TV REVIEW : ‘Family Man’ Promising--Will ABC Give It a Chance?

ABC’s “Family Man,” starting a trial run tonight as a replacement for “The Thorns,” is one of those comedy series you want to watch several times before forming an opinion.

Will Richard Libertini, who plays Shelly the TV comedy writer, and Mimi Kennedy, who plays his wife, Andrea, always work as well together as they do on the premiere (tonight at 9:30 tonight on channels 7, 3 10 and 42)? Will tonight’s glimmers of sharp humor grow into something more sustaining? Will future scripts offer more of the universal truths--Shelly bending over backwards to please his stepchildren and Andrea being sensitive about her career as a “housewife”--that give the opening half hour much of its appeal?

And will ABC--which opted for “Family Man” after it was rejected by Fox and NBC--give this somewhat promising number enough time to develop its strengths before replacing it . . . with still another series about another family man?