Television

By DAVE MASON
A real-life story inspired a fictional drama about a family trying to escape from the law.

"I heard this story on NPR about a family on the run for 15 years. I thought that was a great premise for the show," said "Runaway" executive producer Darren Star ("Beverly Hills 90210") at a CW network party.

By DAVE MASON
A real-life story inspired a fictional drama about a family trying to escape from the law.

"I heard this story on NPR about a family on the run for 15 years. I thought that was a great premise for the show," said "Runaway" executive producer Darren Star ("Beverly Hills 90210") at a CW network party.

By TERRY MORROW
"Desperate Housewives" moves its story ahead six months in the third season opener (9 p.m., EDT/PDT, Sunday, ABC), with major change transpiring.

Mike the Plumber (James Denton) is in a coma after being hit by car.

By TERRY MORROW
Chris Rock is already working his backup plan.

"The heat _ or whatever it is I have _ is not going to last," he says. "We all burn out or fade away. Hopefully, when my time comes, I have the skills to do other things."

And he's already relishing life behind the camera.

"Everybody Hates Chris," his first network sitcom, is his baby.

By TERRY MORROW
With "Ugly Betty," actress Salma Hayek is examining beauty from the sidelines.

"I have walked through this lady (Betty) in my mind," says Hayek. "She makes me laugh and makes me cry."

Hayek isn't the star of "Betty." She's its producer.

A hit telenovela in Latin America countries for years, "Betty" is a fish out of water story.

By ROB OWEN
It's always risky to declare any new show the "best new series of the season" when all one has to judge is the pilot episode. With that caveat, NBC's "Heroes" is the best pilot of fall 2006.

By DAVE MASON
Two stars join "Law & Order" this week in an episode more character-driven than the usual "L&O" tale.

The NBC series begins its 17th season at 10 p.m., EDT/PDT, Friday, a new time slot.

This week's story is a strong start for Alana de la Garza, who plays Asst.

By ROB OWEN
How did that get on TV?

It's a question viewers routinely ask while watching new programs at this time every year. But there's rarely a single answer.

However, there are a few key reasons TV shows make it through the arduous development process and onto the set in your living room:

_ Schedule needs: Compatibility can be a priority.

By JIM CARLISLE
Notre Dame football has always been a creature unto itself. Even when the Fighting Irish have had down years, there still has been: a.) Notre Dame and b.) the rest of college football.

By ROB OWEN
It's no secret that TV comedies have been in a low cycle (few traditional multicamera sitcoms remain on the air), but CBS's "The Class" does its part to alleviate that drought.

Cute but not cloying, funny but not overflowing with gratuitous sex jokes, "The Class" earns a B-plus, which easily puts it in contention for valedictorian among fall 2006's freshman comedies (NBC's "30 Rock," premiering next month, is its only true competition).

Created by David Crane ("Friends") and Jeffrey Klarik ("Mad About You"), "The Class" (8 p.m., EDT/PDT, Monday) begins as good guy pediatrician Ethan Haas (a winning Jason Ritter of "Joan of Arcadia") throws a surprise party for his fiance, inviting members of the third-grade class where the couple met.

Their former classmates are an eclectic bunch: sour, sarcastic Kat (Lizzy Caplan, "Related") and her ditzy sister Lina (Heather Goldenhersh); depressive Richie (Jesse Tyler Ferguson); unhappily married Nicole (Andrea Anders, "Joey") and her one-time love, Duncan (Jon Bernthal); gay Kyle (Sean Maguire), and his prom date Holly (Lucy Punch).

Ethan's party runs off the rails when his fiance dumps him in front of their guests.