the buzz log

Every time the death of the reality show is predicted, a writer goes on strike and 20 more reality monsters grow. This summer, New York Magazine might have a point in predicting an apocalypse. Denise Richards wants her 30 minutes every week, product placement gets a soundtrack in "Jingles," and competitive food eaters star in a show called "Hurl." 'Nuf said on that topic.

Surely among this surreal toxic heap, there must be shows that are good and shows that are so bad they're good. Oh yeah.

Working Stiffs: Best Show
"Black Gold" (TruTV). Will crabbiness at the gas pump drive people to or away from a show about oil rig workers? Mined from the same blue collar vein as wildly popular "Ice Truckers" and "The Deadliest Catch," this crude bubbles rich in searches, up 585% this week. Check out the Houston Chronicle's interview with a top oilman.

We Like Spies Like Us: Best Return
"The Mole" (ABC). While this show debuted in Belgium back in 1999, its premise of spotting the competition saboteur seems fresh in a field of reality shows that reward backstabbers. While not all revivals are a good idea, this fan favorite is so far living up to its nostalgic buzz.

CSI: Most Painful Celebrity Scenes Investigation
"Living Lohan" (E!) and "Brooke Hogan Knows Best" (VH1). Does Dina Lohan have the best PR person ever or does she know mass hypnosis? Either way, the mom of a loose cannon bares her parenting skills with guinea pig number two. Meanwhile, Brooke Hogan puts on her game face as her brother sits in jail, her father gets his public persona torn to shreds, and her mother dates a guy who was in the grade behind her.

What other realities have audiences been checking out? Here are some of the most searched new summer reality programs of the past seven days.