TVSquad

Some shows are known for amazing acting, and some for stellar writing. In Treatment falls into the latter category, though the acting was top-notch, as well. Still, in essence the show was a one-room nightly play. It was simply dialogue between two to four actors. And It was riveting.

Davey Holmes won a Writers Guild Award for his work on that series. He was nominated for Pushing Daisies, a series with a completely different tone, and yet equally brilliant writing. He's also written for Damages and is involved in the forthcoming Happy Town for ABC.

Based on the strength of his script, Holmes has secured a pilot commitment from FOX for Worthy, a proposed series that would put the network dramatically into politics. The series follows a straight-arrow Arizona politician, named Worthy, who finds himself in trouble after he's in a hit-and-run and winds up blackmailed by the mob.

Of late, political shows on network television seem to head straight for the White House, or a fictional monarchy. Kings was amazing, but perhaps it was too alien for American audiences. The last time we had any close dealings with a monarchy, we broke away and formed a new nation. It's not a system of government we have any real understanding of or appreciation for.

FOX is an interesting home for a show like Worthy; it would seem a better fit for cable sister FX, with its built in darker undertones. However, FOX has proven themselves capable of dark subject matter and political intrigue on a grand scale with 24. Handled correctly, Worthy could be a ... ahem ... worthy addition to the smarter direction FOX is heading.