"Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," the new hit TV series that premiered July 15 on the Bravo Network, will make its NBC debut at 9:30 PM ET. The program features five gay men — including recent Zanna, Don't! star Jai Rodriguez — who remake, refine and restyle one appearance challenged straight man each week.

On Bravo, the series airs for an hour Tuesday evenings at 10 PM; the NBC version will be trimmed for a 30-minute spot. About the decision to air the program on NBC, the network's president, Jeff Zucker, said, "After much media attention and a breakout premiere on Bravo, we want to offer this unusual series a bigger platform . . . Our Thursday audience makes a good fit for this special edition." "Queer Eye" will follow another gay themed program, the Emmy-winning "Will & Grace."

On tonight's premiere episode, the five gay men — Rodriguez, culture maven; Kyan Douglas, grooming guru; Ted Allen, food and wine connoisseur; Carson Kressley, fashion savant; and Thom Filicia, design doctor — lend their talents to help refine a long-haired artist named Brian "Butch" Schepel.

"Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" was created by David Collins, who — while visiting a Boston gallery — overhead a woman unfavorably comparing her schlubby husband to three fab-looking gay men. The gay men overheard as well and offered the woman advice for her spouse. Collins told AP, "As I left with my buddy, I jokingly said, 'That was kind of the queer eye for the straight guy.' These guys swooped in there and helped this man out."

* Rodriguez, who played the title role in Zanna, Don't!, is billed as the TV program's culture maven. The actor's other theatre credits include the Broadway company of Rent and Off-Broadway's Spinning Into Butter. His screen credits number "The New Guy" and "All My Children," and his first single is titled "Love Is Good."