When the terrorist attack on the Untied States happened on September 11, 2001, the nation was in shock. The nation in general didn't know how to respond to something like this because nothing this extravagant and unexpected had happened before. People came closer together because chances are that you or someone you knew was directly affected by September 11th.
In a sense, the TV industry made a drastic change in the shows that they were showing. "Reality" shows became overwhelmingly popular, rather than just plain sitcoms. Shows like Joe Millionaire, The Bachelor, Paradise Hotel, and Survivor were racking in the ratings. However, the reality that these shows were projecting was not actual reality.
These shows were in a way a break from the actual reality that was going on around us. The main theme of Paradise Hotel was trying to stay on the island. To do so you had to be sleeping with someone. That's not reality. Reality was the war that was beginning in Iraq. These shows gave people something else to look at besides the warning levels that the US came in and out of each day. .
It's insane to think that something as insignificant as a television show could provide a much needed relaxer from everyday life. But, shows did, and still are providing that much needed relief. The shows didn't focus on anything going on in the US; instead they just concentrated on the main theme of the show. This is why it was so easy for people to just relax and watch them, not to worry about what is going on outside. .
In a way the television industry did respond to the attacks of September 11th, 2001, just in their own way. The television industry provided the needed relief with reality shows. Even though the reality depicted in these shows was not necessarily "real reality", it was just what the nation needed during this difficult time. .