So far, the early 2006 TV season has been the winter of discontent for beautiful women. In January, the Heather Graham comedy “Emily’s Reasons Why Not” was yanked after only one episode. Now, it’s Rebecca Romijn’s turn to be punished for being so lethally gorgeous.

“Pepper Dennis” (8 p.m., WB) is a thoroughly unoriginal, largely laugh-free and utterly forgettable new hour-long comedy airing on a network that will soon cease to exist. Ouch.

Romijn plays the title character, a TV correspondent who wants to be an anchor. She’s so eager to break a big story that she’ll even dress as a hooker to infiltrate a posh men’s club doubling as a house of prostitution. She walks around her office in low-cut blouses and throws herself at a rival newsman who may or may not be carrying on a thing with a dim bulb aspiring to be the network’s lottery announcer.

For the record, “Pepper” is the zillionth recent comedy to be set in Chicago, or at least Hollywood’s approximation of the Windy City. And, while we’re keeping score, it’s the second new comedy (“Teachers” being the first) in as many weeks to depict a Latina co-worker as oversexed and underdressed.

Comedy and really beautiful performers rarely mix. Ditto for stunning women playing journalists. Candice Bergen’s “Murphy Brown” was the exception that proved these rules, and her character had to be saddled with addictions and a miserable love life to earn our sympathy. Brooke Shields had to share her sitcom with Judd Nelson. How’s that for penance? But “Pepper Dennis” can’t even be mentioned in the same breath with “Suddenly Susan.” It’s closer to Shields’ earlier comic effort, “Brenda Starr.”

l The new documentary series “King of Cars” (9 p.m., A&E) follows Chop, the colorful car dealer at the center of a Las Vegas car dealership. Chop combines elements of fire-breathing preacher, hip-hip artist and football coach to inspire his salesmen. Chop has turned his dealership into a local cult sensation, a combination of a revival meeting and a county fair. In the first episode, we follow a new dealer with a flair for sealing the deal, as well as a veteran who has been on a bit of a losing streak and who fears losing his place in Chop’s shop. The customers appear to be dazzled and manipulated by the showbiz atmosphere. They end up blowing their budget on a new car, but they agree that Chop has turned their car-buying experience into a memorable day.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ A missing Marine’s corpse is found in a frozen lake on “NCIS” (7 p.m., CBS).

¢ The top nine sing country songs on “American Idol” (7 p.m., Fox).

¢ Lorelai stews about Luke’s trip with his daughter on “Gilmore Girls” (7 p.m., WB).

¢ A foreign government balks at an illegal operation on “The Unit” (8 p.m., CBS)

¢ On back-to-back episodes of “Scrubs” (NBC), stage fright (7:30 p.m.), Turk wants a time-out (8 p.m.).

¢ A transplant recipient suffers from a mystery allergy on “House” (8 p.m., Fox).

¢ Lou Diamond Phillips guest stars on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m., NBC).

¢ Denny Crane opens fire on “Boston Legal” (9 p.m., ABC).