USA's Magic Formula For Making Hits [Network scores in ratings without trendy sex or violence]

Wall Street Journal ^ | 7/30/10 | ORDAN C. HIRSCH

[rhema]

Four and a half million Americans tuned in earlier this month to watch the second-season premiere of USA network's series, "White Collar"—a high number by any cable-channel's standards. The tale of an ex-con, forger and thief extraordinaire who partners with the FBI to solve white-collar crime, the series seems to have it all—big money, high society and dangerous villains. But the show is missing two ingredients seemingly inherent to modern television: sex and violence.

You might also notice that absence in the rest of USA's summer lineup. From "Royal Pains," about a concierge doctor treating Hampton's aristocracy on the fly, to "Psych," about a police detective masquerading as a psychic, USA's shows could easily feature carnality and carnage of one kind or another. But they don't. Even "Burn Notice" (about an ex-CIA agent) and the new "Covert Affairs" (about a budding agent) keep the gore and gunshots to a minimum.

According to the president of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, Bonnie Hammer, that's no coincidence. She told me that when NBC purchased USA and assumed command of its programming six years ago, her team developed a "filter" for the station's content that aimed to create "smart, fun escapism." Every USA program emphasizes that essential mission.

"USA shows don't purport to be anything other than enjoyable, hopefully intelligent TV," says "Burn Notice" creator and writer Matt Nix. "There's an audience for that kind of unapologetic television."

Apparently so. USA's filter-certified products secured it a record 15th-straight victory over fellow cable stations in quarterly viewing ratings earlier this year. A wilderness of repeats and wrestling less than a decade ago, the network has used its lighthearted model to conquer the cable world.

USA's accomplishment is all the more remarkable because it comes in the midst of a cultural moment on television teeming with

[afraidfortherepublic]

Episode 2 of the 2nd season of White Collar will be showing Sunday morning at 8 AM Central time. Adjust for your time zone accordingly. Covert Affairs re-uns sometime this weekend too. Check your guide.

As much as I like White Collar, I have managed to fall asleep in the middle 3 times. THat episode aired at 8 pm Tues night and again at 11. THen it ran again 10 PM Tursday night. Do you think that I could stay awake for any of them. And it’s an exciting and complicated plot.

[eddie willers]

It was Fiona, but Weston was able to ride to the rescue after double tapping Strickler when he admitted setting her up.

"Fiona is not my past!"

[Non-Sequitur]

I love that show.

[OldDeckHand]

"The exception is Covert Affairs, which shoots in Toronto because—who’d have guessed?—boom town Washington DC is prohibitively expensive."

I haven't seen that yet. I noticed that there are a lot of shows that shoot either in Toronto (which is usually shot for NYC or DC as was the case in that Kiefer Sutherland movie a few years ago), or they're shot in Vancouver. Almost all of SyFy's stuff in shot in Vancouver, which in my opinion - always looks like Vancouver, no matter what story says it is.

I think the other real difficulty, in addition to expense, with shooting in DC, is the permitting limitations, especially after 9/11. It's difficult to shoot certain places, if it's possible at all, inside the District. It's too bad, the city actually could lend a lot of character to any program.

[Cyropaedia]

The X-Files was never the same after they moved from Vancouver to Los Angeles.

They did that so that serial cheater David Duchovny could be closer to his wife.

[OldDeckHand]

"Fiona is a great reason to watch that show."

I have never seen that show. I might have to start watching if that's a frequent part of the storyline.

[WVKayaker]

I PREFER BLONDES...

Annie Walker, CIA spy! (Piper Perabo)

Great escapist plots, with great legs!!!

[DemforBush]

Burn Notice rules. Especially because The Bruce is a part of it.

Hail to the king, baby!

[skr]

Psych is the least likely to use “Jesus”, so it’s no wonder if you haven’t noticed it. It’s the quirkiest of USA’s lineup; the cast is simply fun to watch.

TNT’s Leverage and The Closer are favorites of mine, along with USA’s lineup (minus RAW).

[rhema]

I’d been meaning to watch Leverage someday. My wife and I enjoyed Timothy Hutton (not to mention Maury Chaykin and the whole cast) in A & E’s excellent Nero Wolfe series.

[Mr. Silverback]

Bump!

[phillyfanatic]

Good points here: Burn, Covert, White Collar are mind benders sometimes, not just emoting hit the thug. And the acting is very good for thrillers.