The ABC television network, for better or worse, has its queer eye on viewers of all orientations with a pair of mid-season replacements.

Emily's Reasons Why Not (premiering at 9 p.m. ET Jan. 9) features Khary Payton as Josh, one of the title character's swishy best friends. Payton cut his acting chops in Dallas and has since popped up in B-grade flicks and as a guest star on sitcoms The Shield and JAG .

Crumbs (premiering at 9:30 ET Jan. 12) boasts Fred Savage as the prodigal gay son in a deliriously dysfunctional family. Savage is best known as the cuddly, confused kiddie star of The Wonder Years. More recently, he popped up as the hilarious Mole in Austin Powers: Goldmember and on the short-lived sitcom Working.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has praised both shows, along with The Book of Daniel and Love, Monkey, saying, “Viewers can be both entertained and educated by stories on television that reflect the diversity of families and communities across this country.”

That's all well and good, but it doesn't mean these are particularly spectacular programs. Both shows have strong casts and appealing characters, but the writing doesn't always measure up. Time--and ratings--will soon decide their fates.

Emily's Reasons Why Not is based on the novel by Carrie Gerlach and springs from an appealing premise: Emily, determined to succeed in life and in love, uses a mental “Reasons Why Not” list-making system to let herself know when it's time to move on from a bad relationship.

In the show's pilot episode, Emily (Heather Graham) is reeling from a break-up with handsome heartbreaker Reese (Mark Valley). She is consoled by vivacious gal pal Reilly (Nadia Dajani) and gay pal Josh, whose own relationship with his boyfriend is portrayed as stable and supportive--though we only see them together during a quick scene.

Determined to find some sense of happiness, Emily cautiously begins dating Stan, her outrageously attractive co-worker. Things quickly descend into list-making and self-doubt when Emily suspects that Stan, in all his airbrush tanned glory, may be gay.

It's a relationship that plenty of real-life women have found themselves in, but Emily's Reasons Why Not isn't interested in delving too deep inside the issue. Emily's own reasons for thinking Stan is gay begin with the fact that he seems to shy away from intimacy, but they soon descend into superficial, shallow points--anything from a Martha Stewart magazine to a gym bag.

Page 1 / 2 - Next