'Notes from the Underbelly' Debuts Tonight on ABC

ABC's half-hour comedy 'Notes from the Underbelly' debuts Thursday night on the network.

The new comedy is expected to be yet another of the new wave of smart comedies that includes NBC's 'The Office,' 'Scrubs,' '30 Rock,' and 'My Name is Earl.'

The show will not have a laugh track and will be shot with a single camera intead of the classic three camera sitcom method. As with many other currently hip comedies, the show will also offer narration.  

The show was originally supposed to be the first sitcom scheduled to broadcast at 10 p.m. EDT in 16 years. The last to do it was ABC's brief 1991 lineup that had sitcoms 'Anything But Love,' starring Jamie Lee Curtis, and 'Good & Evil,' starring Terri Garr in the 10 p.m. hour.

Instead, despite debuting tonight with back to back 10 p.m. EDT episodes, the show will move to its permanent slot of 8:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday April 18 following 'According to Jim.'

Stacy Traub, executive producer of 'Underbelly,' is just happy that the show, which is about a young couple starting their foray into parenthood, is finally getting on the air. Traub is a mother of a 2 year old, and has a second child on the way. She finds it easy to see the show as a metaphor.

"It feels oddly like the show has been its own baby that we've been waiting to be born," she said. "In the beginning you're excited about it, then you get to 'I'm pregnant; whatever,' then near the end it's, 'Get this out of me already!' That's how I feel about the show. Let's just get it out there. Maybe it will be a little ugly, maybe not everyone will love it, but it's OK, I love it. And I want the world to see it," Traub said.

The show is based on the Risa Green novel of the same name. The show offers sharp writing and a fresh take on the subject, according to Traub.

"The female lead is allowed to complain about the fact that pregnancy isn't that glamorous and you don't feel glowing every day and you're not happy when your pants don't fit and your husband looks at you a little funny when you get out of the shower," she said.