End of an era. (Comment).

You could almost hear the sighs of relief last week coming out of Jerry's Deli or Michael's or the Four Seasons bar -- wherever show folks hang out to discuss "buttons" and plot holes. The networks came out with their fall lineups and while the dreaded reality genre was sprinided throughout the schedule, traditional dramas and sitcoms ruled the roost. "CSI' "Law & Order' "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Friends" -- they all took center stage. That means more work for actors and writers who in the past few years have been bypassed for amateurs giving us way too much information about which guy or gal they think is hot.

For network executives, reality shows had all the earmarks of a May-December fling. They were attracted by the obvious: no nagging from overpriced stars or producers, cheap production costs, little or no union involvement and sky-high ratings. It was damn exciting -- folks were not only watching by the millions, they were buzzing about the shows the next morning at the office coffee room.

But flings seldom last long (or so I've heard) and in the world of reality TV, the flameouts became predictable - "All American Girl," "The Family" and "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here" were out-and-out failures. Even the reality granddaddy of them all, "Survivor," recently had its lowest-rated finale. Perhaps the most striking disaster involved not a reality show but a reality movie: 'The Real Cancun," an R-rated trifle about sex-hungry kids on spring break that, to most everyone's surprise, bombed at the box office.

NBC, which had avoided much of the reality schtick (to the point where its executive ranks were shaken up when the other networks scored big on the format), emphasized at its sales meetings that it didn't need the likes of "American Idol" and "Joe Millionaire" to get good ratings. Expect CBS, ABC and even Fox to take a similar stance in the coming months.

What went wrong? Here are three likely explanations:

Format: Whether it's a two-hour prime time extravaganza or one of those cheesy dating shows, reality shows are largely dependent on good looks and sex (or at least the suggestion of such). Those ingredients are part and parcel of the entire TV landscape, to be sure, but it's a safe bet that viewers don't watch "Everybody Loves Raymond" because Ray Romano is a hunk. "Friends" is one of television's all-time success stories not so much because of its good-looking actors but because there are funny and often touching situations behind those pretty faces.

Writing: Reality producers proudly note how their cinema verite approach eliminates the need for scripts -- just turn on the camera and see what happens. What happens, alas, are amateurs supposedly being themselves but really just pretending to be acting -- and usually doing a pretty bad job of it. Whatever innocence could be gleaned from the early reality participants has been replaced these days by a much shrewder bunch that knows how to mug for the camera. Turns out that these shows badly miss the writers, actors, producers and directors who can crank Out a serviceable 30- or 60-minute piece of entertainment that will engross millions of viewers.

Escapism: It's one of the oldest maxims in show business: Audiences turn on TV or walk into a darkened theater to get away from their own experiences -- whether it's to laugh or cry or, heaven forbid, to think. Prurience and voyeurism will only get you so far -- but that's about as far as the reality folks can go because that's all they have. And that's not enough.

Mark Lacter is editor of the Business Journal.