FX to try reality TV on for size

FX, the basic cable network that is home to three distinguished and controversial dramas, is giving reality television a second chance with an unscripted series by the writer and director of “Super Size Me,” the documentary that chronicled his fast-food odyssey.

“30 Days,” which will premiere next summer, will place an individual in an environment that is antithetical to his or her beliefs, upbringing, religion or profession for one month.

The pilot episode, for example, deals with a Christian insurance salesman in his 30s from West Virginia who moves in with a Muslim family in Dearborn, Mich., and learns what it is like to be a member of a community considered a security threat by many Americans.

“I thought it would be great to create a television show that examined social issues without being preachy and didn’t tell you what to do but deals with problems in a way that is palatable and entertaining,” Morgan Spurlock said. “We literally take somebody and have them walk in someone else’s shoes and question their own belief structure.”

There is no prize at the end of the month, but the participant is paid $1,000 a day.

Spurlock will host and narrate the series. Both he and reality producer Ben Silver (“The Biggest Loser” and “The Restaurant”) will serve as executive producers.