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For the first time since "Star Trek: The Next Generation" signed off 21 years ago, Patrick Stewart has signed on to star in a television series.

And Walter Blunt, his character in "Blunt Talk" (Saturday, 10 p.m., Starz) could hardly be more different from Captain Jean-Luc Picard. His a drunken, self-indulgent, oversexed, amoral cable television host whose career seems to be nearing an end — until he completely embarrasses himself when caught with a transgender prostitute.

I've seen half the 10-episode first season, and you can't fault Stewart's performance. The problem is the material — to be blunt about "Blunt Talk," it's a comedy nearly devoid of humor. And that's a problem.

It's not just unfunny, it's painfully unfunny. Even Patrick Stewart fans — and I count myself among them — are going to have a hard time with this.