My Formats: William Morris Agency's Mark Itkin

{The syndication and cable marketplaces in the US have been heavily reliant on reality television for a long time, and that’s not going to change. And whereas shows like Millionaire and Survivor have recently been very dominant, I think we’re headed for a more even playing field.

But everyone needs to stay smart about it. Producers must keep trying to push the shows into new areas – and buyers must open up to foreign imports. I think the genre can continue to evolve so long as the belief and ideas are there, and so long as the viewing public is provided with intelligent choices between scripted and non-fiction programming.

What’s cool about the current wave of reality shows is how they are really programming hybrids. Survivor, for example, has got drama and storytelling and characters, but it’s also a competition. There’s a game element to it. Big Brother is something like the same. Call them what you will – docu-dramas? soapumentaries? – but I think its good, and healthy, to see these different elements colliding.

It reminds me of when, many years ago, we put together the People’s Court. That was initially a tough sell because it, too, combined a number of different genres.{