First The Nine, now Eyes; could 2000’s The Fugitive be far behind? “Oh my God, wouldn’t that be hilarious,” laughs Tim Daly. “Have this whole career of my failed TV series on DirecTV.” Hey, there are channels devoted to fishing and skiing, so why not Tim Daly’s failed shows, especially considering they were pretty damn good. Daly spoke to TV Guide Magazine about DirecTV reviving two of his cancelled-too-soon series on their “The 101” network, along with the success of his current show, ABC’s Private Practice, which returns for Season 3 on October 1.

September 15 marks the return of Eyes, a smart, fun and funny detective series that in 2005 ABC pulled after only five episodes. What a bummer!
You were upset? Imagine how upset I was. [Laughs] I loved that show and there’s always a place in my heart for it. I was really sorry it didn’t make it.

Do you think it would have been a different story if it had aired on a cable channel like TNT or USA?
You never know about those kinds of things, but maybe. TNT is doing a show with Tim Hutton, which seems inspired by Eyes.

What was your reaction when you found out DirecTV was going to air all 12 Eyes episodes [watch for unaired episodes beginning October 20]?
I thought it was fantastic! It’s funny because this is the second [pauses and laughs]—I don’t know if I should say this, but it’s the second failed series of mine to run on DirecTV this summer. The Nine and now Eyes, and both those shows I thought were real wonderful and for whatever reasons didn’t make it. It’s weird; you never really know what might have happened if things were just a little bit different—if Eyes was on a different night, or if it was given more of a chance. A lot of people love that show and I’m glad they are able to get a chance to see those [unaired] episodes with no commercials.

And for people who didn’t catch Eyes the first time around, what were they missing?
Harlan Judd, the guy that I play, was so wonderfully irreverent and amoral—he’s accidentally ethical. The one thing he hated more than anything was to try to be politically correct or do the right thing, but a lot of times he accidentally ended up doing it, because he had some innate sense of justice. He was a great character and it was a fun show.

Tell us about landing the role…
It was really funny, because John McNamara, who created the show, had worked with me on The Fugitive and we became really good friends. We were talking and I asked him what he was up to and he said he created Eyes, [but] I was totally not right for it. Then my manager sent me the script and I went in to talk with John and told him, “You don’t understand this, but you actually wrote this part for me.” He had forgotten, because I did The Fugitive, that I’m much more of a wiseass in my natural state. When we got around to meeting about this part, he had this realization that I was a lot closer to Harlan Judd than I was to playing [The Fugitive’s] Richard Kimble.

So, what’s it like having a drama on ABC that actually has stuck around for more than half a season?
It’s great! I’ve been around long enough to know that things can change so quickly. I really try not to get too excited about anything, because I know that it can all vanish at a moment’s notice. But, particularly now, it’s really good to have a job. I’ve been really thankful to ABC for, year after year, having something for me to do. It’s great…I’m glad to be employed.

Private Practice returns for Season 3 on October 1, picking up about 20 minutes after the April cliffhanger, which ended with Violet’s life in the balance after a non-elective C-section performed by a crazed patient…
I can tell you, because Amy Brenneman is at work today, that Violet survives. [Laughs] What else can I tell you? The repercussions of this horrible thing that happens to her run through everybody at Oceanside Wellness.

Can you give us a tease as to what’s coming up for Pete?
They wrote some great stuff for me in the first episode and I had a good and challenging time working on it. His relationship with Violet is explored pretty deeply and there are a lot of twists and turns there. I get one of [creator] Shonda Rimes’ really great speeches, so that’s exciting. Pete’s in for some big, big changes, that, of course, I can’t tell you without getting in trouble.

And are we going to find out who is the father of Violet’s baby?
Oh, yeah—we find out. I can’t tell you, except that it’s either Pete or Sheldon. It’s not Sam, it’s not Cooper, it’s not accidental insemination.

Is there still a chance that Pete could end up with Addison?
Well, I hope so. When we started that seemed to be the direction it was all going. I think Kate [Walsh] and I have a really great chemistry. The thing about TV romances is that they are best played out over a really long period of time, so as long as we stay on the air, I think there’s a chance we’ll get around to that. I think the audience would love to see us together. I still have a lot of people coming up to me, saying, “What about you and Addison—when is that going to happen?” So, I think it might.

Out of all the characters you have played, is there a favorite?
It has to be Harlan Judd! I’m sorry about having to say goodbye to him, because I thought I could have done some really fantastic stuff over time with that character.

How difficult is it to say goodbye to a character you’re really into?
It blows! The good news about it is that I got to spend some time doing them. I didn’t really become an actor to play one character for the rest of my days, so it’s good that I have gotten other work that’s interesting. The bad news is, particularly with someone like Harlan Judd, is that I think I could have done a lot with that character over a longer period of time. It’s sad to say goodbye, but luckily there are other characters that I’ve been able to say hello to.

What are you watching?
I will admit to a guilty pleasure: I like watching American Idol. Not at the beginning, but when the people start getting really good—I like that! I don’t like watching when people are embarrassing themselves—that just makes me cringe.

Got an opinion on Ellen DeGeneres as the fourth judge?
I think it’s a disaster. I think you need street cred to be a judge. Has Ellen DeGeneres ever cut an album? Ellen’s great, but I don’t quite understand it. I’m not going to get upset…I always disagree with the judges anyway.

Final question: For all those Wings fans out there—is there ever going to be a reunion?
People ask me that all the time, and I think the answer is no. Wings is one of those weird shows that when it was on the air, it didn’t get any attention at all. And since it started rerunning on USA, this huge audience has found it. But I don’t think it has the hip-ness factor that’s necessary to have a reunion. If they do, I’ll consider carefully whether it would be a wise decision. [Laughs]

Fun Eyes fact: Kate Walsh appears in Episode No. 3, Wings, which airs on DirecTV’s “The 101” on September 29 at 10/9c, as Harlan Judd’s ex. Here’s a sneak peek at that “really great chemistry” they share: