‘Lucky’ has potential, but it’s not a sure bet

Getting bopped on the head should make an actor dizzy. You can’t tell any major difference with John Corbett. He’s always spacey in his best roles, from the disc jockey on “Northern Exposure” to the doting lover in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

Corbett couldn’t appear in the CBS version of “Greek Wedding” because he was committed to playing a professional gambler in FX’s “Lucky.”

He has been a bit lucky with the comedy-drama by creators-brothers Robb and Mark Cullen, debuting at 10 tonight, having avoided the big fat blandness of a standard sitcom and wandered into an exuberantly quirky series set in downtown Las Vegas.

Blessedly free of a studio audience and a laugh track, the sharp-looking “Lucky” feels like an independent movie crammed into a half-hour series.

The news, however, isn’t all good. The opener pulses with freshness and whimsy, but it stalls when taking an ill-advised dramatic turn.

Three later episodes reveal how tricky it is to maintain the eccentric tone. They fall into predictable or precious patterns in depicting the turbulent life of gambler Michael “Lucky” Linkletter (Corbett).

World poker champ Lucky has frittered away a million-dollar prize and tumbled into a gambling addiction marked by brief periods of recovery.

He spends the opener scrambling to repay his in-laws for his wife’s recent funeral.

Upcoming guest stars include Bo Derek, Dan Castellaneta and Thomas Haden Church.

But the main draw is Corbett. Beyond his good looks and dashing manner, he brings endearing playfulness to Lucky, from an easy smile to a loping walk.

“Lucky” might not be a winning hand for FX after the popular “Shield,” but in Corbett, the channel has a definite ace.