The usual procedure is for TV producers to emulate (OK, copy) successful programs. For example, “Friends” sparked many, many sitcoms about pretty young professionals gathering in packs. Most just forgot to be funny.

Now creator John Wells (“ER,” “The West Wing”) is taking the opposite approach. His new show, “Smith,” is a robbers’ caper, just like “Thief” and “Heist,” both of which already went down in flames earlier this year.

“Smith” more closely resembles “Thief,” the Andre Braugher series that was on FX this spring. At its heart is the gang’s mastermind, Bobby Stevens (played by Ray Liotta). His wife, Hope (Virginia Madsen), and his two kids thinks he’s a sales rep for a paper-goods company. Instead, on his “business trips,” he and his gang are pulling off high-stakes robberies for his superior, Charlie (Shohreh Aghdashloo). Bobby is looking for a few more big scores, then he’ll retire to a more mundane existence.

Bobby’s gang members are introduced through a series of vignettes: There’s reckless Jeff (Simon Baker), who is responsible for the group’s firepower; Joe (Franky G), who takes care of transportation; recent parolee Tom (Jonny Lee Miller), who got caught on an earlier job; and his sometimes lover Annie (Amy Smart), a showgirl turned master of disguise.

Stalking the team is determined FBI Agent Dodd (Chris Bauer), who has been following their string of robberies for some time. So “Smith,” dubbed for the police codename for the team leader, is about whether Bobby will retire by choice or by force.

The premiere episode is filled with flashbacks; those who like their TV linear need not apply.

Telling the story from the robbers’ point of view is intriguing. Still, up against the grim cops (“Law & Order: SVU”) and the funny lawyers (“Boston Legal”), “Smith” faces a stiff challenge to steal viewers’ attention.