• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, December 11, 2007

The struggling MyNetworkTV is looking for a little ratings magic from the Harlem Globetrotters. The second-year network will air a one-hour special next month celebrating the team known for its wizardry on the court.

Produced by A. Smith & Co., the quasi-documentary carries the title "Magic As Ever"--the same as the Globetrotters 2008 world tour--and is scheduled for Jan. 30, a source said.

Also coming to MNTV next month is new series "Street Patrol" from "Cops" producers Langley Productions. The "Cops"-style cinema-verite production also follows real-life officers in action--with two half-hour episodes scheduled to run back-to-back on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. The show premieres Jan. 8. "Jail," another Langley production, has been MNTV's highest-rated series this fall, and will follow at 9, also with two half-hour runs.

An MNTV representative did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

"Street Patrol" gives Langley Productions three hours a week in prime time on News Corp.-owned networks, headlined by "Cops" on Fox--now in its 20th season with more than 700 episodes--along with the two MNTV series.

Although top News Corp. executive Peter Chernin has said that turning the network around is a priority, the 2-year-old MNTV reports middling ratings--with an average of just 480,000 viewers in the 18-to-49 demo watching "live" this season. Viewership in the target demo, however, is up 17% compared to a year ago, when the network limped out of the gate with an all-telenovela lineup.

The Globetrotters special marks a return for the team to network TV. It last appeared on ABC's "Wide World of Sports" in 1994. The show will feature footage shot when the team plays the Washington Generals, the opposition it famously defeated handily for decades. Lately, the Globetrotters have conquered the New York Nationals with ease.

The Globetrotters organization hired A. Smith this summer to give the 80-plus-year-old brand new energy by developing a variety of programming, including a possible reality series. A. Smith has worked with MNTV on its International Fight League mixed martial arts series, and produced Fox hits "Hell's Kitchen" and "Skating with Celebrities."

In addition to footage of the Globetrotters vs. Generals, the MNTV special will offer a retrospective celebrating the famed team with interviews with past stars, such as Curly Neal (who played for the team from 1963 to 1985 and was famous for his dribbling)--and "Sweet" Lou Dunbar. Current players with nicknames such as "Special K" and "Showtime" will also be featured.

The show will also chronicle some of the famous moments in team history. The Globetrotters, founded in 1926, have played in 188 countries and are well-known for their "Sweet Georgia Brown" theme song. Even Wilt Chamberlain played for them.

Besides Neal's dribbling, other highlights have included their ability to make shots from well beyond half-court and playing crowd-pleasing pranks on the opposition.

The team is 80%-owned by an arm of Shamrock Holdings, chaired by Walt Disney's nephew Roy Disney. The group is well-known for working to force Michael Eisner out as Disney CEO.