8:30 tonight; KNSD/Channel 39 (Cable 7);

Kath (Molly Shannon) is fortysomething and fabulous. Her daughter Kim (Selma Blair) is 27 and moving back home because her new husband wants her to “do things.” Like make dinner. Can they live together without sacrificing an innocent mani-pedi?

Good news first: Shannon plays Kath with a self-help-aisle joie de vivre that is nonjudgmental and surprisingly sweet. And John Michael Higgins (“Best in Show”) offers fearless support as her devoted fiancé.

Second thoughts: At 36, Blair is too old to play a pouty, celebrity-obsessed 27-year-old. And even if she had the comic chops to pull it off (which she doesn't), you wouldn't like this grating character anyway.

Early verdict: Gems of pop-culturally astute humor can't make up for the first two episodes' repetitive loop of breakups, makeups and mall visits. And the fact that Shannon is only eight years older than Blair makes for a weird mother-daughter dynamic that can be pretty distracting.

“Life on Mars”

10 tonight; KGTV/Channel 10; ½

New York City Detective Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara, “Men in Trees”) is hit by a car in 2008 and wakes up in 1973. Is he crazy? In a coma? Or on a time-traveling mission to save his present-day girlfriend (Lisa Bonet) from a serial killer? He continues fighting crime with his old-school comrades while he tries to figure it out.

Good news first: With its time-warping plot, savvy period details and right-on '70s soundtrack, this Americanized version of the cult BBC series could be as compulsively watchable as the original.

Second thoughts: The American actors (who include Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli from “The Sopranos”) will have to work overtime to capture the gritty, streetwise vibe of their British counterparts.

Early verdict: It may be a remake, but this brash brain-twister is the standout show of this underwhelming season.

“Eleventh Hour”

10 tonight; KFMB/Channel 8;

Another night, another CBS procedural. This latest bloody offering stars Rufus Sewell (“John Adams”) as a quirky biophysicist who solves crimes in quirky smart-guy ways. Marley Shelton is stuck with the role of his buzz-kill partner.

Good news first: The series is executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, which means first-rate production values and tons of nice scenery.

Second thoughts: Sewell is a fine actor, but his character is surprisingly dull. But not as dull as Shelton's character, who has no personality whatsoever. Throw in a case that is stuffed with enough southern-fried clichés to choke a competitive food eater, and you have a recipe for extreme television distress.

Early verdict: If you really need more crime-TV in your life, watch “The Mentalist,” which will not rob you of your leisure time or your working brain cells.

– REVIEWS BY KARLA PETERSON