If you were a fan of the short-lived serial crime drama The Nine and you happen to have access to satellite network DIRECTV, then you’re in luck. Starting tonight, July 29, at 10pm ET, the network will begin presenting the last four episodes of the show, which never aired during the series’ 2006–2007 run on ABC.

The Nine follows the experiences of nine seemingly unrelated people who develop an unexpected bond after they survive a botched bank robbery that includes being held captive for 52 hours. DIRECTV started syndicating the entire 13-episode series on Wednesday, May 27, leading up to the previously unseen episodes that fans can watch beginning with tonight’s installment, “The Inside Man.”

Keep reading for details about all four episodes.

The Inside Man | July 29

After Egan (John Billingsley) makes a surprising statement on national television, the lives of the nine are thrown into turmoil. Kathryn (Kim Raver) must now consider the political implications of her continued association with the others, and Nick (Tim Daly) tries to use knowledge that only he possesses to satisfy a nagging suspicion.

Man of the Year | August 5

While Malcolm (Chi McBride) struggles with whether or not he deserves an award for his many years od civic service, his hapless brother visits unexpectedly. Lizzie (Jessica Collins) remains troubled by romantic dreams of Lucas (Owain Yeoman). And Felicia (Dana Davis) digs deeper into her memories of the bank incident.

Legacy | August 12

Nick asks Malcolm for guidance in coping with an old promise of revenge for his father’s death. Egan proves to be a valuable asset in Kathryn’s campaign. And Felicia confronts Malcolm about something she remembers from the robbery.

Confessions | August 19

Kathryn is drawn dangerously close to Nick. Burdened by his sins, Jeremy (Scott Wolf) makes a shocking confession. And Lizzie faces a crisis of conscience regarding Lucas.

Last Wednesday, May 27, satellite network DIRECTV began airing the 2006–2007 crime drama The Nine, which lasted just nine (how ironic!) episodes on ABC before the network yanked it due to low ratings. Many viewers were upset at the time about the show’s quick death, largely because the strictly serial format left them hanging when it came to what eventually happened to the numerous main characters.

Good thing, then, that DIRECTV has committed to airing all 13 produced episodes of The Nine, which includes four that never made it to the tube on ABC. As a result, lucky fans can re-experience the series-opening crime that started it all — a robbery gone very, very wrong at Los Angeles’ Fidelity Republic Bank — as well as the aftermath and its impact on nine people held captive against their will for 52 hours during the event.

The robbery ended after a standoff with cops, leaving the hostages shaken and their lives forever changed. More intriguing, the glimpses into each person’s backstory and future raised numerous questions about whether any of the hostages were actually in cahoots with the crooks.

One of the most interesting things about The Nine to me is how every last one of the top-notch main cast members went on to land other good acting gigs after the show ended. Those regulars are Lourdes Benedicto (Cashmere Mafia, forthcoming V), John Billingsley (24), Jessica Collins (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), Tim Daly (Private Practice), Dana Davis (Heroes), Camille Guaty (Cupid), Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies, forthcoming Human Target), Kim Raver (Lipstick Jungle), Scott Wolf (forthcoming V), and Owain Yeoman (The Mentalist).

You can catch some of those actors on their current and upcoming shows … when the series return or premiere in the fall, of course. If you want them now, however, The Nine on DIRECTV is the way to go. Catch the drama Wednesdays at 10pm ET throughout the summer on DIRECTV’s 101 Network.

I received a publicity email recently containing information that, for once, I’m more than happy to share. Thrilled, in fact. That’s because according to the statement, the three fantastic — or at least to me — short-lived series Eyes, Smith, and The Nine will be showing up on TV screens again in as little as a few weeks … if you happen to have DirecTV (which I don’t).

All three of the crime dramas, which I followed when they were originally on, aired only a handful of episodes: ABC’s 2005–2006 Eyes had five of 13 produced, ABC’s 2006–2007 The Nine nine of 13 produced, and CBS’ 2006 Smith three of seven produced.

The great part about their forthcoming return on DirecTV’s 101 Network and DirecTV on DEMAND, then, is that fans will get to see those episodes that didn’t make it to the tube the first time around (however, Eyes will feature just seven of the eight unaired episodes, which is still excellent).

Even better, the broadcasts will be commercial-free and in High Definition. That almost makes me want to go and sign up for the service.

Smith (starring Ray Liotta, Virginia Madsen, Simon Baker, Jonny Lee Miller, Amy Smart, Franky G., Chris Bauer, and Shohreh Aghdashloo) begins on April 8 at 10pm EST.

The Nine (starring Lourdes Benedicto, John Billingsley, Jessica Collins, Tim Daly, Dana Davis, Camille Guaty, Chi McBride, Kim Raver, Scott Wolf, and Owain Yeoman) premieres one week after Smith‘s finale, airing at 10pm starting May 27.

Eyes (starring Tim Daly, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, A.J. Langer, Laura Leighton, Eric Mabius, Rick Worthy, and Natalie Zea) will arrive last, in July, providing a lead-in for The Nine at 9pm EST.

For those who are unaware, DirecTV is the same entity that directly helped save critically acclaimed yet poor-rated Friday Night Lights from cancellation last year when it struck a deal with NBC to pay for some of the show’s production costs. As a result of that generosity and recognition of good television, FNL completed a third season. Praises to the satellite company for that and the latest announcement.

Fans Left Out in the Cold … Again

That’s it—I officially despise ABC. The Futon Critic reported on Monday that the network has tweaked its Wednesday night line up once more, officially nixing the recently returned canceled series The Nine and The Knights of Prosperity from their burn-off time slots due to record low ratings. What did executives think? That fans would flock to watch the shows when it’s unlikely that most people even realized they had returned given the lack of consistent and widespread publicity for these types of burn-off situations? In their place, viewers will get reruns of the sitcom According to Jim, last year’s newsmagazine feature Primetime: The Outsiders, and the new five-episode reality series NASCAR in Primetime.

Canceled ABC Series Is Off Hiatus and Back on TV

Following the end of summer series Traveler‘s too-brief run, ABC is returning its much-ballyhooed yet quickly shelved Fall 2006 bank-heist drama The Nine to the tube tonight. “Turning Point,” the eighth of thirteen total episodes produced, will find all but one of the former hostages summoned to the District Attorney’s office for yet more probing Q&As regarding the security guard murdered during the deadly failed robbery attempt.

Another Series That Prematurely Bit the Dust Resurfaces

Watching TV is really getting to be a chore now that every broadcast network seems to live by the “cancel quickly, explain later” approach to less-than-phenomenal ratings. Just last fall alone, I saw three shows that I enjoyed to varying degrees go “Puff!” into thin air almost immediately after their premieres. Those promising and originally much-hyped series included ABC’s The Nine, CBS’ Smith, and NBC’s Kidnapped. There’s little hope that Smith fans will ever see the four of seven produced episodes that never aired; but, both NBC and ABC are proving a teensy bit kinder to viewers who followed the other two cancelled shows. With a roster of thirteen episodes each in the can, Kidnapped and The Nine made it past the halfway mark since hour-long dramas typically have about twenty-two installments per season.