When Pete Hamill heard about the premise for the new Fox TV show NEW AMSTERDAM, he sat up and took serious notes. The show's main character was killed centuries ago before being brought back to life with immortality - and now lives in Manhattan. Sounds familiar? That's the general premise of Hamill's novel FOREVER, centering around the immortal adventures of Cormac O'Connor, and the AP's Larry McShane investigates the similarities.

Although the show's executive producer, David Manson, insists that John Amsterdam was created independent of Cormac O'Connor, Hamill and his fans aren't quite convinced - although the author's attitude leans more to resignation than litigation. "To try and prove anything about this would take thousands and thousands of dollars, which I'd rather spend on my grandson," Hamill said. "You've gotta laugh." Which he does, especially about some of the show's plot ideas: "Here's some guy who took 300 years to pass the cop's test."