The second hour proves at least somewhat less of a shock-fest than the first, perhaps because there are moments of tenderness when the priest deals with his mother's Alzheimer's disease.

But along the way we learn:

• So the bishop takes a codeine pill from the priest and is sleeping with the priest's father, who is also a bishop.


• The "marriage counseling" consists of asking the couple about their sex life.


• The elderly housekeeper is smoking pot.


• The Catholic priest involved with the mafia makes the priest an offer he can't refuse.

The plot line about the gay son is about the most harmless of the numerous plots that seem to circle like cars looking for a wreck to get into.

In the end, my suspicions after the first hour were merely confirmed by the second. Not only is the script awful, the characters are hardly sympathetic, and less than believable. NBC put this program on in January. They clearly don't expect it to go anywhere as a mid-season replacement.

The controversy might have boosted ratings for the first show, but I would guess they'll drop significantly by next week. Friday's not a big TV night anyway, and this show doesn't have what it takes to keep people home.