Broadcast networks have good shows, too

Q I have watched so many good programs on cable TV networks. Why is it that these channels seem to get the quality shows while the big network channels don't?

I am thinking of "Lights Out," "Durham County," "The Killing," "Sons of Anarchy" and "Burn Notice."

We seem to get the same thing on ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. I am glad I have alternatives.

A I'm also glad we have alternatives. And some cable networks offer advantages to show producers, such as fewer content restrictions than on broadcast stations, which are more tightly regulated by the federal government.

But it goes too far to suggest that quality shows are only on cable or that cable is overall a home to quality programming.

Cable will cancel a good show if its numbers don't add up; "Lights Out" was a one-season wonder. Cable is the cradle of such bad ideas as the "Real Housewives" shows, "Jersey Shore" and classic TV shows with content edited out to make room for more commercials.

As for broadcast TV, the fall lineups on the four networks you mentioned include "Raising Hope," "Bones," "Modern Family," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Big Bang Theory," "Blue Bloods," "The Good Wife," "The Amazing Race," "Community" and "The Office," among others. A good bit of variety, and a lot of quality, are possible with such shows. Some of the new programs might also prove consistently good.

A CBS has tended to use the show as a fill-in late in the TV season or during the summer. But while it continues in production for Canadian television, a top CBS executive said recently that the show probably will not continue on CBS.

That said, Ion television has made a deal to carry old episodes of "Flashpoint" along with ones that CBS hasn't aired. A premiere date has not been set, but an ION rep said the telecasts will begin sometime this fall.

'Naked City' a classic Q I saw a show called "Naked City" on Retro TV, and it seemed really good. Do you know anything about it?

A "The Naked City," a 1948 film, is still considered a crime classic, documentary-like and dealing with the routine of police work and the people the police protected.

An ABC series followed in 1958, airing one season as a half-hour show and then returning for a 1960-63 run as an hourlong drama. It was shot on location in New York City. John McIntire and James Franciscus were part of the cast the first season; the later cast included Horace McMahon and Paul Burke. The series also was notable for its closing line: "There are 8 million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them."