Royal Pains is Surprisingly Painless

I wanted to hate "Royal Pains" on USA network, which debuted Thursday after "Burn Notice." Based on the previews and the USA's track record I thought the show was simply "Burn Notice," USA's pride and joy, all wrapped up in new packaging.
If you think about it, it really makes sense. "Burn Notice" is a guy kicked out of his old profession who is using his old skills to do good in an nontraditional manner. He's got a hot friend and he's got a comic relief friend.

Now for "Royal Pains" you've got Dr. Hank, played by Mark Feuerstein (The West Wing and Good Morning Miami), serving as your dislocated star who is trying to find his bearings and while doing that is using his skills to help the beleaguered victims of the Hamptons. Yes, on this show you're supposed to feel sorry for the super rich, who just can't go to the local hospital because it's a death trap, and therefore need the help of a concierge doctor.
Dr. Hank also has arm candy, in the form of his super aggressive assistant Divya (Reshma Shetty). The comic relief is Hank's brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo from "joey" and "Road trip").

In comparison to their "Burn" counterparts I find Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), Michael Westen's beau on "Burn," to be more compelling than Divya. Maybe not as hot, but definitely providing an emotional depth that is lacking in Divya's character, which can be explained by the fact that Divya is not Dr. Hank's love interest, and more of a two dimensional character that sort of falls more under comic relief.
In that case, Dr. Hank's love interest is far less compelling than Fiona, but mostly because Feuerstein's Hank is a terrible flirt and really kills any scene he's in when he's trying to be charming.

The redeeming star of the show is Costanzo's Evan, who made the show entirely watchable for me. His one liners in the premiere should make him a candidate for a role in a Will Ferrell or Judd Apatow movie. He blows his "Burn" counterpart, Bruce Campbell's Sam, out of the water. That's a noteworthy feat since Sam is a huge facet of "Burn's" success.

All in all, Evan kept me laughing long enough to gloss over the flaws in the show, like the fact that it is basically a watered down version of "House" and "Burn Notice." It seems he'll have a medical mystery every week, while dealing with the underlining themes of a failing healthcare system and Dr. Hank trying to get his job back. All of which seems pretty boring and unwatchable, aside from the occasional laughs from Evan.

BUT, the saving grace of the show could be if it approaches each week with the mindset of "Psych" or most episodes of "Monk." These other USA hits rarely take themselves too seriously, and it's part of the reason why they work. You just sit back and enjoy the show for what it is, nothing more and nothing less. That's in comparison to "In Plain Sight" and a majority of "Burn Notice" episodes, which take themselves far too seriously and make me want to gag.

If Pains just treats itself like the light, fluffy, enjoyable show that it's yearning to be, and not a think piece with a heart, then I will continue to turn in and you should too.