If you don't count Fox's fall series that debuted in June -- most of which look as though they will be canceled by fall -- The WB's "Blue Collar TV," premiering at 8 tonight on Pittsburgh's WCWB, is the first fall show on the air.

At first glance, "Blue Collar" seems like an odd fit for The WB, known primarily for its female-skewing teen-angst dramas. Why would the network order a sketch comedy starring Jeff "You might be a redneck if ..." Foxworthy? Probably because some of its strongest stations are in the South and because it's the home of "Reba" and because The WB is clearly looking to broaden its reach beyond teens. The network proudly touts the success of the Blue Collar Comedy tour, which spawned a DVD that has sold 2.5 million copies.

"Even though I am from Atlanta, I've found after 20 years being on the road, when you get 15 minutes outside of every city, people are the same," Foxworthy said at a press conference this month. "It's not a Southern thing."

Maybe, but it's not a suburban thing, either.

Tonight's premiere, starring Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall, made me smile on occasion, but I didn't bust a gut laughing. A skit with the three guys as children sitting in the backseat of a car is probably the premiere's best moment, but it also relies on humor that's not just blue-collar, but also a little blue. And gross.

Then again, the funny bone is a finely tuned instrument, especially when you get off the beaten comedy path. I loved the weird Will Ferrell humor of the movie "Anchorman," but it doesn't appeal to everyone's taste. The same is probably true of "Blue Collar TV." It's not my kind of comedy, but that's not to say some viewers won't yuk it up over a sketch about putting gravy on everything edible.

Spouse swap shows

Fox rolled out the reality show "Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy" (8 p.m. Tuesdays) last week in an effort to blunt ABC's similar fall series, "Wife Swap." ABC's program, based on a British series, actually existed first, and "Trading Spouses" is a rush job imitation that pales in comparison.

Where "Wife Swap" efficiently tells the stories of two moms who trade families in one hour, "Trading Spouses" drags its story out over two one-hour episodes.

"Trading Spouses" uses a hammer to get across the idea of how different the two moms are; "Wife Swap" is a little more subtle and in the episode made available for review draws more sociological comparisons along class lines. In "Trading Spouses," the rich mom was simply a spoiled witch.

Catching up

I go away for a month and there's a shakeup in morning TV that could have an impact on the ratings as local stations jockey for the lead position.

Channel 11, which has been the front-runner in recent ratings periods, could see its lead diminish with the departure of morning meteorologist Julie Bologna, who's bound for Dallas next month for a morning weather gig at the CBS-owned and -operated station there.

"I wouldn't venture a guess on exactly what to expect in morning ratings," said WPXI news director Pat Maday. "But I think we've got a pretty strong team in place."

Former WPGH meteorologist Matt Morano, who did some fill-in work for the past year on Channel 11, is moving to Charlotte, N.C., today. Earlier this week he said WPXI had not contacted him about staying on. That's not surprising. Bologna has been looking to move, and her departure came as no shock to WPXI executives. Don't be surprised if Channel 11 hires another young woman.

Channel 4, the onetime morning leader that has slumped in the past year, has its own hole to fill with the upcoming departure of Ellen Gamble, whose last day on the air is tomorrow. She's leaving to oversee fund raising and public relations at the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.

"I have had an amazing 6¹*₂ years here at WTAE-TV, and there are so many talented, wonderful people I will miss very much," Gamble said earlier this month. "However, I have been a longtime volunteer for the Women's Center & Shelter, and I could not pass up the tremendous opportunity to become a part of the outstanding staff who works there."

Given the changes at WPXI and WTAE, that leaves KDKA's growing morning news in the enviable position of the newscast with the most stability. KDKA news director Al Blinke said Bologna was pursued by KTVT in Dallas and KYW in Philadelphia, both CBS-owned and -operated stations.

"I'm not gonna tell you we didn't encourage them," Blinke said. It's common for a news director to talk up an anchor, reporter or producer at a rival station in an effort to get that person out of town to better his or her own station's odds.

"They asked me what I thought of her, and I said, I like Julie," Blinke said. "She's bright and up and when you turn on the TV, you like to watch her."

Whether these changes will have any noticeable impact on the morning news ratings probably won't be clear until after the November sweeps period.

One last catching up item: WTAE weekend anchor Shiba Russell gave birth to a girl, Kadence Jewel, on July 8.

TV Q& A

This week's online-only TV Q& A addresses questions regarding "Beauty and the Beast," "24" and the writing on local newscasts. I also rant a little at paranoid TV viewers who see conspiracies everywhere. You can read the Q&A at www.post-gazette.com/tv.