What would Al say?

Is it just me or has network t.v. tried to copy the cable format? Cable networks are notorious for having long breaks between their series finales and premieres and based on current trends regular t.v. is attempting to follow the same format. I dare say it smells like a conspiracy by "the big three" to try and catch the cable popularity but I feel as though it's a lost cause for them. I can forgive HBO or Showtime for long waits for my favourite shows, at least there is profanity and nudity included but in the case of network t.v. there are no such promises. US networks are bound to their main audiences of which the majority are Christian-centric God-fearing Apple-pie eaters. There's only so much room in which they have to maneuvre, you know what I mean? Cable t.v. caters to a different kind of audience, a non-denominational cake eating group, if you will. Progressive and liberal leaning, this audience is unfazed by Al Swearengen's naughty language whereas the Pie-eating audience would never accept such profanity. Think of it, there would be congressional hearings and fines up Al's whazoo. Shudder at the thought, people, shudder.

Anyhoo, my main point, which I veered off of about eight sentences ago is that most people's attention spans aren't that long, especially in today's society so the practice of putting a show (even a popular show) on haitus for a couple of months in order to revive a critically acclaimed but unpopular show is a dangreous business. Who is to say the networks will ever regain their audiences, people evolve and get into other shows when this happens or, God forbid, they discover there is life beyond television. Case in point, Fox's Prison Break, a oddly compelling show about two brothers in jail, one about to receive the death penalty and the other in there to break him out. Admittedly, the show is meant for the masses, Masterpiece Theatre it is not but it was tauted as one of the breakout shows of the season last year and garnered enough press to make it a hit. However, instead of riding the wave of success Fox decided to pull it for four months and air other shows to capitalize on the timeslot's success. Four months is a long time to wait for a show that can be described as "compelling but not very realistic" at best, you know what I mean? And you know what? The show was suffered as a result. One can only guess that the audience moved on and those who suspended their beliefs for awhile to actually think that "a successful architech/engineer would rob a bank to get thrown into jail in order to save his brother who may or may not have been framed for murder by the Vice-President of the United States" finally came to their senses regarding the implausible plot. Can the show recover? Who knows? I don't consider myself an expert on the subject, just someone who watches television and notices trends.