Cable TV networks grab up reality-based programs. (Up Front).

More Valley-based producers are abandoning traditional -- but not very lucrative -- documentary television programs for what they think TV cable networks want more: reality television shows like "Survivor" and "The Osbournes."

"It's all about the economics of the business," said Gary Tarpinian, president of Morningstar Entertainment Inc. of Burbank, who has produced documentaries like "The Statue of Liberty" and "Biography: Chiang Kai-Shek."

"The budgets are getting smaller and costs keep getting higher to produce documentaries," he said.

While some dispute there is a distinction between reality programs and documentaries, Tarpinian said reality programs focus on following people around to illustrate what they do, while documentaries focus on historical or news topics.

Tarpinian, who has seen the documentary market decline over the last two years, said the demand for low-cost reality programs continues to grow.

"We've always done some, but now it's an area that is really growing for us because there is such demand for that," he said.

The popularity of reality television took off when CBS's "Survivor" garnered the top slot in the Nielsen ratings way back in 2000 and a number of copycat shows began appearing on network and cable television.

"MTV had a successful reality show in 'The Real World.' They and other cable channels added more shows like that and people started watching," Tarpinian said.

For Morningstar, the move to reality programming has begun to pay off. It has four series and a mere two documentary specials set to air on cable later this year. At the same time, Tarpinian reports, revenues have jumped from $3 million last year to about $5 million so far this year.

Much of that revenue push comes from deals with international distributors that allow Morningstar to repackage its programs and sell them abroad to recoup costs and post a small profit more quickly than is usually the case with domestic deals.

"I went to a (pitch) meeting and my friend Dave said afterward, 'Don't use the d-word again. We're reality producers.'-Documentary sounded too old-fashioned," Tarpinian said.

Instead, audiences -- or, at least, network executives -- want reality programs about the everyday lives of police officers, doctors and teachers.

"We went from 120 hours of documentary programming (per year) to about 12 to 20 now," said Tarpinian, whose reality shows in production include "Super Surgeries," on the Discovery Health Channel, and "Roller Coasters" and "Theme Park Secrets," both on the Travel Channel.

"These are shows that strike a chord with people on some level and they've become very popular," said Alexandra Middendorf, executive producer of documentary and reality programming at the Discovery Channel.

Nancy Jacobs Miller, president of Film Garden Entertainment Inc. of North Hollywood, said economics are forcing documentary producers to get into what may not necessarily be most comfortable for them.

"This is what the networks are buying," Miller said. "That's the bottom line."

Miller's production slate is filled with programs such as "Body Challenge," in which teams of contestants compete against each other by trying to lose the most weight, also on the Discovery Health Network. Then there's "Ultimate 10" and "A Personal Story," both for the Learning Channel (TLC), and "Women in Blue" for the Discovery Channel.

"People are fascinated by human behavior, and they love to have access to information that is interesting to talk about," she said.

Although Miller began her career as a documentary filmmaker, she now mostly produces reality TV for cable networks like Discovery, TLC and the Travel Channel.

Rasha Drachkovitch, president and owner of Studio City-based 44 Blue Productions, said his company is focusing primarily on programs like "The Collector Inspector," a show for the Home and Garden Channel in which an appraiser visits antique collectors and appraises their items.

"Our game plan is very versatile and we have the means to produce these shows very economically," Drachkovitch said.

The attraction of reality programs comes from the basic curiosity human viewers have about others.

"It's that 'gee whiz' factor, that these shows take people places that they don't know well. So you can follow a cop around and show what he does and it fascinates people," Drachkovitch said.

His 44 Blue Productions is already developing a number of reality shows that depict competing contestants or focus on individuals and their everyday lives.

One such program is "Small Shots" on The National Network, which shows people in a small town competing for roles in a supposed film, "Small Shots," producers plan to film.

With budgets averaging between $100,000 and $150,000 per broadcast hour, reality television has become cost-effective for cable channels seeking to fill their relentless schedules.

Those economics have also spelled success for Eric Schotz, president of LMNO Cable Group in Encino, whose company is producing "Celebrity Boot Camp" for Fox Broadcasting Co. and four other reality series for cable.

Schotz said reality shows will continue to attract viewers as long as the programs remain compelling.