Overdosing on reality shows

Reality TV everywhere — and none of it particularly real.

And nothing original or particularly entertaining among the four shows premiering on four networks today and Tuesday. At best, the shows are derivative. At worst, they're reprehensible.

The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Ch. 13) features 16 "young entrepreneurs" — including one from Utah — competing to become the president of Sir Richard Branson's multibillion-dollar empire.

It's sort of a combination of "The Apprentice" and "The Amazing Race," but it comes across as a pale imitation of both. Branson is certainly the nicest billionaire to have his own TV show this year (not much of an accomplishment, given that the competition is Donald Trump and Mark Cuban), but the show seems . . . well, less exciting and interesting than it should.

And, given that Tuesday's two-hour premiere features people thousands of feet in the air walking between hot-air balloons, that's a bad sign.

The Utahn involved in the show is in danger of being eliminated (at Branson's whim) from the get-go. The billionaire disguises himself as a cab driver, ferrying the contestants to the starting point and gathering first impressions.

Shawn, 27, the CEO of the LoveSac Corp., is one of three who make bad first impressions — and two of them are going home.

"He was fairly cocky. Almost too self-assured," Branson says after Shawn tells him he's on his way to meet the mogul because "he owes me money."

"I just feel like a complete moron," Shawn says. "It's really kind of embarrassing to think that he was in the car watching me make a fool of myself at the time."

You'll have to tune in to see what happens. Just don't expect to see anything new, different or fun.

$25 Million Dollar Hoax (tonight at 9 on NBC/Ch. 5) is a rip-off of Fox's "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance" — and it's equally mean-spirited and cruel. The seemingly sweet young Chrissy is told up front that in order to win she has to lie "to the people who love and trust you the most — your family."

Charming.

The hoax is that Chrissy has to convince her family that she's won millions of dollars, which she hasn't. And she has to spend all the money on herself — none of it on her big, happy family.

Happy, that is, until they get angry and resentful. And look stupid on TV.