Love Monkey? Yes, I said Love Monkey - CBS's strangely titled new comedy series set to debut on Tuesday, January 17, at 10:00 pm EST, and I was fortunate enough to have an early look.

Love Monkey, based on the best selling book by Kyle Smith, lets us in on the life of Tom Farrell, played by Ed's Tom Cavanagh, a thirty-something A&R Rep working for "True Vinyl Records" in New York City. But life, for Tom, quickly dissolves when he loses his job, and his girlfriend, all in the same day. Now, with the help of his friends, Tom has the unenviable task of negotiating his way through the relationship jungle, in search of love. Not an easy task for someone with no job, especially on the unforgiving streets of New York.

Production of Love Monkey, unlike most new series, is backed by a solid cast that includes Jason Priestly (90210), Christopher Wiehl (Playmakers), Judy Greer (Elizabethtown), and Larenz Tate (Crash), among other talent. They provide a depth, and diversity, that will strengthen this show. And provide the writers with unlimited story lines to draw from. Larenz, alone, adds great value, and credibility, to an already rich group of actors. We, the viewers, can only benefit from such casting choices.

Another asset of this series will be the music. Love Monkey will have performances from such musicians as Ben Folds, Aimee Mann, Robbers on High Street, Eugene, and Teddy Geiger, to name a few, as a part of their regular show. (I also detected Beck in the background in one of the clips I viewed, which also gets thumbs up.) Music is a part of life for Tom Farrell, and it looks like series creator Michael Rauch wants it to be a part of the show. Good move.

Love Monkey looks to be a solid attempt at creating a show with a heart, but one that is smart enough to deliver realistic dialogue, as well as a modern touch to comedies. It tries to stray from the classic, overworked, character molds to deliver the viewer something that is fresh, adult, and funny. This is something television is sadly missing right now.

If the writers are able to harness the talent they have at their disposal, Love Monkey will be able to build an audience, and keep them tuning in each week, to see the tribulations of a single man trying to build a new life from the ashes of his past. From what it looks like, Tom's got a good grip on his branch, but can this Love Monkey hold on long enough until he finds what he really needs? Or will he become another casualty of the singles scene? Tune in and find out for yourself.

In the meantime, we have some clips ( 1 in Quicktime, 1 in Real, 1 in Windows Media; 2 in Quicktime, 2 in Real, 2 in Windows Media; 3 in Quicktime, 3 in Real, 3 in Windows Media) and the official monkey love trailer right here (Quicktime, Real, Windows Media).