Bursts of Static Interrupt Fun of ‘Talk to Me’

Tonight’s new “Talk to Me” may have more of a future than “Sports Night,” the smarter, more urbane but ratings-challenged comedy it supplants in the ABC lineup.

Don’t expect wall-to-wall laughs from this series by Suzanne Martin (“Frasier”). Yet Kyra Sedgwick has a breezy charm as New York radio talk-show host Janey Munro, whose nemesis is Dr. Debra (Beverly D’Angelo), the brusque, petulant, conservative psychologist (read Dr. Laura) whose show follows hers.

Their rivalry has some promise, as does the single Janey’s likable irreverence and willingness to take risks and defy convention. We meet her tonight after she’s split from her boyfriend and is changing her life by doing “the guy thing.” Encouraged by her male pals at WSJB, that means ignoring feelings, spending most of her time with the opposite sex and not honoring her promise to call back the guys she’s dating. Naturally, this backfires.

It’s an amusing bit of nonsense, and the premiere also generates a bit of humor from spineless station manager, Sandy (Peter Jacobson), who is in the hip pocket of conniving Dr. Debra, and from the dogspeak of Janey’s animal-loving sister, Kat (Nicole Sullivan).

Unfortunately, “Talk to Me” takes pretty much of a dive next week when Janey, who is tenaciously straight, gets trapped into a relationship with a beautiful lesbian. “Ellen” it isn’t. Dumb it is.

* “Talk to Me” premieres tonight at 9:30 on ABC.