The suit, filed Monday in federal court in Los Angeles, seeks unspecified monetary damages and changes in Boot Camp , which was 24th in last week's Nielsen ratings. Fox and Boot Camp producer LMNO Productions Inc. are among those named as defendants. The shows are very different and we believe this is a frivolous lawsuit. LMNO Productions said it had not been served with the complaint and had no comment. CBS' action was deemed surprising by one veteran industry analyst.
Network television is the greatest copycat medium.
ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire generated a flood of quiz shows, including Winning Lines on CBS, he noted. The lawsuit alleges LMNO Productions initially pitched the show to CBS Television President Leslie Moonves in June 2000 as a way to capitalize on the success of Survivor . In Boot Camp , contestants vying for a cash prize were to be voted off by drill instructors, the suit claims. When CBS rejected the show, LMNO tailored Boot Camp more closely to Survivor , including giving voting rights to contestants, the suit says. LMNO also hired Scott Messick, a producer of the first Survivor , as director and executive producer of Boot Camp , according to the suit.