Next new reality show: ‘How to Get the Viewer’

This summer, reality bites. Big time.

In recent years, the hot months have been where broadcasters stick their cheap, high-concept unscripted ideas -- and usually, at least one of them pops big. At this point last year, ABC’s dance contest “Dancing With the Stars” was turning into a summer sleeper, a series so surprisingly popular the network suits brought it back in January.

This summer networks are still throwing stuff at the wall, but so far not much is sticking. Last week saw flop debuts for ABC’s reality dating show “How to Get the Guy” and CBS’ docu-soap “Tuesday Night Book Club.” And on Sunday, NBC drew weak numbers with a special two-hour premiere of “Treasure Hunters,” a globetrotting scavenger hunt.

“Treasure Hunters” averaged 6.9 million total viewers, according to early data from Nielsen Media Research, for a disappointing third-place finish behind ABC’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals and CBS’ lineup of series and movie repeats. (NBC also finished in third place for the night in the crucial adults ages 18 to 49 demographic.)

The main problem is that networks have a logjam of derivative reality shows. “Treasure Hunters,” for example, was dismissed by many critics as a knockoff of CBS’ “The Amazing Race,” while “Book Club” was viewed as a retooling of Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Orange County.”

Meanwhile, summer TV watchers continue to flee to cable: Last week the return of TNT’s cop drama “The Closer” became the most-watched scripted program in the history of basic cable, with 8.2 million viewers.

Broadcasters are having somewhat better luck with returning reality series, such as Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” CBS has high hopes for “Big Brother: All Stars,” which starts Wednesday, and “Rock Star: Supernova,” with Tommy Lee, coming July 5.

But the suits are still looking for that breakout new show. So starting Wednesday, Regis Philbin will try to reverse the trend on NBC’s amateur competition “America’s Got Talent.”