HBO SERIES LOBBYING FOR VIEWERS' VOTE.

Byline: David Kronke Television Critic

`K STREET,'' HBO's new series from Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney, is nervy by any measure. A fictionalized - but just barely - drama about a Washington lobbying firm populated with real politicians and featuring James Carville and Mary Matalin playing versions of themselves, the show is tacked together - conceptualized, shot and edited - in a single week.

That's asking a lot, even of an auteur like Soderbergh. And last Sunday's premiere - which suggested Carville fed Vermont governor Howard Dean his best line in the Sept. 9 Democratic presidential candidate debate - was an uneven affair.

Its extemporaneous nature was too evident, as nearly every performer besides Carville stammered through virtually every line reading. (The fictitious cast includes John Slattery as Tommy and Mary McCormack as Maggie.) The episode also felt patched together from available material, with extraneous stuff subbing in for seemingly missing significant story points.

K STREET - Two and one half stars

What: Series about Washington lobbyists exploring timely issues shot and edited on the fly.

Where: HBO.

When: 10 tonight.

In a nutshell: James Carville may be a star in the making, but the first episode felt unfocused.