ABC Tables 'Knights'

[Brian Damage]

ABC has bounced its comedy "The Knights of Prosperity" from its fall schedule, but as the network and the show's creators see it, that may be a good thing.

The series, about a group of shlubs (and one hot woman, played by Sofia Vergara) who decide to rob Mick Jagger's swanky New York apartment, had been scheduled to debut Tuesday, Oct. 17, following "Dancing with the Stars." Now, though, a midseason premiere looks more likely.

Jagger filmed a couple of scenes for the pilot (in fact, the show was once titled "Let's Rob Mick Jagger") last spring but hasn't done anything since, sparking rumors that the Rolling Stones singer was distancing himself from the show. Creators Jon Beckerman and Rob Burnett have always insisted, though, that the series' focus was the group of ragtag thieves, led by Donal Logue ("Grounded for Life"). Kevin Michael Richardson ("Like Family"), Maz Jobrani ("Life on a Stick" and Lenny Venito ("The Sopranos") also star.

The delay should also let ABC give "Knights" a bigger promotional push. The network has spent big bucks pumping some of its other fall shows -- particularly "Ugly Betty" and "The Nine" -- and given the typically tough sell for new comedies, "The Knights of Prosperity" could well have been lost in the shuffle.

"ABC had other priorities going into the fall," Burnett tells the Los Angeles Times. "We could not be happier about this decision."

As a result of the "Knights" decision, the Tuesday edition of "Dancing with the Stars" will continue running for 90 minutes through at least Oct. 24. The network hasn't made a decision on what to do the 9 to 9:30 p.m. spot after that.