HBO's newest half-hour comedy, "How To Make It In America," could be considered an East Coast version of "Entourage." Like "Entourage," it is produced by Mark Wahlberg and centers on a dude trying to make it while hanging out with his semi-delinquent friends.

But there are big differences as well. Instead of an acting superstar in glitzy Hollywood, "How To Make It In America" centers on a complete nobody named Ben trying to use spare change and shady loans to make blue jeans. Instead of bagging ladies left and right like Vince in "Entourage," Ben is still hung up on his ex-girlfriend who has already moved on to another guy.

If that sounds a little sad sack, it is completely by design. The characters in "How To Make It In America" aren't the hot new "it" people on the scene. They are, like 95 percent of everyone else in New York, just trying to find a way to get by.

The odd thing about the show is that, it's really not all that funny. Luis Guzman adds some well-earned chuckles as a goofy loan shark, but it's not for the most part a "laugh out loud" comedy.

Yet, after watching the first few episodes, I did find myself somewhat invested in the characters. I want them to succeed, I suppose, because unlike the escapist glamor of "Entourage," there is a definite sense of reliability to this program.

Ben's a good guy with really bad follow-through and his best friend and partner Cam is a straight-up hustler who will beg, borrow and steal to get what he needs.

But in New York, the hustlers often end up getting hustled, meaning the road to the top will not be an easy one for them. So Ben and Cam are going to have to work hard and catch some lucky breaks if they ever want to earn their own entourage.