‘Heist,’ 10 p.m. NBC ‘The Evidence,’ 10 p.m. ABC

One show premiering tonight appears fresh, while the other seems familiar.

The better of the two is “Heist.” A caper series, it centers on a group of professional thieves who are plotting to simultaneously rob three Beverly Hills jewelry stores during Academy Awards week.

Thanks to the success of “Prison Break,” a similarly structured program, “Heist” was rushed onto the air a few short months after being picked up.

The “Heist” pilot sings, thanks to director Doug Liman (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) and the snappy dialogue of Robb and Mark Cullen, best known for the too quickly gone series “Lucky.”

Viewers are introduced to the gang of robbers, which is headed by Dougray Scott (“Dark Water”) and has such familiar faces as Steve Harris (“The Practice”) and Seymour Cassel (“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”). The cops are commanded by Michele Hicks (“The Shield”), and includes the hostile pairing of Reno Wilson (“Blind Justice”) and Billy Gardell (“Lucky”).

Actually, “Heist” might be a good candidate for taping, as, with a lot of quick cutting and misdirection, it would be helpful to rewind and repeat parts of it.

“The Evidence” is yet another police procedural, starring Rob Estes (“Melrose Place”) and Orlando Jones (“The Replacements”) as a pair of San Francisco detectives who banter like an old married couple.

The slight twist is that all the pieces of evidence are detailed for viewers at the beginning.

How they fit together is unveiled throughout the hour-long show.

“The Evidence” offers little that’s new, other than its setup. It feels much the same as many other cops-and-coroners shows already on the air.

Are either a threat to the more established “CSI:NY” on CBS? If “Heist” keeps up the quality for the rest of its 13-episode run, perhaps. “The Evidence” will just keep the time slot warm for “Invasion,” which is set to return April 19.