‘Less Than Perfect’ worth a look ABC comedy lives up to name, but better than Tuesday night alternatives

ABC’s Tuesday night is packed with new comedies. The best of the lot premieres tonight, improving on inferior efforts by John Ritter and Bonnie Hunt.

“Less Than Perfect,” debuting at 9:30, is yet another TV workplace comedy (don’t TV executives realize that few people in the flyover states can relate to that setting?). But this series has a secret weapon in Sarah Rue.

Rue (“Popular”) is that rare creature, a TV star who’s not a size 0. Rue takes over the screen as perky but insecure Claude Casey, a temp at the GBN Television Network who unexpectedly lands a job as the assistant to news anchor Will Butler (Eric Roberts, his movie career a memory).

This move concerns two groups of people. First is her friends from the fourth floor, accountant Ramona (Sherri Shepherd, “Emeril”) and supply coordinator Owen (Andy Dick, “Newsradio”), who are afraid Claude will be hurt by the snobs upstairs.

The snobs upstairs are Kipp (Zachary Levi), the power-hungry producer’s assistant, and Lydia (Andrea Parker, “The Pretender”), a former conquest of Butler’s who lusts after Claude’s position. They treat Claude and her friends like lower life forms.

There’s nothing terribly original about “Less Than Popular,” created by Terri Minsky (“Sex and the City”). Like “Newsradio” and the exemplar of the genre, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” it’s just very well-executed by Rue and a talented cast.

Comedy fans should give “Less Than Perfect” a look, as it’s already better than the other comedy in its time slot, the hit-or-miss “Just Shoot Me” on NBC. Who knows? Maybe Claude will make it after all.