On A& E, The Call of The Collar

Joe Adair, left, and Mike Lechniak struggle with choosing the priesthood in "God or the Girl." (By Stephanie Diani)

In the wrong hands, "God or the Girl" -- a new A&E reality series about four young men debating whether to enter the priesthood -- could have been a blasphemous mess.

Picture, for instance, how Fox might have staged it: The "contestants" are placed in a bunker where Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie entice them with earthly delights while the dudes battle for an immunity idol that spares them of temptation. Or a VH1 treatment: The quartet lives in the same home with strung-out C-listers who constantly question the existence of God.

Mercifully, the show's producers have chosen higher ground, delivering a heartfelt, if slightly tedious, program about regular guys struggling with the biggest decision of their lives. Credit A&E for delivering a nicely polished, thoughtful product that might officially fall under the reality-show umbrella but which comes off more like a documentary film. (Parts 1 and 2 will be shown tomorrow night beginning at 9; Parts 3 and 4 air Monday night at 9; and the conclusion is next Sunday at 10 p.m.)

The series introduces us to the four deeply religious twenty-somethings who believe they have been called to enter the clergy. Yet they are conflicted.

Despite the show's provocative title, though, the conflict is not always what it might seem. Take the case of Fairfax native Steve Horvath, who more accurately is torn between the Almighty and the almighty dollar ("God or the Green?"). It turns out that Horvath, 25, was making a sweet 80 grand just out of college before he realized God might have other plans for him.

Horvath also relays a story of one relative telling him he'll be perceived as a child molester if he becomes a priest, and he remembers saying, "Your attitude is exactly why I want to do this."

The most tortured soul, though, is Joe Adair, a 28-year-old campus counselor in Cleveland who has struggled for some time about whether to enter the seminary. He is under plenty of pressure from Mom, who asks him point-blank, "What's taking so long?" And, then, he's also thinking about a pretty blonde from Germany he's gotten to know.

As much sympathy as one builds up for Adair, however, he becomes annoying with his perpetual pout and constant wishy-washiness. "I move very slowly," he says.

Yes, he does -- as do the segments in which he is featured.

Fortunately, "GOTG" jumps around fairly briskly to the other would-be priests, including the fascinating Dan DeMatte, who, if Extreme Catholicism were a sport, would get the gold medal.

DeMatte, a 21-year-old sophomore at Ohio Dominican University, sounds like a spiritual superhero when he says he lives on campus with "nine celibate men who do battle with sin and evil every day of their lives."

For fun, in the second episode, DeMatte carries an 80-pound, self-made cross on his back for 20 miles to experience, he says, the suffering Jesus experienced. DeMatte also is shown rallying his followers -- in this case, high school students -- as they pray the rosary in front of an abortion clinic and a strip club.

DeMatte seems the most committed of the bunch -- and of the four men, he seems to have the least angst about deciding between religion and redheads.

Also featured is Mike Lechniak, 24, who has the most serious romantic relationship but is also pressured by his mentor, a Catholic priest, to don the collar.

Viewer patience is required: The show is full of brooding, pondering and contemplating, and then more brooding. But, smartly, A&E has made this only a five-part series.

And, thanks to the producers sticking to a higher tone, the final decision next week will not be revealed during a Tribal Council.

God or the Girl (two hours) debuts tomorrow night at 9 on A&E.