The real TV evangelists

The Media Research Center's initial "Faith in a Box" study explored how entertainment television handled religion in 1993. The report showed that on the rare occasions when sitcoms, dramas, miniseries, and made-for-TV movies treated spiritual topics, it was most often in a hostile manner.

The mixed results documented in our second study, which dealt with 1994 programming, suggested that a rethinking and reawakening might have been taking place in Hollywood. Whereas in 1993 negative depictions had outnumbered positive ones by a 3-to-2 ratio, in '94 there were almost twice as many positive as negative portrayals. Furthermore, the total number of religious incidences more than doubled: There were 253 in '94, versus only 116 in '93.

In last year's study, we noted a marginal improvement in prime time's treatment of religion from 1993 to '94, yet in quantitative terms the numbers were still anemic and in qualitative terms the attacks on religion continued. Regarding 1995, the overall numbers were similar to those of '94.

There was, however, significant qualitative regression in certain categories. Perhaps old habits don't change easily. Whatever the motivation, the step backward is cause for concern.

Moreover, the frequency of religious depictions-roughly, one for every seven hours of programming-illuminated the fact that religion remained largely a non-presence in prime time. This third annual study, covering 1995 programming, indicates in one sense that the '94 results were not aberrant: Overall, there again were more positive than negative portrayals.

However, in two categories-depictions of the devout laity and of the clergy-the picture worsened markedly. And, not only did the total number of treatments increase only slightly, most of the jump was attributable to the 1995 launch of two part-time networks, UPN and WB.

Television bigwigs like to claim their fare reflects reality. This is clearly not the case with religion; given its prevalence and popularity in our society, it is (1) seriously underrepresented and (2) ill-served on prime time. The viewing public is waiting for the networks to close, or at least narrow, this gap.

In 1995, there were 1,798 hours of original prime-time entertainment programming on the six broadcast networks. Those webs aired 287 portrayals of religion; 38.3 percent of these were positive, 27.9 negative, 7.3 mixed, and 26.5 neutral.

Where raw numbers are concerned, CBS led with 99 depictions; NBC broadcast 93, Fox 45, ABC 30. (UPN, with 12, and WB, with eight, both of which went on the air early in 1995, each offered programming only two nights per week that year.) NBC and Fox held relatively steady from last year to this, but CBS's number represented a large increase over 1994's total of 63, while ABC plummeted from its 1994 figure of 67.

CBS had the highest percentage of positive depictions, at 47.5; ABC (36.7 percent) and NBC (34.4) followed, and Fox, with 24.4, brought up the rear among the major networks. Fox led in negative portrayals at 46.7 percent; ABC (36.7), NBC (26.9), and CBS (20.2) trailed.

Faith: Prime time's expressions of belief. Positive-76.6 percent (74 percent in 1994; 63 percent in 1993). On prime time, the most common indication of faith is prayer. In the March 13 NBC movie Awake to Danger, a father whose daughter is in a coma offers to help; the doctor tells him to pray. On the February 21 Grace Under Fire (ABC), a man remarks that he "prayed that the Lord would give me one more chance to make [his seriously ill father] proud of me."

A character on the September 25 Chicago Hope (CBS) says, "I hadn't been to church in years. That is, not until recently, when my daughter had heart trouble and I found myself praying." Another medical drama, NBC's ER, featured on its December 14 episode an elderly Holocaust survivor whose kidnapped granddaughter had just been found alive. The old woman comments that while the little girl was missing, "I did something that I stopped doing 50 years ago: I prayed."

Negative-6.4 percent (6 percent in 1994; 22 percent in 1993). On the May 9 NYPD Blue (ABC), Detective Sipowicz explains to his fiancee that he lost his faith as a result of the depravity he's witnessed on the job, and on the December 1 Homicide: Life on the Street (NBC), a Baltimore detective, offered the chance to see the pope in person during the pontiff's visit to that city, comments, "Sixty thousand people ... looking at a man for some sort of miracle? No, thank you. I'm not interested."

Mixed-8.5 percent; Neutral-8.5 percent (Mixed/neutral 20 percent in 1994; 15 percent in 1993).

Prime time's treatment of churches and their doctrines. Positive-31.1 percent (46 percent in 1994; 50 percent in 1993). On the December 18 Can't Hurry Love (CBS), Annie tries to organize her co-workers to volunteer with religious charities, performing such tasks as collecting Christmas gifts for needy children.

Negative-31.1 percent (22 percent in 1994; 50 percent in 1993). On the November 2 episode of Fox's The Crew, a woman says to a homosexual character, "I don't care what they say about you in Leviticus. I think you are fun."

Mixed-6.6 percent; Neutral-31.1 percent (Mixed/neutral 32 percent in 1994; 0 percent in 1993).

Prime time's portrayal of believers. As opposed to simple declarations of faith, we see here and in the clergy category that the more elaborate the depiction, the more likely it is to be negative-a finding common to all three studies. Positive-11.1 percent (44 percent in 1994; 18 percent in 1993). On the October 31 The Client (CBS), a woman tells a friend that the friend's taking in her grandchild was "a Christian thing."

Negative-64.4 percent (35 percent in 1994; 68 percent in 1993). During the May 14 CBS movie The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise, an actress appearing in an irreverent movie is called a "slut" and almost physically assaulted by followers of a televangelist. Detectives on the February 24 Homicide: Life on the Street drop by the house of a middle-aged woman prominently displaying a crucifix on her front door. She admits she killed her boyfriend (for dating her sister) and put his body in the freezer.

Mixed-4.4 percent; Neutral-20.0 percent (Mixed/neutral 21 percent in 1994; 14 percent in 1993). Neutral example: On the January 10 Frasier (NBC), an adult son says to his father, "Brush your teeth and say your prayers." The father responds, "That's what I used to say ... didn't I?" His other son says, "No, you didn't," to which the father replies, "I meant to." Establishing his credentials as a good citizen, a murder suspect on the November 22 Law & Order (NBC) says, "I pay my taxes. I go to church." He turns out to be innocent.

Prime time's treatment of religious leaders. Positive-20.0 percent (28 percent in 1994; 15 percent in 1993). On the November 27 Nowhere Man (UPN), a mother gives her son news of his hometown: Father Kearney has died. "He was a wonderful man," she says. "Everyone in town will miss him dearly." A priest on the November 12 NBC movie Her Hidden Truth champions the cause of a woman unjustly convicted of murder.

Negative-41.7 percent (31 percent in 1994; 59 percent in 1993). On the January 1 George Carlin Show (Fox), a waitress in a bar shows her breasts to a priest. He says he finds them attractive, whereupon she says to her boyfriend, "If an abnormal man like him likes them, they're good enough for you." On the March 25 Mommies (NBC), a woman laments, "I've turned into a boring person who makes rules and says no," to which her friend queries, "You're the pope?"

Mixed-5.0 percent, Neutral-33.3 percent (Mixed/neutral 41 percent in 1994; 26 percent in 1993).

Our recommendations: Re-establish respect for religious values on the networks. Religion should not be treated as if it were a political issue, where a balance of positive and negative is considered appropriate. Rather, faith in general, and the faithful in particular, should be afforded the dignity it and they deserve.

Clone a religious hit. After the young-adult-oriented Friends became a smash in the 1994-'95 season, the fall '95 prime-time schedule was thick with series in that genre. With the success of Touched By an Angel, the networks now have a pro-faith winner to copy.

Listen to the concerns of the faithful. Networks invest vast sums in market research, yet seemingly don't take into account the millions who, save for series like Touched By an Angel and Christy, are offended by the values of television and are tuning out. The more shows of that kind there are, the more that audience will watch. In this way, networks can boost both their Nielsen ratings and their profits. Television is on the hot seat, and the only way to get off it is to behave responsibly.

Ultimately, this means not content ratings, or encoding for the V-chip, but rather changing the values promoted over the airwaves. An increase in religion-friendly programming can and should be at the center of such a prime-time reformation.

This article is excerpted from the Media Research Center's third annual study of network television portrayals of religion, "Faith in a Box."