If you're still mourning the loss of the fabulous drama "Homefront" - if you miss "Knots Landing" when it was good - has CBS got a show for you.
"Second Chances" is serialized prime-time drama at its best - it's smart, surprising, funny and thoroughly entertaining.(The show opens with a two-hour premiere Thursday at 8 p.m. on Ch. 5 before settling into its regular hourlong format a week later at 9 p.m.)
And that should come as no surprise, because the creators/writers/executive producers are the husband-and-wife team of Lynn Marie Latham and Bernard Lechowick, the duo behind both seasons of "Homefront" and the best seasons of "Knots Landing."
What they've done once again is take a large cast - there are 11 main characters - and blend them together beautifully. The show opens with a murder mystery that runs through the first seven hours (including Thursday's two-hour premiere) and, along the way, develops believable, interesting characters.
At the center of "Second Chances" is Diane Benedict (Connie Sellecca), a wife, mother and public defender whose husband (Erich Anderson) isn't what he seems. Diane decides to run against a decidedly unworthy judge (Ray Wise).
Diane's sister, Kate (Megan Follows) - just out of a bad relationship - is a wedding co-ordinator whose latest clients are Mexican-American co-ed Melinda Lopez (Jennifer Lopez) and Anglo law student Kevin Cook (Justin Lazard). But both her overprotective father (Pepe Serna) and his socially prominent parents (Ronnie Cox and Frances Lee McCain) oppose the marriage.
Thrown into the mix are a recently released convicted killer (Matt Salinger) - who also happens to be Diane's first love - and a social-climbing secretary (Michelle Phillips).
The series begins with the glimpse of a murder victim, then flashes back to the events leading up the the killing. Along the way, it becomes obvious who the victim is, but that doesn't lessen the interest, because almost everybody else is somehow implicated in the crime.
And, while Salinger's ex-con most dramatically illustrates the show's title, all the characters have a shot at a second chance of their own.
"I've always felt the concept of starting over is very important. All of us, at one time or another, have made mistakes. I do it fairly regularly," Latham said with a laugh. "And I think we'd all like the opportunity to correct them and move on."
As has become Latham and Lechowick's trademark, "Second Chances" is wonderfully written - not just in the major events that transpire but in the dialogue.
And the cast is marvelous. Sellecca, in particular, is great as Diane. This is by far the best project this talented actress has been involved with in years.
While this is a continuing drama, the rather negative term soap opera doesn't exactly apply.
"Recently, when we talked to various executives, they think we do very heavy sex shows. And we've never done that," Latham said. "We do romance and adventure and fun.
"There is a lot of comedy in what we do."
Not just comedy but humor and wit - both of which are lacking in so much of what's on network television these days.
Latham admits to being on "pins and needles" waiting to see how the ratings come out, but she's hopeful because "Second Chances" has inherited the time slot occupied by "Knots Landing" for all those years.
"I think there's a built-in audience because for 14 years people came in to watch a show Thursday nights that they could keep up with the characters. I'm thrilled we got that time slot."
Perhaps the best news about "Second Chances" is that it's going to be around for a while. That infamous audience testing that goes on with preview audiences has been extremely positive, and the network executives love it.
So much so, in fact, that the network upped its original order from seven to 20 hours before the show even goes on the air.
"I was talking to (CBS Entertainment President) Jeff Sagansky and he said, `I don't want anyone to think they can't get involved in this series,' " Latham said. "He said, `This is going to be on all season.' "
And, with any luck, for a number of seasons to come.