Did sorority, fraternity shows pledge to be dull?

Even the most ardent fans of so-called reality TV must have their limits.

Tonight MTV will put those limits to a stern test with the season premieres of “Sorority Life” (10 p.m.) and “Fraternity Life” (10:30 p.m.), back-to-back evidence that not everything needs to be televised.

The drama on the third season of “Sorority Life,” which will follow a Zeta Sigma Phi pledge class at USC, seems to center on time management issues, if tonight is any guide. The biggest hook on Season 2 of “Fraternity Life,” which will track the fellas from Delta Omega Chi at UC Santa Cruz, appears to involve whether -- gasp! -- an openly gay pledge and his would-be frat brothers can get along.

Think of this as Girls (and Boys) Gone Boring.

On “Sorority Life,” six pledges move in together for several weeks to see how well they bond with each other and their potential new “sisters.”

Sharifa starts out on the wrong note, showing up a half-hour late on moving day to the dismay of Val, the no-nonsense “pledge educator.” Carmen, who has earned the nickname “Superpledge” for her ability to score points by gathering signatures from full-fledged sisters, has trouble finding the time, or peace, to study. Meena, a premed student who also is on three dance teams and a softball squad, raises eyebrows by ducking out of meetings early.

Over at the frat house, the brothers try a radical concept in order to soberly check out several dozen membership candidates: “dry rush,” or a series of events without alcohol. After billiards, casino night and a Q&A; session, the brothers will choose 13 lucky “rushees” to get bids.

Some of the guys are dubious of Keldon because of his “anti-Greek” remarks in the past, and a few question the sincerity of a gay man trying to crack their elite club. Keldon’s stock rises, however, as he meets the brothers and acts normal, using plenty of words like “chill.”

Still, after slogging through these two shows, you may think Keldon had the right idea about Greek life in the first place.