The New York Times is previewing a new series on Showtime called "Sleeper Cell", in which "The lead character is an undercover F.B.I. agent who has managed to infiltrate a Southern California sleeper cell largely because he is a practicing Muslim."

"The character, Darwyn, is the first major role created on an American series - whether before or after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings - that depicts a Muslim as a hero seeking to check the intentions of terrorists."

"And having been raised on a steady diet of Arab bad guys - whether on shows like "JAG" or "24," or movies like the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle "True Lies" - they say they welcomed the opportunity to put a character on television who looked like them, shared their values and sought to save the day."

A Muslim interviewed for the story observed, "The very portrayal of an American Muslim working with the government will be controversial.... Muslims will say, 'That's a bit of a fantasy - there aren't that many Muslims being allowed to advance in the United States government to play this role.' Non-Muslims will say, 'Could that guy really exist?'"

"Showtime... is already preparing for a backlash. Last fall, for example, when The New York Post published just a brief description of the premise - it... made no mention of a hero, let alone one who was Muslim[. However,] the cable network received several hundred letters from subscribers who said they intended to cancel their subscriptions in response."

The series is not scheduled to be broadcast before late fall or early winter.