DARKNESS ENGULFS THUGGISH BROTHERS.

Byline: David Kronke

Television Critic

'The Irish have always been victims of negative stereotypes," a character observes early in tonight's premiere of "The Black Donnellys," and then, to make the point, we're treated to a drunken brawl at a wake.

It's a cheeky moment, and "The Black Donnellys," created by Bobby Moresco and Oscar winner Paul Haggis ("Crash"), could use more like it. As it is, the show is pretty dark by broadcast network standards. So, when Moresco says the show is semi-autobiographical, one sincerely hopes the emphasis is on the "semi" part.

The series is a brooding look at the lives of thuggish Irish brothers who watch one another's backs by killing and brutalizing virtually everyone else in New York.

Their exploits are related by Joey Ice Cream (Keith Nobbs), a grating motormouth who proves to be something of an unreliable narrator. In lockup, he tells anyone who'll listen about the Donnellys: Jimmy (Thomas Guiry), a short-tempered junkie; Kevin (Billy Lush), an inept gambler; Sean (Michael Stahl-David), a vain womanizer; and Tommy, (Jonathan Tucker), the conscience of the outfit.

Of course, if Tommy's your conscience, who needs transgression? To defend and steer his brothers -- who rarely think out their copious crimes before committing them, and are far more prone to felonious behavior than abiding by even one or two laws -- Tommy ends up with as much if not more blood on his hands.

Tommy's soulful, it's suggested, because he's an artist with many unrequited loves, particularly Jenny (Olivia Wilde), who doesn't question her husband's fate even though he hasn't contacted her in months (he was, in fact, murdered, and she seems to be the only person who hasn't figured this out).

But "The Black Donnellys" narrative seems determined to unburden Tommy of his soul so that he'll fit in better with the rest of the show's characters.

Through the first five episodes, the story concerns a power grab between the Irish and Italian mobs when both groups' respective leaders are gunned down, as well as, naturally, the hunt to figure out who's responsible. (The brother of one of the slain men interrogates -- by separating them from their toes with an ax -- those he investigates.)

Meanwhile, Tommy's brothers get involved in all sorts of illegal high jinx (they steal a cab to steal booze for a wake), and they usually botch things up.

In a way, "The Black Donnellys" is kind of like "The Knights of Prosperity," about some really inept bad guys, only with a gruesome and escalating body count. There are moments of black comedy, but not nearly enough to leaven the show's overall grim tone nor to lighten its murky visual palate.

At least David Chase made his gangsters on "The Sopranos" somewhat empathetic. Moresco and Haggis have made it sort of hard to root for guys who are this mean and dumb. And boy, do they ladle it on: The show is plenty ambitious and wildly atmospheric, but, through five episodes, I don't think I saw one scene that could be really considered remotely uplifting.

David Kronke, [phone]

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THE BLACK DONNELLYS - Two and one half stars

What: Irish brothers in New York get themselves in lots of trouble.

Where: NBC (Channel 4).

When: 10 tonight.

In a nutshell: Ambitious, atmospheric and grim show about lunkheads.

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Photo:

Billy Lush, left, Thomas Guiry, Michael Stahl-David and Jonathan Tucker are the Donnelly brothers.