BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Call it "CSI: The Reality Show."

Spike TV's "Murder" (10 p.m. July 31) takes the popularity of crime dramas like CBS's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and melds it with a reality competition series as two teams of amateur sleuths investigate mock crime scenes based on real-life cases.

In an episode sent for review, there were a few fake bloody images in the crime scenes, but nothing more graphic than in TV's fictional crime shows. The sleuths are shown collecting evidence, shooting a watermelon filled with blood to see splatter patterns, and presenting their findings to the show's host, Detective Tommy LeNoir, a 27-year veteran of law enforcement.

	Joao Canziani, Spike TV Dr. Howard Oliver, coroner, left, assists Detective Tommy LeNoir, host of Spike TV's new series "Murder." Click photo for larger image.

"The crime scene is the alpha and omega of any murder," LeNoir said at a Spike TV news conference yesterday. "You have to be incredibly meticulous and incredibly patient and incredibly tenacious. Where people in my profession make their biggest mistakes is when they start making assumptions and presumptions of what occurred."

"Murder" is executive-produced by reality TV veteran Jon Murray, co-creator of "The Real World." Because the winning team receives no big cash prize -- instead the show makes a donation to a victim's charity chosen by the winner -- Murray said contestants have a genuine interest in solving crimes.

"They wanted an experience," Murray said. "The trend in reality TV is not so much train wrecks with a bunch of people with nothing to bring to it except exposing themselves."

That's a dubious claim given the likes of Paula Abdul in "Hey Paula!" but it is true in "Murder." Contestants are attempting to solve a mystery with little potential for reward other than the satisfaction one derives from winning a game of Clue.

Although "Murder" was filmed in Los Angeles, executive producer Kevin Lee said cases were found in cities across the country, and the names of those involved were changed.

"We literally went through thousands of murders," he said. "It's hard to find cases that work well for the show because the vast majority are solved via confessions and eyewitnesses. These are whodunits solved via interpretation of evidence. We worked with local police departments, and they provided us with archival material to make sure it's accurate."

'Deadwood' dead?

"Deadwood" fans should quit holding their breath for those two promised wrap-up movies. HBO executives said there's only a 50-50 chance they'll ever happen.

"Deadwood" creator David Milch is finishing up the first season of "John From Cincinnati," and he's "exhausted," according to HBO programming president Michael Lombardo. If "John" gets picked up for a second season, he'd have to start writing that again soon to get the second season on the air next summer.

At that point, one critic rightfully said, "Whoa!" HBO let David Chase take years between seasons of "The Sopranos"; why not give Milch time to finish "Deadwood" before returning to "John"?

"The truth of the matter is waiting a year and a half between shows is probably not ideal for the viewer," Lombardo conceded.

"We'd love to find a way to do it," said HBO co-president Richard Plepler. "I think the question is going to be whether or not all the actors can be pulled together, whether or not David is fully committed and motivated to getting the script written."

Milch was scheduled to attend HBO's star party Thursday night, where I had hoped to ask him about the "Deadwood" movies, but he was a no-show.

Singing shows score

Viewers can't seem to get enough of reality competitions that feature everyday Joes and Janes singing for their supper, or, a cash prize. NBC's "The Singing Bee" drew 13.1 million viewers Tuesday, and Fox's "Don't Forget the Lyrics" wooed 8.2 million Wednesday night, winning its time slot and making it the second highest-rated summer premiere after "Bee."

So which one is better? That's like choosing the lesser of two evils, but I'd have to go with "Bee," which is cheesier, moves faster and seems like less of a "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" rip-off than "Lyrics," which uses a money ladder similar to "Millionaire" and forced viewers to hear one awful singer in an endless karaoke routine throughout its premiere.

Other HBO shows

Among other HBO series, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" begins its sixth season Sept. 9; "Extras" will return for a one-hour special that begins filming in August; the final season of "The Wire" kicks off early next year; and "Real Time With Bill Maher," which begins its fifth season Aug. 24, will return for a sixth season in 2008. "Entourage" fans, take note: A new trailer for the fake Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) movie "Medellin" will air after Sunday's episode.

HBO will buy a new comedy series from Matt Lucas and David Walliams, stars of the BBC hit "Little Britain." The sketch comedy will film in America this fall for airing in 2008 and will feature some existing "Little Britain" characters alongside new ones.

HBO's "John Adams" miniseries, based on the biography by Point Breeze native David McCullough, will premiere in the first half of 2008.