With the changing of the leaves comes a fresh batch of
television shows just desperate for your attention. Over the past few months we
discovered whether America
has talent and who, if anyone, really can dance. Now
we’re on to much more compelling fare — new dramas that explore the end of
the world from the perspective of a small Midwestern town, or what happens when
everyday people suddenly discover they have superhuman abilities. A new comedy
extrapolated from a popular Spanish telenovela about
a homely young woman and her dreams of breaking into the fashion world. And two
new shows based on the behind-the-scenes goings-on at Saturday Night Live.

There are nearly 30 new shows hitting the networks this
fall. While we can’t go over them all here, below are 10 of the most
interesting new offerings. Since TV viewers seem to prefer the pabulum of, say,
Two and a Half Men to the giddy
sophistication of Arrested Development,
don’t be surprised if a few of them get the axe. But give these newbies a shot; you might be pleasantly surprised by what
TV has to offer this year.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip NBC, Mondays 10 p.m. (starting
September 18)

After spending last year in the ratings toilet, NBC
desperately needs a buzz-generating hit. The network suits have anointed this
new dramedy from Aaron Sorkin,
the man who brought you Sports Night and The West Wing, as their most
likely candidate. Easy to see why. It’s got a great
premise, as it follows the behind-the-scenes turmoil at a Saturday Night Live-style sketch comedy show. It’s got a great
cast, led by Friends‘ Matthew Perry, West Wing‘s
Bradley Whitford, and movie starlet Amanda Peet. And the pilot, available weeks early through Netflix, has people cheering. Now if only the real SNL didn’t suck so much…

JerichoCBS, Wednesdays 8 p.m. (starting
September 20)

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and Skeet Ulrich
most certainly does not feel fine. The Scream
alum and onetime Tiger Beat fixture gets another shot at fame with this
gripping drama about a small Midwestern town that watches in horror as a
mushroom cloud appears on the horizon. As the panic grows, the questions swirl:
Was it an attack? An accident? Are they the only
people left in the country? Are they next? The good news is that Major Dad is
here to kick some ass, as the always-welcome Gerald McRaney
has a spot on the cast.

Ugly Betty ABC, Thursdays 8 p.m. (starting September 28)

This one could go either way, but I really admire the
concept. Salma Hayek exec produces this translation
of a popular Spanish-language telenovela (basically a
nighttime soap opera) about an aesthetically challenged but bright young woman
trying to break into the cutthroat world of fashion. America Ferrera from The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants stars as sweet, plain Betty, and she
could be the breakout star of the season. Vanessa Williams expertly chews
scenery as a demanding fashionista, and the preview
offers some catty fun.

Heroes NBC, Mondays 9 p.m. (starting September 25)

Definitely taking a page from Lost (everyday folks hurled into a fantastical, unpredictable
scenario), this show follows a handful of people who suddenly discover they
have super powers. One man can stop time, one can fly, another can hear
people’s thoughts, and a teenaged girl is seemingly indestructible. Comics have
been doing this stuff for years, of course, but the subtext is what’s
interesting: when the world is going to pot, the planet fights to save itself
by choosing a set of protectors. Could end up being really hokey, but it’s off
to a good start.

Runaway The CW, Mondays 9 p.m. (starting September 25)

The CW is a new network formed by smooshing
together failed netlets UPN and WB. Runaway is one of its two new series and
features ex-New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg and
Leslie Hope (the doomed wife from the first season of 24) as a married couple living under assumed identities while on
the lam after the cops wrongly accuse Wahlberg’s
character of a murder he didn’t commit. Now they have to keep a low profile and
avoid slipping up as the cops close in — and so does the real killer.

Brothers & Sisters ABC, Sundays 10 p.m. (starting September 24)

This one gets a pass based on cast alone. CalistaFlockhart (Ally McBeal),
Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under),
and Sally Field (no introduction necessary) headline a drama about, well,
brothers and sisters who reunite as grown-ups to deal with a family emergency.
The pilot episode was completely re-shot and the current version is much more
palatable. But I’m still hesitant, because with a premise like that it’s a
short drive to Treaclyville via the Melodrama
Expressway. And nobody wants to go there.

‘Til Death Fox, Thursdays 8 p.m.

The last few years have been rough for the sitcom. Dramas
and reality shows have almost completely consumed the network schedules, and
most of the attempts at funny business have landed with a thud (notable
exceptions include The Office, My Name is
Earl, and How I Met Your Mother).
Fox tries to breathe some life into the ailing genre with this show featuring
reliable supporting players Brad Garrett (Everybody
Loves Raymond) and Joely Fisher (Ellen, Desperate Housewives) as a jaded,
long-married couple who spar with their bubbly newlywed neighbors. Garrett and
Fisher certainly sell it, but one has to wonder how long the premise can
sustain itself.

30 Rock NBC, Wednesdays 8:30 p.m. (starting October 11)

NBC’s second SNL-based
new show features ex-SNL head writer
Tina Fey as the head writer of an SNL-type
sketch comedy show. Confused? Just go with it. Alec Baldwin continues his
small-screen career renaissance as the Lorne Michaels-type character, and Fey’s former SNLcastmates Tracy Morgan and Rachel Dratch
also jumped ship to the show, although the erstwhile Debbie Downer recently found
her character majorly retooled. Wah-waaah!

Smith CBS, Tuesdays 10 p.m. (starting September 19)

Speaking of small-screen career renaissances, Ray Liotta clings to what’s left of his marginal fame by
signing on to star in this drama about a professional thief looking to retire
from “the business.” Unfortunately, Ray Liotta is no
Alec Baldwin. While he’s certainly good at minor character-actor roles, he
cannot carry a movie or show by himself. The producers apparently realized this
and stacked this deck with an astounding supporting cast featuring Oscar
nominee Virginia Madsen (Sideways),
Simon Baker (The Devil Wears Prada) and Amy Smart (The Butterfly Effect).

20 Good Years NBC, Tuesdays 8 p.m. (starting October 4)

John Lithgow (3rd Rock
from the Sun) and Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) star as two older
gents who vow to make the most of their two decades left on the planet. Given
the hams at the helm, don’t expect a lot of subtlety.

This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2006.