O-K Ville

I finally got around to watching the pilot for Fox's "K-Ville" online. Despite having some high hopes for this series, which stars Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser as a pair of cops in post-Katrina New Orleans, the pilot was mostly flat and predictable.

I think the idea of the series is a pretty sound one, since I would think the chaos in the gulf would provide a lot of material for the show's writers.

But there wasn't much to it for the pilot. Anderson plays Marlin Boulet, a veteran New Orleans cop who was there in the aftermath of the storm when his former partner wigged out and deserted him.

Flash forward two years, and Boulet has a new partner in Cobb (Hauser), a former soldier who has joined the force. The two are assigned to protect a charity dedicated to rebuilding part of the city, but are quickly shot at when the event comes under gunfire.

The problem is, the whole investigation is a little too pat and predictable. I pretty much knew who did what and why halfway through. There was a lot of shooting and car chases as well, giving the show an '80s feel.

There's a little twist in the end that will undoubtedly be a factor in future episodes, but it was introduced a little out of the blue.

I'll probably give the show another chance when it airs, since Anderson was so fantastic in "The Shield" and Hauser is solid as his partner, but I'm hoping for a little more from the producers.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: I kind of wonder how thrilled USA is to be broadcasting the U.S. Open these days. Tennis continues to be a poor TV draw, especially since you know Roger Federer is going to win the men's draw and Serena Williams is a fairly safe bet for the women.

Meanwhile, the two-week hiatus that tennis is putting in USA's regular schedule is taking a lot of momentum away from "Burn Notice," which has improved both dramatically and ratings-wise every week. (Shows like "Monk" and "Psych" are also off for a couple of weeks).

Still, all is not bad, since AMC airs no sporting events at all, meaning we get a new "Mad Men" (AMC, 10 p.m.) tonight. You can also catch a new "Who Wants To Be A Superhero" (Sci-Fi, 9 p.m.), though this group really isn't as fun as the first one. But hey, it's pretty difficult when you don't have Fat Momma this time around.

While college football has already started in some places, it really kicks off tonight as LSU visits Mississippi State (ESPN, 8 p.m.), while Tulsa battles Louisiana-Monroe (ESPN2, 7 p.m.)