Men: Give Us Flawed Characters On Our TV

The NY Times looks at research by Spike TV that analysed the popularity of TV shows among men. The Times suggests that one of the reason some shows work well with men is that they feature men who are ‘good guys’ having to do bad things because of circumstance. One ‘hero’ men look up to is Sawyer in ‘Lost’.

Not so long ago Sawyer’s callousness would have made him a villain, but
on "Lost," he is sympathetic, a man whose penchant for dispensing
Darwinian truths over kindnesses drives not only the action but the
show’s underlying theme, that in the social chaos of the modern world,
the only sensible reflex is self-interest.

Other ‘heroes’ include : Dr. Gregory House on ‘House’;
Michael Scofield on ‘Prison Break’; Vic Mackey on ‘The
Shield’ and, of course, Tony Soprano.

New York Times Article