Now is the time for fans of "The Guardian" to stop holding a grudge.

	'Clubhouse' When: 8 tonight and 9 p.m. Tuesdays on CBS. Starring: Dean Cain, Christopher Lloyd, Jeremy Sumpter.

Back in May when CBS canceled that show, I heard from many upset viewers who incorrectly blamed the cancellation on "Clubhouse," the new family drama that will take the place of "The Guardian" at 9 p.m. Tuesdays after its premiere airs tonight at 8.

To be sure, "Clubhouse" is not a challenging show; it doesn't have shades of gray or the depth of "The Guardian." But "Clubhouse," despite some missteps in its overheated premiere, has the potential to be an enjoyable series. It's also the anti-"Guardian." "Clubhouse" is a warm and fuzzy show (some will call it saccharine), whereas "The Guardian" was more chilly. In prime time, there is room for both types of programs.

Sixteen-year-old Pete Young (Jeremy Sumpter) lands his dream job as batboy for the fictional New York Empires professional baseball team, but he keeps the job a secret from his over-protective mother, Lynne (Mare Winningham). Or at least he tries to.

Part of Pete's love of baseball stems from memories of his going to games with his deadbeat dad, who's been out of the picture for years. His older sister, Betsy (Kirsten Storms), acts out by rebelling, which just makes Lynne cleave more closely to Pete.

At his Catholic school, Pete's best friend Mike (Dan Byrd) schemes to play Pete's new job to his best social advantage. In the Empire clubhouse, Pete is at the mercy of Jose Marquez (JD Pardo), the team's unnecessarily mean head batboy. But Pete has a father figure in gruff equipment manager Lou (Christopher Lloyd) and a supporter in star third baseman Conrad Dean (Dean Cain).

Sports-themed dramas generally flop in prime time, and even with sports as a mere backdrop for the character drama at the heart of "Clubhouse," the show may be a tough sell to viewers who appear to have an endless appetite for reality shows and crime dramas.

Watching the pilot also requires one to suspend their disbelief as Pete gets into one scrape after another and ultimately winds up a pariah among Empire players and fans. Along the way he learns a Valuable Lesson about the courage to tell the truth, and he gets to kiss a cute girl (Leah Pipes).

That "Clubhouse" works at all is testimony to the likability of its star. Sumpter, 15, starred in the 2003 live-action "Peter Pan" movie. He is that rare young actor who looks like a real kid, not a prepackaged teen heartthrob. Unlike stars of The WB's teen dramas, Sumpter is actually playing older, as Pete is 16. That Sumpter has a little bit of a lisp makes him all the more real. But he almost didn't get the part.

At a July CBS press conference in Los Angeles, executive producer Daniel Cerone said Sumpter was a last-minute candidate for the lead role after producers had no luck with other potential Petes. On top of that, Sumpter tanked the audition.

"He was so charming and so winning in blowing the audition that you just had to give it to him," Cerone said, adding that Sumpter changed the direction of the pilot. Cerone said his original script for the pilot had too much "Dawson's Creek"-like, self-reflexive dialogue. "Jeremy comes in and he tries to read [the lines], and I'm like, 'No, no, no, no, no.' He keeps us honest, and it was one of the greatest things for the show. ... He is Pete Young in every way, shape and form. He just is."

The return of Lloyd to TV also adds to the "Clubhouse" charm. His crusty Lou is probably closer to his Doc Brown "Back to the Future" character than crazy Rev. Jim Ignatowski on "Taxi," the best-known TV character on his resume.

Winningham, always skilled at playing emotive characters, introduces Lynne as a believably clingy and concerned mom, which is how the character is written. One hopes she'll become less annoyingly whiney in future episodes.

During a CBS party at Dodger Stadium in July, executive producer Ken Topolsky ("Party of Five," "The Wonder Years") said "Clubhouse" is not a show about baseball.

"It's watching Pete Young coming of age in a world of boy-men or men-boys, and at the same time balancing other aspects of his home life," Topolsky said. "In addition, you have the story of his mother and sister, and the mother is trying to do the best she can for the family in a world where doing the best she can for her family becomes harder and harder."

He thinks despite the baseball theme, "Clubhouse" will connect with non-baseball fans.

"We look to televisions to tell our stories," Topolsky said. "The characters exist before us and go on after us, and the reason we love them and respond to them is because they become very, very real. If you make a show real and the characters aren't contrived, the audiences will relate no matter what they do for a living."