When in doubt, go with what works.

Aaron Sorkin’s admirable failure “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” proved too insider for many in the flyover states. So NBC returns to the focus of many network shows: crime.

That’s really an oversimplification when discussing “The Black Donnellys.” This new series from Oscar winner Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco is first and foremost a family drama. The family business just happens to be crime, which propels the action.

The focus of “The Black Donnellys” is Tommy Donnelly (played by Jonathan Tucker), the oldest of four Black Irish brothers living in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen.

Tommy Donnelly wants to stay on the straight and narrow. He’s taking art classes and pining for Jenny Reilly (Olivia Wilde), the girl next door.

But family comes first, and Tommy feels he must look out for his three wayward brothers – junkie Jimmy (Thomas Guiry), gambler Kevin (Billy Lush) and womanizer Sean (Michael Stahl-David) – by whatever means necessary.

His violent actions result in a conflagration in an already volatile area, shattering the uneasy peace between the Irish mob and the Italian Mafia. And the Black Donnellys, especially Tommy, end up stuck in the middle.

The series is wittily narrated by Joey Ice Cream (Keith Nobbs), a family hanger-on who is imprisoned and spilling his guts to anyone who will listen.

Unlike “Studio 60,” “The Black Donnellys” has a concept that anyone can identify with, as nearly every family has a screw-up or two who make life miserable for those around them.

But crime only works on TV when it’s packaged inside a procedural. Good still must triumph in the end. As proof, in the past year, “Thief,” “Heist” and “Smith,” all of which centered on criminals, have all gone down in flames.

Don’t expect “The Black Donnellys” to make much headway against the powerful “CSI: Miami.” But its powerful, intriguing storyline should spell the end of the soapy “What About Brian?” So maybe there’s room for a black sheep on Monday night.