USA net plots return to top; cabler pins revival hopes on summer sked entries. (TV).(USA Network)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)

Picture this: a bingo game played with wild enthusiasm by U.S. employees of Vivendi Universal at the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, Fla., presided over by Barry Diller, chairman and CEO of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, and Ron Meyer, the company's prexy and chief operations officer. Diller and Meyer got into the spirit of the game, generating particular good will among the winning employees, who collected such rewards as a vacation trip for two in the Caribbean.

The bingo game stood out as a highlight of a three-day retreat for Viv U's staff members earlier this month.

And to Doug Herzog, president of USA Network, bingo may not be a bad analogy for the process of coming up with a hit series, which often seems to hinge on sheer luck.

"USA needs a signature show that the public can associate with the network," says Andy Donchin, sr. VP of Carat North America, another …