Most comedies conclude with a feel-good crescendo and an effervescent romp. The new darkly comic series “The Riches” (9 p.m., FX) starts out with one and proceeds to get more serious and complex and then finally, rather grim and ponderous. It’s a curious dramatic trajectory. But then, “The Riches” is a smart drama-comedy that seems to strive to be more admired than enjoyed.

When first seen, Wayne Malloy (Eddie Izzard) is leading a pack of con artists to a high school reunion where he joyously impersonates a classmate, while his confederates liberate the wallets of the class of 1981. The scene is a hoot.

Then we see that Wayne is the patriarch of a family of Travelers, a gypsy band of vaguely Celtic extraction from Louisiana. They’re on their way to pick up Walter’s wife, Dahlia (Minnie Driver), from prison.

When Dahlia enters the scene, “The Riches” shifts gears and heads toward darker territory. Driver’s performance is impeccable, as is Izzard’s. And it would be unfair to say that Dahlia sucks all the humor out of the show. But it would be true.

A gathering of the Traveler clans reveals that Dahlia is some kind of royalty. But with power comes responsibility. When the clan leader commands that Walter and Dahlia’s daughter marry a dim-witted young man, Walter takes actions that sever his family from the community and send them on the road and into exile from the law and from the Travelers.

Then they come upon two victims of a horrific car crash. They seize their identities and take possession of their house and put “The Riches” on the road to becoming a metaphor-heavy series about con artists passing for suburban citizens “stealing the American dream.”

¢ Written by Nick Pileggi (“Goodfellas” and “Casino”), the cable movie “Kings of South Beach” (7 p.m., A&E) visits “Scarface” by way of “Donnie Brasco” and stars Donnie Wahlberg, Jason Gedrick and Nadine Velazquez in a role that is light years removed from her character on “My Name Is Earl.”

“Kings” concerns nightclub owner Chris Troiano (Gedrick) and his bodyguard pal, Andy (Wahlberg), during the cocaine-fueled Miami Beach scene of the mid-1990s.

The tale of the complicated lives of wise guys and the FBI agents who tail them is familiar to fans of the genre. Unfortunately, “Kings” suffers from plodding pacing. For every moment of action or meaningful dialogue, there seems to be five minutes of monotonous dancing, boat rides, car chases and other padding. “Kings” ultimately seems like a cheap, uninspired imitation of much better movies.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Global warming takes on real horror-show dimensions in the 2004 thriller “The Day After Tomorrow” (6:30 p.m., FX), starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal.

¢ “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (CBS) returns with two new episodes: under the influence (7 p.m.), keeping love in the family (7:30 p.m.).

¢ Howie Mandel hosts a two-hour episode of “Deal or No Deal” (7 p.m., NBC).

¢ A meningitis outbreak on “House” (7 p.m., Fox).

¢ With Jack rather tied up, CTU newcomer Mike Doyle (Rick Schroder) searches for new leads on “24” (8 p.m., Fox).

¢ A day care center in shoddy shape on “Supernanny” (8 p.m., ABC).

¢ Healing hands on “Rules of Engagement” (8:30 p.m., CBS).

¢ The winner of a charity auction is murdered on “CSI: Miami” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ Tommy mulls an unexpected request on “The Black Donnellys” (9 p.m., NBC).

¢ A surprise for Deena’s mother (Meredith Baxter) on “What About Brian” (9 p.m., ABC).

¢ Chris Rock, Sandra Oh and Amy Winehouse appear on “Late Show with David Letterman” (10:35 p.m., CBS).

¢ Jay Leno hosts Mark Wahlberg, Brad Garrett and My Chemical Romance on “The Tonight Show” (10:35 p.m., NBC).