The doctor is in and the ads are out for the new ABC medical drama "Gideon's Crossing." The series' first episode will air without commercial interruption Oct. 11, the network said Wednesday. The
hour-long show will feature a single sponsor, health care conglomerate Johnson & Johnson, offering brief messages at the beginning and end of the program. "With attention spans shorter and viewers
surfing TV as much as watching it, ABC has taken this special episode of 'Gideon's Crossing' and treated it in a special way," said Andrea Alstrup, a Johnson & Johnson executive. The company did not
disclose what it was paying to sponsor the program.
A broadcast network drama has never aired without commercial breaks, ABC said.