REALITY TV MAY GO TO DRUG CLINIC NEXT

MELBOURNE - A drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic said yesterday it had
received three offers from television producers wanting to make a Big
Brother-style reality show about its residents.

Odyssey House Victoria, in the southern city of Melbourne, said it rejected
the offers made by independent TV companies over the past two months on the
grounds of privacy.

"At first I thought it was a joke but when the second and third request
came, I was just amazed," said Odyssey House chief David Crosbie.

"It seems people have really lost the plot with reality TV," he added.

Crosbie did not disclose details of the planned programs.

The Big Brother series gathers a group of strangers together to live in a
house filled with cameras and microphones. One house member is voted off
each week by the general public.

Crosbie said the producers had told clinic management a similar reality
program would promote the work done by Odyssey House and give residents
greater chances of finding a job after treatment.