A Lohan comeback or just more 'Pains'?

Could Lindsay Lohan be just one comedy shy of a comeback?

There was a time not too long ago the 23-year-old was raking in box office and positive praise for her performances in movies such as "Freaky Friday" and the Tina Fey-penned "Mean Girls."

But in recent years, as Lohan's often out-of-control personal life has been tabloid fodder, her acting career has gone by the wayside. A guest run on "Ugly Betty" was cut short, and recent films have turned out to be little-seen duds, including the romantic comedy "Just My Luck" opposite a then-unknown Chris Pine, the ho-hum family drama "Georgia Rule," and the thriller "I Know Who Killed Me," which cleaned up at the Razzie Awards and made just $7.4 million at the domestic box office.

Lohan's latest, "Labor Pains," about a woman who fakes a pregnancy to avoid being fired, was supposed to put her comedic gifts back in the spotlight. Whether that will happen is now up to a television audience -- the movie won't be playing in theaters. Lohan is not doing press for the film and declined a request for an interview through her representatives.

"Labor Pains" will premiere Sunday on ABC Family, a network owned by Disney, which launched some of Lohan's biggest hits: "The Parent Trap," "Freaky Friday" and later "Herbie: Fully Loaded." First Look will release "Labor Pains" on DVD Aug. 4.

"Lindsay's been a great draw for us, so we felt there was a good opportunity," said Tom Zappala, ABC Family senior vice president of program acquisitions. In spite of her flagging reputation, Zappala bought premiere rights to the film based on the Lohan romantic comedy premise alone, script unseen. The network continues to draw above-average ratings from airings of her other films, such as "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" and "Mean Girls."

The script for "Labor Pains" was originally developed as a wide-release film by Warner Bros., but when that option lapsed, director and co-writer Lara Shapiro found other funding at smaller production companies.

Producer Rick Schwartz, whose other credits include "The Aviator" and "The Departed," said a theatrical run would have been ideal, but that the low-budget film was not intended as a wide release. Its production costs "were in line with what a place like ABC Family would spend on their original TV movies," he said -- ballpark: $1 million to $2 million -- adding that the film will ultimately be profitable.