This wasn't a good week for Utahns on TV. Seven days ago, three were "alive" on three different reality/talent shows.

Today they're all gone.

The most successful of the three, 13-year-old David Archuleta of Murray, ended a long run on CBS's "Star Search." He's already a champion — he won the young singers competition last year — and he was invited back this season for the show's new format. As a member of the "winners' circle," he successfully fought off challenges by three new weekly winners.

But he couldn't survive the fourth and was ousted this past Saturday. But Archuleta remains the most successful Utahn on reality TV to date.

Next up was Provo's John Preator, who — as previously reported — failed to qualify as one of the 12 finalists on "American Idol." Although making it to the round of 32 is no small accomplishment.

And, finally, Mary (a Salt Lake native now living in Arizona) lasted a lot less than forever on "Forever Eden." She didn't exactly fit in with the crowd on the "reality soap opera," owing to the fact that she doesn't drink. And she didn't win any friends by admitting she'd never talked to an African-American until she was 21 and then asking an African-American contestant if he has "black toes."

But it wasn't fun when she was selected "least desirable" by the men on the show. And when she decided to send one of them home, it was revealed that "what you sow is what you reap"; she was sent home, too.

No loss.

We're not out of Utahns on reality TV, however. Shane Marlowe of Stansbury Park will compete on "Fear Factor" on Monday (7 p.m., Ch. 5). He and his brother, Jared (who lives out of state) — along with various scorpions, roaches, crickets, beetles and worms — will compete with other teams of siblings for a $50,000 prize on television's ickiest reality show.

At least they don't have to eat the critters whole — one sibling moves them by mouth into a grinder before pouring the "mash" into the mouth of the other, who must then expel enough of the concoction to fill a container.

It hardly seems worth it.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com