Now that Sweating Bullets has finally landed on CBS's schedule (replacing Knots Landing this summer), there's every possibility that the show's handsome, Canadian-born male lead, Rob Stewart, could be elevated overnight to what is known as hunk status. Not that Stewart spends time worrying about such things: "Are you kidding me?" he asks with a riotous laugh. "Hey, I should be so lucky."

Bullets is one of the five action entries generated by CBS last fall to replace Pat Sajak's failed talk show on the late-night schedule beginning in February; the Gulf War scuttled those plans. Stewart, 28, finally plays Nick Slaughter -- a jaded ex-RCMP, ex-DEA agent who drops out of society to relocate in the fictitious Florida town of Key Mariah (actually Puerto Vallarta, Mexico). Naturally, once Nick's there, he finds himself surrounded by murder, mystery and intrigue (not to mention an assortment of lithe extras in bandaid-sized bikinis). "It's a great concept," says Stewart, with what seems like a genuinely straight face, "because the show's producers have developed an interesting visual style, which is supported by the natural beauty of this area. And we're trying to be as strange as we can within those parameters."

For Stewart, a native of Brampton, Ont., the series is a chance to flex the acting skills he previously demonstrated on the short-lived Canadian series Mount Royal. Although Stewart says the role of wisecracking Nick is "custom made" for him, Bullets' executive producer, Andras Hamori, admits he had someone else in mind in the early going. "We originally wanted a Nick Nolte type -- a big, lazy bum in paradise," says Hamori. "And we wanted to create a life for him that everyone would envy: the beach, beautiful girls, and so on. We narrowed it down to six guys, but we chose Rob for his freshness, which was totally different from what we first had in mind."

Once cast, Stewart says, it certainly didn't take long for him to slip into character. "I know it sounds cliché, but when I first read the script, I felt like they had written it just for me -- I swear. It was absolutely perfect." But while the ponytailed beachcomber detective appeals to Stewart, he's not necessarily the actor's ideal role model. "I like the oldtime movie characters -- like Bill Holden in 'Bridge on the River Kwai' -- who have this great, mysterious pain beneath the surface. Women would love them, just adore them, but you knew they would go home alone every night."

Much of the character interplay on Bullets takes place between Rob and fellow Canadian actor Carolyn Dunn, as Sylvie Girard, who runs the detective agency office. "We have entirely different approaches to acting," says Stewart. "She's very prepared and throws herself right into the role. I just look at the script -- 'Ok, lets do it'." Nick and Sylvie may be a tight team, but there's no romantic involvement -- at least not yet. "It's the old David-and-Maddie Moonlighting thing," says Dunn. "You know they should get together. You do and you don't want them to sleep together, but once they do, where do you go?"

So far, the people behind Bullets have taken the story to varying extremes. "So far, I've acted with a dog, a parrot and a midget," sighs Stewart. "One day, I didn't have a chance to read the script until just before we started shooting. And then I read, 'There's a snake up Nick's pants.' I mean, what are you doing to me, guys? I hate snakes." On the other hand, the show's creators told Stewart he'd be allowed input into his own character -- and he's taken them up on the offer. "For example, they had Nick as a big Chubby Checker fan, listening to his old records, but that's not me, not by a long shot," he says. "So, since I've been a hugh Sinatra freak for about 10 years, they changed it to Frank. Now, that's cool."