'Characters' Bring Ratings
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Though it had occasional hits over the years with such shows as La Femme Nikita, the network began hitting its stride only recently. The Dead Zone and Monk appeared in 2002, The 4400 was added in 2004, and Psych landed last year. At least one more drama, In Plain Sight, is on tap for 2008.
Their common thread? Slightly flawed heroes, character dramas blended with traditional "procedural" crime-solving and "really good escapism (viewers) don't have to take too seriously," Hammer says. That marks a contrast with what she calls the "darker, edgier" environs of FX, which gets more credit (though smaller audiences) for its original dramas. USA's new motto: "Characters welcome."
