ABC climbed out of the broadcast basement by programming smart, edgy dramas like “Desperate Housewives,” “Lost” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” three of the top shows on television. But it has had dismal luck with similarly smart, edgy comedies.
Already this year, the droll comedy “Help Me Help You” with Ted Danson has been yanked, and last year offbeat sitcoms “Crumbs” and “Hot Properties” failed.
The network hopes to reverse that pattern with the debut of “The Knights of Prosperity,” a well-reviewed but risky comedy that premieres tonight at 9 p.m. as part of the network’s revamped Wednesday lineup. Another new though considerable lesser-quality comedy, “In Case of Emergency,” follows at 9:30.
“Knights” follows a group of misfit criminals who band together in an attempt to rob Mick Jagger, who makes a cheeky cameo tonight. Though the pilot is sometimes uneven, Donal Logue (“Grounded for Life”) as the group’s leader is consistently funny, and it’s easily one of the three best comedies in what’s been a dismal year for sitcoms.
But quality aside, the real question is whether viewers will tune in for the show, which airs in “Lost’s” former timeslot. The last “Lost” replacement on ABC, “Day Break,” was canceled after just six weeks’ worth of very low-rated episodes, and it faces CBS’s growing “Criminal Minds” and, in two weeks, Fox’s “American Idol.”
The other problem is that, despite the network’s strong reputation for drama, it still lags in comedy. Perhaps it’s the legacy of TGIF, but many seem to look to ABC solely for family comedies like “According to Jim,” “George Lopez” and “My Wife and Kids” while NBC has the reputation for edgy comedy. Unless “Prosperity” can overcome that perception, it will be another in a chain of sitcom flops this year.
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A look at this week’s top TV draws |
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3 |
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Time |
Network |
Program |
Description |
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8 p.m. |
CW |
"Beauty and the Geek" (R) |
Season premiere. The third season begins with the females trying to figure out something called the Dewey decimal system. Yeah, they’re the beauties. |
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8 p.m. |
ABC |
"According to Jim" (C) |
Season premiere. The first of back-to-back episodes. |
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8:15 p.m. |
Fox |
"College Football" (S) |
The Sugar Bowl, possibly featuring the BCS’s second-most-anticipated matchup: LSU versus Notre Dame. |
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9 p.m. |
ABC |
"Knights of Prosperity" (C) |
Series premiere. A group tries to come up with a scheme to rob Mick Jagger. |
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9 p.m. |
NBC |
"Deal or No Deal" (G) |
NBC tries to counter ABC’s premieres with its highly rated game show. |
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9:30 p.m. |
ABC |
"In Case of Emergency" (C) |
Series premiere. Four former high school friends meet up again by chance. |
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 |
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Time |
Network |
Program |
Description |
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7 p.m. |
ESPN |
"College Basketball" (S) |
Good early-season Big East conference game between Pittsburgh and Syracuse. |
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8 p.m. |
ABC |
"Ugly Betty" (D) |
Betty helps Daniel keep a visiting fashion designer happy. |
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8:30 p.m. |
NBC |
"The Office" (C) |
Talk about awkward--Jim and Karen have an argument, and Pam's in the middle. |
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9 p.m. |
CBS |
"CSI" (D) |
Catherine testifies against a suspected killer, then worries when he's found not guilty. |
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10 p.m. |
NBC |
"ER" (D) |
Budget cuts means some tough decisions for Kovac. |
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10 p.m. |
CBS |
"Shark" (D) |
Sebastian tries to take down a man who's supplying explosives to gangs in Los Angeles. |
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10:30 p.m. |
MTV |
"Real World/Road Rules Challenge" (R) |
Evan and Wes team up unexpectedly. |
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 5 |
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Time |
Network |
Program |
Description |
|
7 a.m. |
NBC |
"Today" (N) |
It's Matt Lauer-fest as the anchor celebrates 10 years with "Today." |
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8 p.m. |
CBS |
"Ghost Whisperer" (D) |
Melinda's receiving spirit signals, but she can't seem down to track down the ghost. |
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8 p.m. |
NBC |
"1 vs. 100" (G) |
Tonight's panel features actor Adam West and various Rhodes scholars. |
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9 p.m. |
NBC |
"Las Vegas" (D) |
The casino finds a rare bottle of wine in its cellar and sells it for $1 million. |
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9 p.m. |
USA |
"Monk" (D) |
Natalie and Monk look into a case involving stolen diamonds. |
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10 p.m. |
WE |
"Who Killed Diana" (N) |
Examining the conspiracy theories surround Princess Diana's death. |
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 6 |
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Time |
Network |
Program |
Description |
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4:30 p.m. |
NBC |
"NFL Football" (S) |
The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the playoffs. |
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8 p.m. |
Fox |
"Cops" (R) |
Cops in Wichita, of all places, get involved in a high-speed chase. |
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8 p.m. |
NBC |
"NFL Football" (S) |
Another playoff game, this one between the Cowboys and Seahawks in Seattle. |
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8:30 p.m. |
WGN |
"NBA Basketball" (S) |
Ben Wallace and the Bulls welcome his former team, the Pistons. |
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9 p.m. |
Fox |
"America's Most Wanted" (R) |
Among other things, an update on the death of NFL player Darrent Williams. |
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10 p.m. |
Showtime |
"Boxing" (S) |
Heavyweights Samuel Peter and James Toney face off in Hollywood, Fla. |
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 |
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Time |
Network |
Program |
Description |
|
1 p.m. |
CBS |
"NFL Football" (S) |
Good rivalry playoff game between the Jets and the Patriots. |
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4:30 p.m. |
Fox |
"NFL Football" (S) |
Another East Coast rivalry playoff game between the Eagles and the Giants. |
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4:30 p.m. |
CBS |
"College Basketball" (S) |
No. 9 Kansas travels to South Carolina. |
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8 p.m. |
NBC |
"Grease: You're the One That I Want" (R) |
Series premiere. Reality show that will select the leads for a Broadway production of "Grease." |
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9 p.m. |
ABC |
"Desperate Housewives" (D) |
Gaby thinks Carlos is trying to get the way of her new relationship with Bill. |
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9:30 p.m. |
NBC |
"The Apprentice" (R) |
Season premiere. This season, which takes place in Los Angeles, has each week's winning team live in a mansion, with the losers in tents. |
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10 p.m. |
MTV |
"I'm From Rolling Stone" (R) |
Series premiere. Six wannabe journalists compete for a one-year contract with Rolling Stone magazine. |
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A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show. |
