'Lone Star' aims for a hit or 'spectacular failure'

The creator of the upcoming Texas con-man drama "Lone Star" said he pitched the show to broadcasters as "'Dallas' without the cheese."

Yet "Dallas" was a somewhat disingenuous comparison. Kyle Killen told TCA critics that he agreed with the industry impression that the Fox character-study drama looks and feels more like high-quality basic cable series than a broadcast show.

"[Fox was] looking to try a cable show on network," Killen said. "And if we signed up with them they would give us to a way to do that. The things you watch and love -- 'Breaking Bad' and 'Mad Men' -- they're dirty words in pitch meetings, their numbers would get a show canceled. Even if you respect those shows creatively, your people will tell you talk about 'Dallas.' At Fox, their attitude was that the only reason [those shows are] not more popular is because they're not on Fox."

"If it's a failure," Killen said, "I think it's going to be a spectacular failure, and I like that."