"Surviving West Point"

LAST NIGHT on “Survivor,” 14 unattractive exhibitionists tussled and jockeyed for position, all hoping to last 39 days on an island and win $1 million. This Saturday night, on “Surviving West Point,” seven young kids will work together, all hoping to last four years at the famed military academy and win the chance to fight for their country. You tell me which reality show sounds more compelling.

Surviving West Point debuts on the National Geographic Channel this weekend (Saturday, 8:00 p.m.), and it’s an unprecedented look into the venerable school. In July, 2001, West Point allowed a documentary film crew to follow the incoming plebe class through its first year. The filmmakers focus on seven of these young students.