Marriage is not highly respected on network TV shows that as an alternative promote the pleasures of extramarital sex and even perverted practices, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The study conducted by the Parents Television Council discovered that the utmost frequency of allusions to sex outside marriage was during evening prime-time viewing hours, when most of the children are likely to watch television. Nevertheless, the council explained that it was not encouraging more representations of married couples having sex, but that is supported more optimistic depictions of matrimony.

“The anti-marriage bias in some of these programs is so transparent it's almost comical,” said Melissa Henson, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit group, as cited by Reuters.

The study assessed four weeks of scripted shows on the major TV networks at the beginning of the 2007-2008 season, taking notice of content including depictions of sex, implied sex, dialogues on the topic, and visual references to other aspects of sexuality.

The “family hour”, which represents the first hour of prime-time TV, which attracts most young viewers, enclosed the highest proportion of references to extramarital vs. marital sex, the study found. Furthermore, it said that ABC had the most references to married sex than any network, in spite of the fact that many of them were negative.

Shows pointed out as including bad examples of TV behavior were “Grey's Anatomy,” for a sex scene between singles Meredith and Derek and “Boston Legal,” for a conversation about prostitution. “Desperate Housewives” was also cited for a bedroom scene involving Gabrielle and Carlos, who although divorced, were having sex, “forgetting” they were both involved in new relationships.

However, some programs have better approaches towards marriage in spite of the fact that they are not automatically suitable for families with young children, said Tim Winter, council president, according to the Associated Press. For instance, the drama “Friday Night Lights” is “better than most in showing positive portrayals of marital relations and intimacy,” he said in a telephone conference, as reported by the same source.