With several dozen new shows on the way in coming weeks, and having covered the list extensively a few months back, it's time to pick the shows that - at least in my opinion - are worth investing your time in based on early buzz. Out of each new group of Fall shows, only a few get picked up for either a full or second season and only one or two are really considered bonafide hits.

Last year it was "Cold Case" and "Las Vegas" proving to be the big ratings winners, "The O.C." had a quiet start, but strong momentum helped build it into a big success, "Arrested Development" may not have got the numbers but it won many critical hearts, and youth dramas like "One Tree Hill" and "Joan of Arcadia" managed to do pretty good business - certainly enough to justify a return. Still, there was flop-taculars like "Tarzan", "Threat Matrix", "Coupling", "Jake 2.0" and "Karen Sisco" which are still haunting our memories.

This year picking the winners is a more difficult job, many of the networks seem to be playing it very safe this year with high profile show potentials dropped in favour of more regular sudsy dramatic fare. The best bets lie in the franchise shows with several high profile police & legal dramas getting spin-offs this year, but by their very nature spin-offs almost never outdo their predecessors with just one or two exceptions.

Thus many are wondering what's the newcomer, the one that could lead to its own potential franchise in the future. Most are simply thinking "what show is good enough for me to bother setting my TiVo to include". This year with the schedules shaking up their network times, some new series have already premiered to big success (eg. "Father of the Pride") or disappointing reaction (eg. "North Shore"). Still, most start within the next three weeks so lets take a closer look at what's to come and which ones will hopefully be worth your time:

The Top Five

"Boston Legal" - James Spader's brilliant turn as the tactless and morally questionable lawyer Alan Shore in the last season of "The Practice" turned the failing show completely around into a solid hit for ABC, but as the network had already deemed it the last season they were stuck. By luck David E. Kelley and Spader had created one of the more fun characters on TV right now and thankfully instead of dumping him, they've given him his own show. The question now is how will it stand up? 'Boston' is already being described as a lighter more comedy oriented show than "Practice" (in other words it's "Ally McBeal" minus the feminism), and helping Spader along is some strong support from the likes of William Shatner, ex soap actor Mark Valley, and Aussie actor on the rise Vince Colossimo. Timeslot wise it's right after "Desperate Housewives" and "Alias" over the course of the season, making Sunday nights a fun bit of escapism.
10 pm Sundays, ABC. Begins October 3rd.

"CSI: New York"
Certainly the most well known of the upcoming shows, the move of the "CSI" franchise into what has been up til now deemed a "Law & Order" city is a unusual but potentially interesting move. The two previous shows in Vegas and Miami benefitted from exploring the dark underbelly of the neon flash and sunsoaked vistas in cities well known, but small enough that it gave both a very different feel from all the other police and detective shows out there. However, by not only putting this in New York but shooting it in a similar way (ie. lots of washed out blue hues), the chances of falling into a rut seem higher. Sinise, a strong actor, is no Peterson or Caruso though, and his character isn't as compelling either. Nevertheless Bruckheimer knows his television, has supplied the show with a strong supporting cast (such as the superb Kanakaredes), and the name should be enough to garner a lot of interest. It also makes you wonder what's next - "CSI: Mexico City", "CSI: Little Rock, Arkansas" or maybe "CSI: The West Bank".
10 pm Wednesdays, CBS. Begins September 22nd.

"Desperate Housewives"
A strong cast including the likes of Teri Hatcher, Brenda Strong, Marcia Cross and Felicity Huffman combined with some very dry dark humour make this show in some ways like "The First Wives Club" meets "Six Feet Under" before it became swallowed by its own depression. The comedy delves into the lives of four women with all sorts of romantic problems, overlooked by a mutual friend who recently committed suicide. Of the new shows, this looks to be the biggest guilty pleasure piece of entertainment and certainly far more interesting than many of the so called 'sitcoms' and comedies kicking off this season.
9 pm Sundays, ABC. Begins October 3rd.

"House"
If there's one thing more annoying than the prevalance of cop/lawyer shows, it's the prevalance of medical shows. Yet here comes a rather interesting and well thought out medico show led by English comic Hugh Laurie as Dr. House, arguably the single most interesting character of any show in the new season thanks to his mix of likable every man charm and an almost psychotically resentful side. Laurie is helped along by odd visuals, interesting effects trickery, and a strong team of good looking sidekicks in the forms of Omar Epps, Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer and Robert Sean Leonard. The only worry is that it's on FOX, whose more creative shows of recent years (eg. "Wonderfalls") usually go the way of the dinosaur in favour of the shit that is the reality television genre.
9 pm Tuesdays, FOX. Begins November 16th.

"Lost"
The pilot of "Alias" was deemed the best pilot of the season by many of the critics when it was screened, lo and behold several years on the spy series is still going strong and is soon to begin its fourth year. That show's creator J.J. Abrams (the man also behind the still much loved "Felicity") meanwhile has come up with this 13-episode series as his next show for ABC and again the pilot is topping many lists as the best of the new Fall season. The story of 48 survivors of a plane crash on a deserted tropical island thankfully won't be mistaken for "Survivor" or "Giligan's Island", Abrams opting for his usual trick of dangling plot threads and raising questions right from the start to which we learn the answers to gradually over the course of the series. What are the terrifying sounds coming from the jungle?, if this is the tropics why is there man-eating monsters and the occasional polar bear appearing, why (and who) was the passenger travelling in iron, and why does one show have such an odd array of cast members including TV veterans like Matthew Fox ("Party of Five"), Harold Perrineau Jr. ("Oz"), and big screen youngsters Ian Somerhalder ("Rules of Attraction") and Dominic Monaghan ("The Lord of the Rings"). Still, can a show with this concept last much beyond one series?
8 pm Wednesdays, ABC. Begins September 22nd.


Other Recommends:

"Father of the Pride" - The CGI sitcom about a family of Vegas lions and designed purely for adults got off to a rocky start with a so-so pilot. Already though from its second episode on it's picking up with a few good laughs, many of which come not from the beasts but the Siegfried & Roy CG counterparts. Can it last a full season though?

"Jack & Bobby" - An interesting premise of two kids being raised with us the audience given the foreknowledge than one of them will be President makes this worth a look. Helping it along is "Chicago Hope" alumni Christine Lahti and hunky newcomer Matthew Long.

"Veronica Mars" - A school outcast helps her dad investigate the lives of the rich and famous in Neptune, CA. Think a teen drama about a young blonde girl, but add in some surprisingly dark adult twists in both plot and character, some eccentric pop culture gags and a leading actress who's a real find both in terms of looks and talent. The only worry is it may be too dark for the audience it's aiming at - well that and it's a UPN show.


Some Potential:

"Dr. Vegas" - So "The Lyons Den" sunk, Rob Lowe is trying it again and thankfully going at it a bit lighter this time. "Dr. Vegas" is a cute little drama helped by Lowe's not too shabby comic abilities and support from a rather zealous supporting cast including Joe Pantoliano and Tom Sizemore.

"Joey" - Lets face it, this won't be near "Friends", but there's some potential here such as the casting of Drea de Matteo as Joey's sister.

"L.A.X." - Heather Locklear, Blair Underwood and a great setting for a variety of storylines about security at one of the biggest airports in the world gives this fiery drama a good amount of potential, a weak supporting cast however could hobble it at the knees. A little tweaking though, this could be good.

"Life as We Know It" - The people behind "Freaks and Geeks" have developed a loyal following and now they're trying again with this coming-of-age drama which won't be on 'Freaks' level sadly but is still looking not too shabby with spunky teens talking frankly about sex - always a good start.

"Medical Investigation" - A strong cast led by the intense Neal McDonough and the brooding yet hot Christopher Gorham make this interesting, but the subject matter is all too derivative and not terribly exciting.


Avoids:

"Commando Nanny", "Center of the Universe", "Clubhouse", "Drew Carey's Green Screen", "Hawaii", "Kevin Hill", "Listen Up", "Second Time Around", "The Complex", "The Contender", "The Mountain", "The Next Great Champ", "The Partner"

So there you have it. In terms of a top choice, "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" easily look to be the picks of the season with great casts, strong concepts and interesting tones - although whether they'll have any longevity one has to wonder. For those who prefer something more mainstream, "CSI: New York" and "Boston Legal" seem to be the way to go. In terms of a breakout hit, really only "CSI: NY" seems to be the one that'll likely crack the top of the ratings charts.