the busiest men in Hollywood is . . . Bruce Nash? The producer is behind five “reality” specials that will air during the next month, beginning Thursday with another of Fox’s high-rated “Magic’s Biggest Secrets Revealed” specials--in which the “Masked Magician” himself will be unmasked--followed Sunday by “Exposed: Pro Wrestling’s Greatest Secrets,” featuring eight masked wrestlers. “They both are illusions, and wrestling in a way is even cooler, because it’s right out in the open,” said Nash, whose Fox specials “When Good Pets Go Bad,” “World’s Worst Drivers” and “Road to Fame” will all be televised in November. It’s noteworthy that NBC bought the wrestling show, because executives there have often derisively pointed out that WWF wrestling is the top-rated program shown on cable, despite its high-brow image. Nash, meanwhile, is broadening his horizons, working on a revival of “This Is Your Life” that CBS plans to run--when else?--during the February sweeps. Of reality fare, Nash said, “The networks like the shows, and more importantly, the viewers seem to like them.” The wrestling special will clearly be put to the test, going to the mat with “60 Minutes” and the movies “101 Dalmatians” and “Jurassic Park: The Lost World” on ABC and Fox, respectively.

Everything’s Gonna Be All Right . . . She Hopes

Will Deana Carter fall victim to the sophomore slump? We’ll get the first indication Wednesday, when SoundScan’s first-week sales figures are made available for the country singer’s second album, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” the follow-up to her 4 million-selling 1996 debut, “Did I Shave My Legs for This?” Country music fans are known for their loyalty, which should work to Carter’s advantage. Certainly Shania Twain, who sold huge numbers with her debut album, suffered no loss in popularity with her second, “Come on Over,” which has sold more than 5 million copies since its release late last year. But Carter favors a more traditional country sound than pop-leaning Twain, which lessens Carter’s crossover appeal to some extent. According to industry insiders, Carter’s new single, the wistful “Absence of the Heart,” should have the same radio impact as her breakthrough smash, “Strawberry Wine,” and that should help the new album’s sales. “I think ‘Strawberry Wine’ on its own sold a lot of records, because it touched so many people,” says Lon Helton, country music editor for the trade publication Radio & Records. “And I think ‘Absence of the Heart’ has that same potential, because it’s a real song about a real relationship between two people.” Still, at a time when pop music fans are turning their backs on perennial bestsellers such as the Smashing Pumpkins and Natalie Merchant, will country fans stand by their gal?

It’s Not Always Just Who You Know

Since its inception some seven years ago, the Diversity Awards have served as a way to pay tribute to people in the film and television industries who have made significant contributions to the cinematic arts. Conceived by a Beverly Hills-based nonprofit organization called the Multicultural Motion Picture Assn., the show annually bestows awards on such celebrities as Robert De Niro, Pam Grier, Shirley MacLaine and Joe Pesci, as well as others whose work has brought diversity and creativity to motion pictures. “I founded it because I felt the need to bring people together from all parts of life, in front and behind the camera, and sharing ideals,” said Jarvee Hutcherson, the association’s president and producer of the Diversity Awards. Hutcherson said the group’s goal is to get underprivileged students from all cultural backgrounds interested in pursuing careers in film and television. “A lot of them, perhaps, feel they could never enter into these professions without knowing that big name who will get them in,” he said. Hutcherson said scholarships aren’t just awarded to people of color. “So many times, people believe diversity means Asians, blacks and Hispanics, but we have white students who get scholarships, too.” The association also matches students with mentors at production companies, trade guilds and with individual directors. This year’s show will be held Tuesday on the grounds of the Playboy mansion in Beverly Hills with awards going to actors Angela Bassett, Anne Heche, Jackie Chan, Paul Rodriguez, Irene Bedard and Connie Stevens, and director Carl Franklin. “These are people who are doing things in the cinematic arts who don’t allow themselves to get pigeonholed in typical fare that they just think will sell,” Hutcherson said.

--Compiled by Times staff writers and contributors