OK, I don't know for a fact that TV execs are more susceptible to attention deficit disorder, but it sure seems like it most of the time.

Your honor. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. I present you with the following incontrovertible evidence...

• Smith - 4 episodes
  
• Drive - 4 episodes
  
• Day Break - 13 episodes
  
• Six Degrees - 14 episodes
  
• Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - 17 episodes
  
• Jericho - 22 episodes

Each one of these shows premiered (and died) this season. The way things are these days, I don't really want to invest in an interesting-looking show because it's probably just going to disappear in a few episodes. (Or even worse, after the season-ending cliffhanger.) Better to wait for the season one DVD, and then maybe start watching season two. On TiVo of course.

Classic shows like Cheers, Seinfeld, and M*A*S*H never would have made it in today's market.

Well done, TV executives! You're desperate ratings-or-die management policies are making me want to watch even less TV. You've been taking lessons from the music industry, haven't you?