procedural

(S01E01) After posting my early look at this new NBC procedural crime drama, reading your comments, and thinking about Charlie Crews in general, I have come to the belief that Life may actually have a chance this season. Not because of the crimes he and Detective Dani Reese solve -- hey, a murder is a murder is a murder. Not because of Charlie's mix of innocence and quirkiness. I think what is going to keep people tuning into the program is the whole sub-plot of the series: trying to find out who the heck framed Charlie for the murder of three people.

Keeping with its promise of shying away from procedurals, CBS has ordered pilots for two seemingly unusual series. The first is centered around an ex-priest who travels around performing exorcisms. It's called Demons. It's being created by Barbara Hall, who also created Joan of Arcadia, and executive produced by movie man Joe Roth.

The second series is called Swingtown and it sounds like it's bound for a 10 pm time slot. The series is set in the 1970s and is about a bunch of married couples who swap spouses. It's being created by Mike Kelley, writer and executive producer of The O.C.

Pilot season, by the way, is soon upon us. January is traditionally the time of year when the networks request pilots from all the television veterans and wanna-bes who have been pitching them this fall.

There's a scene in Woody Allen's Manhattan in which he makes a list of all the things worth living for -- the Jupiter Symphony, Groucho Marx, his ex-girlfriend's face, etc. Whenever I make my list of reasons not to end it all, hard-boiled detective fiction always makes the list - books by Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Patricia Highsmith; films like The Crack-Up, Detour and The Big Sleep. So, I reacted with a mixture of excitement and trepidation when I read that ABC will be reviving Chandler's most famous creation - Philip Marlowe - for TV.

CBS executives are looking to diversify their primetime line-up, and with good reason. From the three CSI franchises, to Without a Trace and Cold Case, the network has an awful lot of procedural dramas. Luckily, the execs recognize that and they've given themselves (and everyone else) an order to get creative. Already, they're working on a 1970s drama about wife swapping and the sexual revolution, a show about the women's movement, and a comedy from one of the Borat writers. The weirdest thing they have lined up is an American version of the U.K. hit, Viva Blackpool. Variety describes it as "a musical thriller featuring characters belting out top 40 songs." This fall season saw some unusual shows for CBS, including Jericho and Smith (which was already canceled). Last year's attempt to be different was Love Monkey, which was also canceled. CBS entertainment prez Nina Tassler says the hard part has been getting studios to pitch their edgier stuff to the network, which has always had a bit of a stuffy reputation.