Tartan

Issue date: 2/17/05 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Courtesy Photo Alias is currently in its fourth season

Last year, television station ABC (channel 7) was in very bad shape. Not only was it in last place out of the big four TV networks (CBS, NBC, Fox, and ABC), and ABC seemed to have no chance to regain its lost steam. Drawn-out reality shows like "The Bachelor" and tired cop dramas like "NYPD Blue" were thorns in ABC's side, not to mention a penchant for having big-budget dramas that were cancelled within weeks (such as the spy-drama "The Grid").

Somehow, ABC managed to pull off the impossible, a ratings turn-around, this past TV season. Now placed second behind NBC, ABC is once again relevant in the TV world. ABC's shows this season have received more critical praise than any other basic cable TV station, ABC practically swept the Golden Globes last month, and "Desperate Housewives" is the new water-cooler and office gossip-talk subject. "Did you see last night's 'Desperate Housewives'?" "Oh, my gawd, yes!" is now the new coworker conversation starter, replacing "Survivor" and "Friends" gossip from years past.

How'd ABC do it? Subliminal messaging? Gratuitous nudity? None of those, in fact. They did this through slam-bam-thank-you-ma'am quality TV programming, and they did it with more substance and finesse than we've seen in a long time in television. This season on ABC has seen the first major backlash against reality TV, as dramas are now beginning to rule the airwaves once again.

The biggest ABC hit this season is easily "Desperate Housewives", a show brought to us by gay Republican Marc Cherry (who would've thunk?) with a knack for emotionally-resonant storylines. Premiering at an amazing 21.6 million viewers (Entertainment Weekly) , "Desperate Housewives" is the sleeper-hit of the century - literally. For those unfamiliar with the show, here's a quick summary: Five female friends live in the middle of suburbia, each with a distinct problem related to their families. One friend, Mary Alice, ambiguously commits suicide, as he four friends begin question their own sanity. Wackiness soon ensues, with plot-lines ranging from statutory rape to ADD-medication addiction. All with a wit and subtlety rarely achieved on a television drama.

ABC's other new sleeper-hit, "Lost", comes from "Alias" mastermind J. J. Abrams. "Lost", which premiered at a whopping 18.7 million, was a very risky maneuver for ABC. Not only was it a hyper-expensive non-reality show, the concept was going to be hard to swallow for TV audiences. But swallow they did - "Lost" is the most popular science-fiction/drama since Fox's "X-Files" from the 90s. Here's a quick summary of the plot so far this season: Fourty-odd airplane passengers become stranded on a remote Southeast Asian island after their plane crashes. The island seems normal at first, but quickly morphs into the land-of-the-weird once vigilant polar bears and crazy French women begin terrorizing the stranded survivors. "Gilligand's Island" this is not; all storylines are based in either real drama or fantasy-fiction, and the interpersonal relationships on the island lead to more sexual tension than "X-Files" and "Moonlighting" combined.

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