Yes, you can go home again

You can't go home again. Or can you?

For that matter, can a premise that failed in 2002 succeed in 2007?

Maybe. If you give it a chance.

"October Road," which premieres tonight at 9 on ABC/Ch. 4, starts off a bit slow. But if you watch the first couple of episodes, you just may find yourself coming back for more.

The first few minutes flash back a decade. Just out of high school, Nick Garrett (Bryan Greenberg of "One Tree Hill") is heading off to backpack around Europe for a few weeks. From the way he's promising everyone he'll be back, you just know he won't.

When we catch up with Nick in the present day, he has yet to return to his small hometown of Knights Bridge, Mass. Complicating matters is the best-selling book he wrote three years ago, which was based on the town and friends he left behind. And it doesn't exactly reflect well on many of them.

Nick is himself surprised by the success of his novel. And he's got writer's block. So when he gets in invitation to speak at the college in Knights Bridge, he reluctantly accepts and goes home for the first time in 10 years.

Some of his friends are happy to see him. Some aren't. And his ex-girlfriend, Hannah (Laura Prepon of "That '70s Show"), has an almost-10-year-old son, Sam, who may or may not be Nick's.

Sometimes "October Road" tries too hard to be quirky. (One of Nick's old pals hasn't gone outside since 9/11.) Sometimes it's just too coincidental. (There's a big peanut-allergy thing going on.) Sometimes it's too much of a soap opera. (In addition to the whole question of Sam's paternity, one of Nick's old buddies is having an affair with the wife of another of their friends.)

And if the premise of the show sounds vaguely familiar, that's because it's been done before. Almost exactly. In 2002, The WB aired "Glory Days," about a young author who, after achieving success with a tell-all book based on his small hometown, had writer's block, moved back home and discovered a lot of his old friends weren't happy with him.

But "October Road" is a better show than "Glory Days." When it comes to a TV series, more often than not success is not determined by the concept but by the execution. And "October Road" is a very well-executed prime-time soap opera of sorts.

The characters grow on you. There are a lot of people here to like — people you could spend an hour a week with, even if you don't like everything they do.

Sort of like the folks in "Grey's Anatomy."

Episode 1 is pretty good; Episode 2 is better. That's a very good sign.

"October Road" is a road worth traveling down for at least a few episodes, if not more.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com