'Tis Lousy to Have Loved and Lost... : 2006-2007's TV Casualties Part 8

THE KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY

Synopsis: A gang of ragamuffin working class New Yorkers band together and decide to, what else, rob Mick Jagger.

What Worked: Of all the canceled sitcoms from the 2006-2007 season, this one stings the most. From David Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company, this was a truly off-the-wall, completely insane non-laugh track comedy (man, there are a lot of those in this series) that was so sure of itself it was intimidating to aspiring comedy writers (yo). No show this year made me laugh like an idiot more, while concurrently having me stare at it in utter disbelief, that the producers/writers thought that the HBO level of wit this show possessed was ever going to catch on at ABC. Pop culture references, Jew jokes, and a hot illegal immigrant Latina (the lovely Sofia Vergara) who mispronounced English words in ways that didn't even make sense all added up into this weird comic clusterfuck.

With the most various ensemble on a network sitcom, it included VH1 mainstay Donal Logue, comedian Maz Jobrani and the extremely talented and very ubiquitous (second time I've used that word this week!) Kevin Michael Richardson. Richardson specifically created Rockefeller Butts, probably the funniest character on television after Neil Patrick Harris' Barney on "How I Met Your Mother," by relying on very subtle and sardonic timing, along with the deepest voice this side of Barry White. He made the show his bitch. Seriously, all the episodes are on ABC.com. There's only a dozen, so it's worth your time.

The show garnered most of its laughs from the incredibly ill-advised ways they planned to invade said Rolling Stones lead singer's fortress of a New York apartment, which at one point involved Richardson taking on the persona of Reginald Van Hoogstraten to get a job as Jagger's bodyguard. If that name doesn't make you laugh, this might not have been the show for you.

"The Knights of Prosperity" also had the best theme song of the year. Seriously, go to ABC.com. The flash player for their episodes is the best of the Big Four. You owe it to yourself to at least check it out.

What Didn't Work: After about eight episodes, the writers seemed to run out of steam, and the Mick Jagger theft idea kind of fell apart. After a combination of a botched robbery, being stuck in Jagger's panic room and the presence of South American mob lord Bobby Cannavale, they decided to no longer rob him. They instead set their sights on Kelly Ripa, at least until Logue's character fell in love with her, and they decided instead to rob Ray Romano. And then the show ended. Huh?

Why Not Enough People Watched: Again, a bizarre premise, witty jokes and no laugh track equals no interest. I don't like to say that the American public is stupid when it comes to watching television, but for every great show that succeeds ("The Office," "Heroes"), dozens of original programs just don't get the attention they deserve.

Seriously, though, Worldwide Pants only had one hit on their hands. It just happened to last nine years, and involved some guy called Raymond. Their other major show, "Ed," was never a runaway success, and lasted four years more for its loyal but small audience instead of real network wish fulfillment.

Overall Series: 9 (out of 10)

Final 2006-2007 Neilsen Rating: #117 (5 million viewers)

Fun Fact: It's no secret, but the original title of the show was "Let's Rob Mick Jagger," which was shortened to "Let's Rob...," until the suits decided that both titles wasn't to their liking, and chose the interesting but forgettable current title.