While there may be reality shows cooler than it (“The Osbournes”) and ones that came before it (“Real World,” “Road Rules”), “Survivor” is still the top dog of reality TV, no matter how bad it gets. It may not be the best of the bunch, but at least this time around, there have been some changes.

This season, the producers finally realized that there were too many handouts to the tribes. The Survivors may be back on the beach, but it’s no party. They actually have to look for their food. What a novel idea that is.

Producers have also been willing to correct things that go horribly wrong. Noticing an error in scoring from a challenge from “Survivor: Africa,” Rex, along with the other finalists, received the money that he deserved. Nice touch. This season, the powers that be were not afraid to mix the two tribes up after Maraamu kept getting the snot beaten out of it. It may have been more for a dramatic effect, but it sure made for better viewing.

While “Survivor” has made some improvements, its bad traits have spilled over onto other shows. The current installment of the “Real World/Road Rules Challenge,” which is billed as “Battle of the Seasons,” has implemented the nasty voting off of contestants from “Survivor.” However, instead of a “Tribal Council,” we have the “Inner Circle.” For those of you who have not watched a single minute, the top three teams from each show make the call on which two-person team gets sent home. What could be a fun challenge turned into something nasty early as the “Road Rules” Inner Circle began voting off its top threats.

So many elements from “Survivor” have been put into other reality shows that none of them are really “reality”anymore. “Big Brother” was a bust. Roommates now seem to compete for camera time and potential fame on “The Real World.” Then there are the slew of dating shows like “The Bachelor” and the God-awful “Dismissed.”

If you want a show that gets remotely close to reality, you won’t get any more real than “The Osbournes.” There is no “Tribal Council,” no immunity challenges, no nasty competition. Ozzy and his family aren’t using this as a vehicle for fame; they already have it. There are no contrived situations, although I am sure that the editors did try to put a story line together. For the most part, it’s like a mini-documentary every week, just a camera recording the action.

Sometimes the best TV does not involve challenges or feuding tribes/TV casts. If people really want competition, then let’s bring back “Challenge of the Network Stars.” Those episodes were fun. For those creating a new reality series, as if we need any more of them, do something original. We can tell when you have been watching “Survivor.” Voting off weaker players is not original. Reality TV must move on and evolve past “Survivor,” or it’s going nowhere except downhill in the ratings fast.