In recent days many cable networks have tried to "reinvent" themselves, reemerging with new graphics, new programming schedules and modified, if not more than a little familiar, philosophies concerning programming. Networks that have undergone this sort of transformation in recent days include ABC Family (formerly FOX Family and before that The Family Channel), American Movie Classics (AMC), CNN's Headline News and TNN (formerly The Nashville Network but now known as The National Network).

Many times part of this "reinvention" process results in a smattering of original programs that are typically low-budget productions and often overlooked; but many run for years at a time because of their relatively small price tags.

In large part these programs are unwatchable. Take, for example, Son of the Beach on FX, with its hokey plots and B- and C-list celebrities. Another such program that's just plain bad is The Anna Nicole Show on E!, despite its seeming omnipresence in the entertainment world.

Even with all of these bad programs pocking the schedule, every now and then a network hits the nail on the head, creating a program that is fun to watch and inexpensive to produce.

One of the more entertaining entries is TNN's new game show Oblivious. Described as a combination of Candid Camera and Street Smarts, the show features host Regan Burns, who disguises himself in various situations and asks unsuspecting contestants questions hidden in innocent small talk. Once time is up, he reveals himself, explains that they've been playing for money and pays the unassuming contestant in cash for the questions she got right.

I've never been a big fan of hidden camera style shows. Call me crazy, but I just never thought the pranks pulled on Candid Camera were that funny to begin with. How in the world is it funny to watch an elementary school child react in horror when a poorly costumed Allen Funt tells them that his parents are dead, only to have the child's mother or father waiting right outside the room?

Regardless of my former disdain for this particular type of program, TNN's Oblivious gets it right. TNN, never an especially notable network, managed to grab significant attention with Oblivious.

Its premiere, which aired on August 18, had the highest ratings for any premiere ever on TNN; sneak previews of the show (essentially the same episode but re-aired on other networks) scored similarly impressive numbers.

Burns is hysterically funny, but not in a "look at me, I'm on TV now" sort of way that many cable personalities seem to acquire. Bob Saget in his America's Funniest Home Videos days was guilty of this exact syndrome ­ he tried way too hard to be funny, with painful results.

Although Burns has never hosted a program before, his list of television credits is impressive. He has appeared in over 60 commercials, and has had recurring roles on Titus (FOX), The Ellen Show (CBS), Once and Again (ABC) and Mind of the Married Man (HBO), among others. Given his excellent comedic timing and the sheer goofiness of his various "characters," TNN has found a fantastic host in a genuinely entertaining program that, with any luck, will remain on the air for several seasons to come.