USA Network exec always on lookout for good ideas

NEW YORK -- When you program a cable network that aspires to reach a big, general audience, you have to hope that the broadcast networks overlook some things.

That's the case with the USA Network's two new original series, "The Dead Zone" and "Monk."

Based on a Stephen King story about a man who wakes up from a coma with the ability to see the future, "The Dead Zone" was developed for UPN but never made it onto the air. USA snapped it up.

Similarly, the crime-fighting drama "Monk" was written for ABC but never cast. When an ABC executive joined USA recently, she brought the project with her.

"I don't care where the stuff comes from," said Doug Herzog, who took over as USA Network president a year ago. "I just care about finding good projects."

"The Dead Zone" on June 16 drew the highest ratings for a premiere than any other cable series in television history. "Monk" debuted Friday.

As recently as two years ago, before it lost professional wrestling, USA was the top-rated basic cable network. Now, Lifetime, Nickelodeon and TNT outpace USA in prime time.

USA isn't doing poorly; its audience for the first half of this year was up 11 percent over last year. But its ratings are driven by reruns like "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "JAG" and movies.

And there's been little progress toward reaching Herzog's goal of establishing signature series like "The Sopranos" or "Sex and the City" on HBO, the network he cites as a model.

Unlike niche networks, a network like USA is defined strictly by its programming, said Larry Gerbrandt, a cable television analyst for Paul Kagan and Associates. In other words, people watch for a specific show.

"This is a tough business," Gerbrandt said. "If you're with USA, TNT, TBS, ABC Family, FX or TNN -- all of these are looking for the same broad category of viewers. In the end, it's probably going to take some really breakthrough original programming to do that."