FOX, Wednesdays, 9 p.m. ET
Be all that you can be—a schmuck. That is the apparent theme of this latest reality show, now halfway into its two-month run. Boot Camp takes the basic Survivor concept—rugged adventure as a human petri dish for conflict—and moves it to a real, unattended military base in an undisclosed location. (In fact CBS has sued FOX, claiming Boot Camp is technically a Survivor ripoff; FOX considers the suit frivolous.) Starting as a small troop vying for a $500,000 prize, 16 contestants submit to grueling discipline doled out by four (real-life, of course) drill instructors. Each week the "recruits" vote among themselves to discharge another weakling—with the twist that the dismissee turns around and picks a second player to go with him.
The first episode had some entertainingly ludicrous moments. Being processed into camp, Shawn Yaney, 27, a balloon sculptor, was ordered to demonstrate his craft. He tremblingly pulled out a balloon and twisted it into what he said was a dog.
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