Networks may pray for hits, but viewers pray for decent shows

Published: 2005-09-09

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Autumn is the time of year when network television executives join Catholics in professing "hope" as a virtue, especially as they trot out their new fall shows and, with fingers crossed, pray for a hit. This season will not be a good one for planet Earth, with no less than three alien takeovers planned, including CBS's "Threshold" and ABC's "Invasion." The supernatural will also be big in shows like CBS' "Ghost Whisperer" and the WB's appropriately titled "Supernatural." New unscripted series will supply padding where needed, but the "reality" craze seems to have subsided while traditional sitcoms are trying to make a comeback with half-hour comedies like NBC's "My Name Is Earl," Fox's "The War at Home" and CBS' "How I Met Your Mother," and two series involving a chef as protagonist. Crime dramas remain a mainstay, with the networks unveiling several new (and increasingly graphic or kinky) procedurals, CBS' "Criminal Minds" and Fox's "Killer Instinct" among them. Predictably, in addition to violent content, many of the debuting series continue to push the envelope when it comes to sexual situations and strong language.

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