The late Aaron Spelling, who built a legendary career in television producing scripted series -- from "Charlie's Angels" to "7th Heaven" -- spawned an odd legacy: "reality" TV stars.

In other words, just the kind of people most TV producers like to blame for costing them time slots.

Children Tori and Randy, both of whom got their starts on Spelling shows, have taken their quests for face time to the unscripted side of the street, Tori with VH1's "So NoTORIous" (which, OK, may not have been all that unscripted), and now Randy with A&E's upcoming "Sons of Hollywood," in which Spelling and a couple of friends, including Rod Stewart's son, Sean, move into together with the cameras running.

As it happens, the period the show's first season covers coincides with the decline and death of Spelling's father, but the son says his father was aware he was doing the show, even if he didn't completely grasp the details.

"He didn't really understand the concept of reality" television, asking questions about when it would be filmed and whether he'd have to "go out of town" for the project, Spelling told us this afternoon.

"It was hard to explain to him exactly what I was doing."

As for the much-publicized rift between Tori and her mother, Randy's not talking.

"Tori makes an appearance on my show a couple of times and so does my mom," he said, referring the question to his sister, who's scheduled to be here tomorrow to promote yet another "reality" show, this one for Oxygen, that will focus on her efforts to open a bed & breakfast with husband Dean McDermott.

She'll be using, according to Oxygen, her "entire life savings and her $800,000 inheritance."