Burnett's hit-and-miss guide to TV

Eco-Challenge (1996, USA Cable Network, nine shows, could run again)

This show, which gave Burnett the cred to start Survivor, puts a group of challengers through a week of rigorous races - kayaking, horseback riding, scuba diving - in exotic locales. The show was inspired by a race for hardcore athletes called Raid Gauloises. The event was the brainchild of French journalist

Gerard Fusil (and was much more dangerous than Burnett's made-for-television version).

Survivor (2000, CBS, ninth season)

Contestants are sent to a remote location to compete in various challenges until one wins the cash prize. As if you didn't know. The idea was conceived by rocker/activist Bob Geldof and British producer Charlie Parsons. It kicked around for 12 years in Britain and the US until Burnett bought it and convinced CBS it would work. In its heyday, the show was the most-watched offering on US television.

The Restaurant (2003, NBC, one season)