"Melissa & Joey" Has Promising Start, Thanks to Two Child Star Leads

NEW YORK (CBS) Veteran sitcom stars Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence reunited on the small screen Tuesday night for the premiere of "Melissa & Joey."

The new ABC family sitcom follows the basic situation comedy format and stars Hart as Mel, a local politician who is left to take care of her nephew and niece after her sister and brother-in-law end up in federal prison. Lawrence plays Joey, a former commodities trader who is now homeless due to a botched investment deal led by Mel's brother-in-law.

In the pilot episode, Joey inserts himself into Mel's life after meeting her at a press conference. Desperate for a place to live, he shows up at her door and in no time volunteers to be Mel's live-in nanny.

Hart and Lawrence share chemistry on screen, which is no surprise since this is the second time the two have worked together.  In 2009, the duo worked on the ABC family original movie "My Fake Fiance," which earned them more than 3 million views.

With their sitcom background, the two manage to bring a modern take on the classic family comedy.  Hart is best known for her roles in  "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" and "Clarissa Explains it All," while Lawrence is widely remembered as Joey in "Blossom."

"Melissa & Joey" airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET at ABC Family.