The idea of salvation seems to be one of the most prevalent in Western society. Here in America, salvation in one form or another dominates creative endeavors: the list of characters in movies who need to find salvation is huge, almost from the beginning of cinema. Chaplin's characters were looking for salvation from the pressure of being at the bottom of society. Bogart, in his first major role, The Petrified Forest, is as bad as they come but still finds a glimmer of hope to maybe end his life a bit better than he lived it. Pulp Fiction, with Butch the runaway boxer and Sugar the petty thief, presented two very different, and very odd, roads to personal salvation.

And on television, no character has been sent in search of saving grace more than the troubled cop. Hence the name of the new Holly Hunter vehicle, "Saving Grace". Anything with Holly Hunter is worth seeing, of course, and a weekly television show is just a promise of delight. The hope is that this tired old formula is given a fresh look by Hunter and creator Nancy Miller.

"Tired old formula" certainly sums up Hunter's Grace at the beginning: smoking, drinking, sleeping around, wild and careless, with her life and the lives of everyone around her. Until she kills a man while driving and drunk. Which is when the angel appears and offers her one last chance. The premise of the series, of course: Grace is given one last chance and fights against it as hard as she can, but the angel appears to be even more stubborn than she. That remains to be seen.

But the formula is old and well-used. We see it over and over again, the lost soul struggling to come to terms with life via God's grace. But it's always pretty much the same god, the Judeo-Christian (and to my mind, Muslim) "Father in Heaven" god, occassionally with a bit of Jesus thrown in (for most writers and directors, however, that seems to take things a bit too far). Given that the vast majority of Americans believe in that god to some extent, that's understandable. It's familiar, a storyline viewers love and watch. It's safe, too; even a tobacco-chewing angel is acceptable, because, after all, he's got a heart of pure gold.

But why not a troubled, tortured character who finds the hard path to salvation not through religion but through faith in him- or herself? A hard-living, hard-drinking cop who sees the abyss looming ahead and rather than sinking to his knees and taking the easy way out, looks inside and challenges himself to become a better person on his own terms? No miracles, no shortcuts, just honesty and hard, hard work.

In American public life, God makes everything easier and more salesworthy. I accept that most Americans are religious and they have a sincere faith. But even a person of faith has to walk the lonely path to salvation. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, was tempted by Satan, and faced his death — all on his own. As he died, he was utterly alone. And he persevered. I no longer believe this to be a true story, but if Christians are going to worship this god and this Jesus, they should realize what his life story actually means. No shortcuts to faith. No quick-fix salvations. Each person has to face the challenge and meet it, with no help except the faith they carry.

So why not a tv show that explores that honest, human and terrifying path? With a "last-chance" angel hovering nearby, all that's needed is to submit. When you're on your own, salvation is much more dearly won — and more preciously held.