29 new shows are headed for your TV

The story concerns Ripley Holden's (Lloyd Owen) attempt to open a casino in Laughlin, Nev. It's a long shot, and he's got an enemy, Nicky Fontana (guest star Hugh Jackman) standing in his way. At the same time, Ripley is dealing with a wife (Madchen Amick), two teenage children (Ellen Woglom and Carter Jenkins) and an old flame (Melanie Griffith).

Oh, and there's the little matter of the murder in which he's been implicated.

What's to like? Pretty much nothing. "Viva Laughlin" is a yawner.

What's not to like? Pretty much everything. In an apparent attempt to make this rather wild premise more palatable to American viewers, all the charm and joy has been sucked out of it. And even if you ignore the musical elements, the remaining mystery/drama is remarkably dull.

Will it work? If not for the fact that "Viva Laughlin" doesn't premiere until the second half of October, it would probably be the first show canceled this fall. There's already a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering going on — the original show-runner has been replaced — and I'm not even entirely convinced that it will get on the air, period.

Debuts: Previews on Thursday, Oct. 18; regular time-slot debut is on Sunday, Oct. 21

LIFE IS WILD (Sundays, 7 p.m., CW/Ch. 30) is clearly intended as a show for people who miss "7th Heaven." And it's sort of "The Brady Bunch" goes to South Africa.

Katie Clarke (Leah Pipes) is one unhappy teenager. Her veterinarian father, Danny (D.W. Moffett), got remarried to Jo (Stephanie Niznick of "Everwood") after the death of his first wife and saddled her with a step-brother, Jesse (Andrew St. John), who's not real easy to get along with.

Worse yet, Danny has decided to pack up the family — which includes Katie's 11-year-old brother, Chase (K'Sun Ray), and 7-year-old stepsister, Mia (Mary Matilyn Mouser) — and move to South Africa.

Danny has the best of intentions — to bring his family closer together — but it's going to be a bit of a rough go.

"Life Is Wild" is the Americanization of the British series "Wild at Heart," and, like its predecessor, is filmed on some pretty spectacular locations in South Africa.

What's to like? There has to be room on network television for a family drama, doesn't there? And, while there isn't anything new nor groundbreaking — except, of course, for its location — this has the makings of a good show families can watch together. And all those cool African animals.

What's not to like? At least a little less predictability would be nice.

Will it work? It won't be a big hit, but it could work well enough for The CW.

Debuts: Sunday, Oct. 7

Mondays