A wave of new TV concepts inaugurated by our colleagues across the Atlantic has swept over the European media landscape.

The trend is for ordinary life to be placed centre stage, while the style of journalism glides inexorably towards unreflecting sensationalism. The result is a blurring of the lines that separate fiction from reality. Hollywood saw it coming with, most notably, the film "EDtv".

Some deride the phenomenon, or lament the decline of TV standards, while others become real fans of what they hail as a promising new style. The debate hangs on an ethical question: is there nothing that can't be shown on TV?

Riveting drama or mind-numbing pap? Reality TV leaves no-one indifferent.