With the success of reality shows like "Survivor" and "Temptation Island" networks have been scrambling to come up with wilder and even edgier fare to satisfy America's appetite for reality.

From sheep eye eating to sexed-up love cruises, the next generation of reality television is pushing the barrier in shock TV. While network executives continue to bank on these shows as advertising cash cows, recent ratings may indicate that viewers aren't quite so eager to dip in. The second wave of reality first hit this past summer.

Seeing the successes of "Survivor" and "Big Brother" on CBS, NBC saw an opportunity. Last summer, it premiered "Fear Factor" and "Spy TV." "Fear Factor" hosted by Joe Rogan, collected six young and attractive men and women and challenged them to various tasks. The contestants that refused or were unable to complete the tasks were eliminated, leaving one winner to take home the $50,000 prize. The show, which threw people off of buildings and dangled them over ravines, became well known for its gross out factor. In a few episodes, contestants were challenged to eat sheep eyes and buffalo testicles. "Spy TV‚" debuted as the twisted evil brother of the classic "Candid Camera." In one show, a young man was interrogated for hours as a suspected computer hacker. In another, a job interviewee was told she had destroyed the urn of the boss' deceased wife. After breaking down and bawling into the ashes, the elaborate scheme was revealed to her.

CBS brought back 2000s modest success "Big Brother." Heeding some of the criticism of the original, "Big Brother 2" offered a younger and more blatantly Machiavellian cast. This time around, contestants voted each other out instead of having America decide via a telephone poll.

FOX attempted to take a bite out of the reality pie with its "Murder in Small Town X." Contestants were investigators in a fictional New England town investigating a string of murders. In every episode, one of the contestants was eliminated while being killed‚ by the murderer, the results were mixed. NBC saw such success with "Fear Factor‚" that another season is in the works. "Spy TV," while receiving decent ratings, did not fare as well. CBS saw the same moderate success this summer with "BB2" as last. While there has been no official announcement, a third installment seems likely. FOX, meanwhile, could not conjure up "Temptation"-like numbers for "Murder," which was quickly forgotten by audiences.

This fall has seen even more elaborate reality shows making their way onto the airwaves. NBC rolled out "Lost‚" for a few weeks. In this show, three two-man teams were blindfolded and placed somewhere on the globe.They had to find out where they were and be the first to make it back to the Statue of Liberty. CBS introduced the more extravagant "The Amazing Race‚" contestants comprise 11 two-man teams who race around the globe, from New York to Africa to Paris. The teams encounter challenges and tasks that must be completed in order to move on. The last person at each checkpoint in the race is eliminated, with the prize money going to the winning team. Race‚ airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST.

CBS is also banking on success with "Survivor: Africa" the third installment of the popular reality show. This time around, members of the Boran and Samburu tribes must face dangerous animals, treacherous terrain, and tainted water on an African game reserve. Producers claim that this installment is the toughest one yet. "Survivor‚" airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST.

FOX hopes to continue its sex-based reality success with "Love Cruise: The Maiden Voyage." The contrived rules of this show somehow relate to sexy singles pairing up and each sex voting one of the other off. The premise seems less important to the show itself than the high drama and spectacle of scantily-clad women and men who frolic and scheme about the deck. The winning couple‚ will earn $200,000 and a luxurious trip around the world. FOX will also offer up "Temptation Island 2‚" the sequel to last year's surprise success. Premiering Nov. 7 at 9 p.m. (then taking its regular slot Thursdays at 9 p.m.),

"Temptation Island 2‚" once again brings four unmarried yet committed‚ couples together. They separate them and tempt the committed people with sexy and eligible singles of the opposite sex.

ABC brought back last year's semi-hit with "The Mole 2: The Next Betrayal." Expanding the field of contestants to 12, the premise remains the same: contestants attempt to complete challenges for money that is added to the growing pot. One of the contestants is the mole who is working against them. Each week, players take a quiz about the Mole's identity. Whoever scores the lowest is eliminated. The winner then takes home the pot.

"The Mole 2" also promises to drop hints in each episode about the Mole's identity. This was actually done last year, though producers didn't reveal it until the final show. The "Mole 2" airs on ABC Fridays at 8 p.m. EST.

The WB has even thrown its hat into the ring with "Elimidate Deluxe‚" Airing Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. eastern, "Elimidate‚" puts four contestants with a member of the opposite sex on a day-long date. Inevitably, each of thecontestants is eliminated until only the happy couple is left to enjoy each other.

The WB is also bringing out another addition of "Popstars." Like ABC's cancelled "Making the Band‚" "Popstars‚" chronicled the making of an all-girl pop music band. This year, "Popstars 2" will put a twist in the formula by making the band co-ed. "Popstars 2" airs Thursdays at 8p.m. EST beginning tomorrow.

Viewer reception of these shows has been mixed. FOX did not see stellar numbers with "Love Cruise." Both travel-based series, "Lost" and "The Amazing Race," have not made a spectacular showing either. Stuck on Friday nights, the ratings for "The Mole 2‚" have been downright abysmal.

The premiere of "Survivor: Africa" brought in decent ratings for CBS by pulling in more than 23 million viewers, despite being delayed 45 minutes due to a presidential address. However, the show failed to beat "Friends‚" which (due in part to the Rachel pregnancy story arc), has been pulling high numbers this season. The "Survivor: Africa" premiere also didn't reach the 29 million mark that "Survivor: The Australian Outback‚" would consistently pull down to beat Friends‚ last season.

While the numbers game may be choking off reality television, networks don't seem to notice too much. CBS is asking for contestants for "The Amazing Race 2‚" while even ABC's The Mole‚ is working on a third installment. Meanwhile, CBS is already planning a fourth "Survivor" which it plans to debut sometime next spring. Originally rumored to be taking place in Jordan, recent developments have scrapped that idea and producers are looking for a new location.

While the verdict is still out, the ratings bring about the question of whether this next generation of reality television will indeed be the last generation. The reason behind the lackluster ratings for many reality shows may lie in the fickle tastes of the American public, or the networks‚ saturation of the airwaves with every conceivable reality show imaginable. The novelty of the genre, blending personality- and conflict-driven story telling with a game-based competition for money, seems to have worn off. Replacing it is an attempt to out-do one another with the bold and shocking. While some of it works, much of it doesn't.

"Fear Factor" was perfect summer fare. Tuning in each week to see what people would eat in a desperate grab for money proved gleefully disgusting for the audience.

"The Mole 2" continues to be the oft overlooked gem that the first one was a fun play along game that also offers paranoia-driven contestants. "Survivor: Africa" also promises more of the same drama and fun that its predecessors enjoyed. Many of the other shows, however, range from the boring to the downright embarrassing.

Watching the contestants of "Lost" and "Race" meander about foreign lands speaking loudly and gesturing ridiculously at the amused and sometimes annoyed natives doesn't exactly make for interesting television. Race‚ in particular, seems to reduce foreign cultures to nothing more than novelties that are chewed up and quickly forgotten as the players move on to the next exotic location. Shows like "Love Cruise" and "Elimidate" would work much better if they dropped the pretence of legitimacy and accepted themselves as simple, silly fun. Both shows tend to take themselves far too seriously as games and overlook the gold mine of possibilities of watching pathetic and desperate singles use sex to win cash at the price of their dignity.

While the quality of these shows is certainly mixed, the verdict that really matters may be leaving reality television in the dust. If audiences continue the current trend of tuning out, it won't be long before the plug is pulled on all of reality TV. If the next generation of reality television doesn't soon live up to expectations, it may soon find itself as a lost generation.

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