Larroquette’s ‘Payne’ goes for ‘Fawlty’ flavor

John Larroquette’s new comedy “Payne,” which debuts at 9:30 tonight on CBS, faces an arduous challenge.

Many U.S. sitcoms have been Americanized versions of British shows, “All in the Family” and “Sanford and Son” chief among them. But as executive producer, the Emmy Award-winning Larroquette is trying to create in “Payne” a stateside version of “Fawlty Towers,” one of the best-loved British imports to this country.

Larroquette, a five-time Emmy winner, faces the daunting task of trying to re-create a role that John Cleese perfected the first time. As with the recent cinematic remake of “Psycho,” the first thought that comes to mind is, “Why bother”?

That being said, Larroquette’s Royal Payne is a different character than Cleese’s Basil Fawlty. Royal is less a strident dictator and more of a conniving weasel. The payoff for each episode is how Payne’s latest plan to make more money from his Whispering Pines hotel will blow up in his face.

JoBeth Williams (“The Big Chill”) is the perfect foil as Payne’slong-suffering wife, Connie. Much as Connie Booth did in the BBC show as Mrs. Fawlty, Connie serves as a rock for her eccentric husband.

This new series will air again at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, before settling into its regular time slot at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, starting March 24, pushing “The Nanny” to 8:30 p.m..

“Payne” is no “Fawlty Towers,” but it has its own madcap charms. It’s a nice place to check into and stay for a while.

Also tonight, at 9, there’s a new WB entry in that enduring subgenre of the cop show, the paramedic program.

“Rescue 77,” which replaces ailing soaper “Hyperion Bay,” takes concepts that harken to “Emergency,” but updates them for the new millennium, showing off the new toys and neuroses that just didn’t exist back in the days of John Gage and Roy DeSoto.

The new series follows the daily exploits of the paramedics based in a Los Angeles firehouse. The leads are daredevil Wick Lobo (played by Christian Kane), ladies man Michael Bell (Victor Browne) and tender but talented Kathleen Ryan (Marjorie Monaghan).

“Rescue 77” has gotten down the action-adventure component of the category. In the opener, the trio of protagonists conducts rescues in a potentially explosive building and from a downed airplane on a ledge.

Also, this being the late ’90s, “Rescue 77” must deal with “issues.” The medics feel like the abandoned stepchildren of the fire department. Ryan is just returning from a stress-induced leave of absence, because she cares too much.

Monaghan (“Babylon 5”) makes the most of her role as the steely but sympathetic Ryan. Richard Roundtree (as in “that cat Shaft is one mean mutha (shush yo mouth)”) is a fine addition as determined but caring station chief Captain Durfee. Terence Knox (“Tour of Duty”) is underutilized as a posturing firefighter and foil for the medics.

“Rescue 77” has an authentic feel, as it were created by feature film screenwriter and former firefighter Gregory Widen (“Backdraft”). But that didn’t prevent the premiere from being more than a little predictable.

Up against tough competition (“Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Ally McBeal”), “Rescue 77” doesn’t deserve to be DOA. But it’s hard to say if it will be given time to stabilize.