In reality TV romance ...

"BACHELOR' AND "BACHELORETTE': Reality has set in for yet another reality TV couple, as Andrew Firestone and Jen Schefft from The Bachelor have broken up.

The heir to the Firestone tire and wine fortune proposed to Schefft, a petite Marcia Brady look-alike, in May on the ABC dating show.

But the couple released a statement to the syndicated entertainment series Extra on Monday, saying they were no longer together.

"This is a decision we made together through long and thoughtful discussion," Firestone said.

Both Bachelor bachelors before Firestone, Alex Michel and Aaron Buerge, have broken up with the women they chose. On the most recent season, Bob Guiney gave a ring to Estella Gardinier, then asked her to wear it on her right hand.

But Trista Rehn of The Bachelorette has made her made-for-TV romance last; she married firefighter Ryan Sutter on Saturday. The wedding is scheduled to air at 9 tonight on WFTS-Ch. 28.

"AVERAGE JOE': Meanwhile, another couple looking for truth, beauty and goodness on reality TV is born: Over on NBC, Average Joe concluded Monday night, with former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader Melana Scantlin eschewing "average joe" Adam and choosing the not-so-average hunk Jason Peoples as her beau.

Joe drew 17.4-million viewers from 9 to 11 p.m., topping every other show for the night.

Average Joe: Hawaii, shot on the Kohala coast before Joe debuted Nov. 3, launches Jan. 5.

ABC has picked up its late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live through the 2004-05 season.

Meanwhile, the network has cut back the orders for freshman drama 10-8 and midseason comedy The Big House and has ordered four additional half-hours of the hit comedy My Wife and Kids.

The pickup comes on the heels of the live talk show's respectable performance during its first November sweeps when the series had ratings growth vs. the May sweeps in several key categories.