It's not that television networks don't care about you if you're not somewhere between the ages of 13 and 19, but they care about you a lot more if you are.Just look around the fall schedules of the six broadcast networks. Half a dozen shows deal specifically (and almost exclusively) with teenagers. There are teenagers in prep school, teenagers in public schools, teenagers in 1980, teenage boys with lots of sisters -- heck, there's a teenage cop and teenage aliens.
Not all of the teenagers are in shows that revolve specifically around them. Teens and preteens play major or minor roles in lots other series, including "Action," "Angel," "Get Real," "Judging Amy," "Ladies Man," "Mission Hill," "Now and Again," "Oh Grow Up," "Once And Again," "The Parkers," "Safe Harbor." And shows like "Grown Ups," "Jack & Jill," "Time of Your Life" and "Wasteland" follow twentysomething characters who are barely out of their teens.
(For those of you keeping track, that's 21 out of 38 new shows with a strong teen or near-teen presence.)
Why this obsession with youth? Just look to Madison Avenue, where advertisers are hot to attract they younger crowd.
Just ask them over at the teen-crazy WB network, where executives say that 85 percent of their advertising is sold on the basis of viewers between the ages of 12 and 34.
"A couple of years ago people were calling us 'the teenybopper network,' " said Jamie Kellner, CEO of the WB. "Well, the teens are early adopters and try things quicker. . . . We have a lot of people who are 40 and 50 years old watching us, but in order to get the younger people today you have to speak directly to them and you have to stand out from the other guys. And, in doing so, we're attracting a very special, very important media opportunity."
Whether the WB will stand out from the crowded network field is becoming problematic, however. Every other network -- with the exception of CBS -- is specifically targeting teens.
"We think that's a mistake," said CBS President Leslie Moonves. "There's a large audience out there with a lot of money to spend that's being largely ignored. And there's a sameness to all the other networks' schedules that will help us stand out."
Like any other genre, the teen shows run the gamut. And, certainly, the can't all succeed.
"If they're good shows, they'll work," Kellner said. "If they're not good shows, they'll fail."
And, overall, this season is shaping up as rather unspectacular. Imitation is the name of the game, and a lot of shows play like third- or fourth-generation copies of earlier (and better) programs.
Some of the best shows are some of the more unusual entries. The aliens in the WB's "Roswell" and the brain-transplant in CBS's "Now And Again."
And perhaps it's significant that, in a season obsessed with youth, the best new show centers on the 40ish couple in ABC's "Once and Again."
And there are some other potential gems out there. Shows like "Freaks and "Geeks," "Popular," "Roswell" and "The West Wing" that deserve an audience, though whether they'll actually attract one remains to be seen.
Here's a run-down on what ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN and the WB have to offer viewers this fall:
THE TEEN SCENE
Just because a show is about teenagers doesn't necessarily make it bad. Some of the season's best new shows are about teenagers -- as are some of the worst.
THE BADLAND (Fridays, 7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13) is sort of a cross between "90210" and the old cop series "The Rookies." Ryan Caulfield (Sean Maher) is a 19-year-old rookie cop who helps patrol a rough area of Philadelphia. In addition to his demanding job -- and a rather odd, much-older partner (Michael Rispoli), he tries to negotiate a personal life filled with other young people looking for themselves.
Quality quotient: The pilot is very inconsistent -- it has moments that almost make you think this could amount to something mixed in with predictable soap-opera elements. And it's also shockingly violent and bloody, proving once again that Fox doesn't much care where it schedules shows anymore.
Performance potential: It will be an uphill climb for "The Badland."
Debut date: Friday, Oct. 15
FREAKS AND GEEKS (Saturdays, 7 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5) is a teen show that's set in a suburban Michigan high school in 1980. It focuses on the kids who aren't the most popular, who struggle to survive and not necessarily thrive.
Quality quotient: This is a darn good show that's almost painful at times, it's so real. Linda Cardellini is great as a smart-but-disaffected teen, and most of the cast members actually look like they could still be in high school. It's funny and touching at the same time.
Performance potential: Unfortunately, this one hasn't got a chance. It would struggle even in a good time slot -- and this is a terrible time slot.
Debut date: Saturday, Sept. 25
MANCHESTER PREP (Wednesdays at 7 p.m. on Fox/Ch. 13) is based on the movie "Cruel Intentions." Sixteen-year-old Sebastian Valmont (Robin Dunne) moves in with his father (who married a wealthy woman) and begins attending an exclusive New York City prep school with his amoral, barracuda-like step-sister, Kathryn (Amy Adams). She heads a secret club at the school that delights in manipulating the lives of others.
Quality quotient: This is an absolute piece of garbage, with bad writing, bad acting and utterly reprehensible content. Not just teenagers having indiscriminate sex but teenagers using sex as a weapon against each other. This is like "Dynasty" on acid.
Performance potential: Even the younger crowd won't sit through something this bad. It's a major bomb in the making.
Debut date: To be announced (sometime in late October after baseball ends)
ODD MAN OUT (Fridays, 8:30 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4) is about Andrew (Erik von Detten), a 15-year-old living with his oh-so-wise widowed mother (Markie Post), three rather unpleasant sisters -- and an aunt is often in the house as well.
Quality quotient: How far ABC's "T.G.I.F." lineup has come -- now they're including shows that come to us from the producers of the raunchy movie "There's Something About Mary." A former haven for kid-friendly programming, "T.G.I.F." now includes this show -- the pilot is full of jokes about sex and condoms and so on and so on. It's too adult for kids and too dopey for adults. Poor Post, she's stuck with a bunch of untalented actors in an inferior show.
Performance potential: This ought to go largely unnoticed.
Debut date: Friday, Sept. 24
POPULAR (Thursdays, 7 p.m., WB/Ch. 30) is another teen show that's surprisingly good. On this side we have Brooke, the incredibly popular high-schooler whose life isn't so perfect after all. And on this side we have Sam, the smart, pretty but not-so-popular girl who can't stand Brooke. And then we have the two of them thrown together when Brooke's father and Sam's mother announce plans to wed.
Quality quotient: This is a good one -- quite entertaining and intriguing, with a good cast, good writing and loads of possibilities.
Performance potential: The WB is going to have to be more patient than usual. And, even given lots of time, can this survive up against "Friends"?
ROSWELL (Wednesdays, 8 p.m., WB/Ch. 30) is teen drama with a sci-fi twist. (And it comes to us from one of the producers of the high-quality "My So-Called Life" and "Relativity.") Three teenagers in Roswell, N.M., who appear to be normal kids are anything but -- they're survivors of an alien space ship that crashed nearby. They must keep their identities secret, but one of the young men (or is that young aliens?) takes a big risk when he uses his special powers to save the life of a human girl he's in love with.
Quality quotient: This is another really stupid-sounding idea that turns out to be a darn good show. (Think "Buffy the Vampire Slayer.") The key here is that this isn't really a sci-fi show -- it's about teens who just happen to be aliens, giving the show a plot device from which to build.
Performance potential: The WB is famous for showing patience with its shows. This is one that's going to need that patience.
Debut date: Wednesday, Oct. 6
THE NAME GAME
At a time when the proliferation of television outlets and programs threatens to overwhelm the viewer, ABC and CBS have chosen to further confuse the audience with titles. ABC has a show called "Once and Again" and CBS has one called "Now and Again." (Neither of which should be confused with MSNBC's "Time & Again.")
Let's just hope the confusion doesn't harm either show. In what's shaping up as a less-than-spectacular TV season (to put it mildly), "Once and Again" and "Now And Again" are two of the more promising offerings.
ONCE AND AGAIN (Tuesdays, 9 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4) comes to us from the producers of "thirtysomething" and is a quality drama very much in the same vein. Sela Ward ("Sisters") and Billy Campbell star as a couple of 40ish divorced people with kids who are somewhat surprised to find themselves falling in love with each other. The show is about more than just them, however -- the cast includes those kids, an ex-wife, an ex-husband and so on -- a true ensemble cast.
Quality quotient: This looks like the best new show of the season -- a thoughtful, intelligent and entertaining drama with believable, likable characters. If you were a fan of "thirtysomething" and/or "My So-Called Life," you should like this. And, even if you weren't, give "Once and Again" a try.
Performance potential: ABC is taking a big risk with this one, airing six episodes in the "NYPD Blue" time slot before taking the show off the air until January. (It will be seen Monday nights at 9 after football season ends.) But with all the positive buzz "Once and Again" is engendering, ABC ought to give it a decent chance at least.
Debut date: Tuesday, Sept. 21
NOW AND AGAIN (Fridays, 8 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2) comes to us from the man who created, wrote and produced "Moonlighting." And it's a decidedly odd premise. A middle-aged man (John Goodman, in the pilot only) is killed and his brain is transplanted into the genetically perfect body of a much younger guy (Eric Close). In return, he must carry out assignments given him by the government agency that gave him new life -- and he's forbidden any contact with his wife (Margaret Colin), daughter and friends.
Quality quotient: This is another one of those really stupid-sounding ideas that works. The pilot is fast, fun and intriguing and shows potential of turning into one of the season's best new shows.
Performance potential: It's hard to get much of anybody to watch much of anything on Friday nights. And the sheer strangeness of this idea may scare some people off. CBS will have to have lots of patience if it expects an audience to find this show.
Debut date: Friday, Sept. 24
OUTRAGEOUS BEHAVIOR
TV executives like to call it "pushing the envelope." It's a nice way of saying that language and sexual situations that were once forbidden on network television are becoming de rigueur and this fall's crop of new shows goes farther than ever before.
(And you could add to this list the previously mentioned "Manchester Prep.")
ACTION (Thursdays, 8:30 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13) will be one of the season's most talked-about shows -- not because of its quality, but because it pushes the limits of what's acceptable on network TV. Jay Mohr stars as Peter Dragon, a big-time Hollywood movie producer whose career is somewhat on the skids. But with help from a former child star-turned-hooker (Ileana Douglas) and the support of people like his uncle/chauffeur (Buddy Hackett), he's trying to forge a come-back.
Quality quotient: This half-hour filmed comedy is occasionally amusing, but it's way over the top in terms of language (what exactly is the point of bleeping out only the "u" in the four-letter swear word that starts with an "f"?) and sexual situations. This is the sort of inside-the-industry show that many critics may love, but it's just not that good.
Performance potential: Fox will keep this show around because of the buzz it will create, but the chances of it becoming a genuine hit are slim.
Debut date: Premiered Sept. 16
GET REAL (Wednesdays, 8 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13) is supposed to be a modern-day take on the family drama. Jon Tenney and Debrah Farentino star as a couple whose marriage isn't so hot; their 18-year-old gifted daughter announces she isn't going to college; their 16-year-old son is not only a slacker but sleeps around; their 15-year-old son is a bit of a geek; and recently widowed grandma (Christina Pickles) has moved in with them. What's supposed to make this show hip, cool and appealing to young viewers is that the characters have a tendency to talk straight to the camera.
Quality quotient: This could have been a quality drama, but it's overly full of itself. And its content is often reprehensible -- as when the 16-year-old boy has his girlfriend spend the night in his bedroom in the pilot and his parents are so self-absorbed they barely react.
Performance potential: This needs a big boost from the show that precedes it -- and "Beverly Hills, 90210" is on its last legs.
Debut date: Premiered Sept. 8
SHASTA MCNASTY (Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m., UPN/Ch. 14) is an attempt to update "The Monkees." It's about three over-the-top roommates who share a Venice Beach apartment and try to find success as a band.
Quality quotient: The completed pilot was withheld from critics by a fearful UPN -- a very bad sign. And the clips that were shown -- which, presumably, would be the pilots best moments -- were stupid and vulgar.
Performance potential: This won't draw the protests that "The Secret Diaries of Desmond Pfeiffer" did last season, but it won't be any more successful than that piece of junk -- which was axed almost immediately.
Debut date: Previews Thursday, Sept. 30; premieres Tuesday, Oct. 5
WWF SMACKDOWN (Thursdays, 7 p.m., UPN/Ch. 14) is just what it says -- yet another violent, stupid professional wrestling show.
Quality quotient: Oh, you don't really have to ask, do you?
Performance potential: It already shows signs of being one of UPN's few success -- albeit at the cost of any sense of quality or pride the pseudo network might have.
Debut date: Premiered Aug. 26
MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE (Sundays, 6 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13) is certainly one of the season's quirkier shows. This half-hour filmed comedy centers on a decidedly dysfunctional family with parents (Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston) who are well meaning but not exactly up to raising four sons. The oldest has been sent to military school because of past behavior; and sons No. 2 and No. 4 aren't exactly geniuses. But, as it turns out, son No. 3 -- Malcolm (Frankie Munoz) -- is a genius, and his struggle to be both smart and cool form the framework for the series.
Quality quotient: This is a show that could have been one of the season's best. Muniz is nothing short of fabulous, and there's a lot of subtle humor that's sheer delight. But, in an apparent effort to appeal to the Fox crowd, the show stumbles with unneccessarily tasteless and stupid bits. The pilot opens with Dad standing naked in the kitchen (with a strategically placed newspaper) as Mom shaves his back. And Mom runs around the house -- and even answers the front door -- topless. Sheesh.
Performance potential: This is a very tough time slot but "Malcolm" could attain at least a cult following. Let's just hope they tone down the excesses.
Debut date: Sometime in January, after the NFL season ends.
SPIN-OFFS
Television loves success so much that it tries to re-create it. Thus the time-honored tradition of spin-offs -- shows drawn directly from other shows. And there are several this season.
ANGEL (Tuesdays, 7 p.m., WB/Ch. 30) is the much-anticipated spin-off of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Angel (David Boreanaz), the 234-year-old vampire with a soul, moves to Los Angeles where he tries to atone for past sins by battling the forces of darkness. He's joined by fellow "Buffy" alum Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and Doyle (Glenn Quinn of "Roseanne"), a half-human, half-demon smart-aleck who acts as Angel's guide.
Quality quotient: A completed pilot hasn't been made available to critics yet, but a cut-down version looks promising.
Performance potential: Could be the perfect companion to "Buffy."
Debut date: Tuesday, Oct. 5
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (Mondays, 8 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5) not really a spin-off, this is more like a sequel to the original "L&O." Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay stars as detectives in the NYPD's sex-crimes unit. (The original title of this show, as a matter of fact, was "Sex Crimes.") Dann Florek reprises his 1992-93 "L&O" role of Capt. Cragen, and Richard Belzer brings his Det. Belzer over from "Homicide: Life on the Street."
Quality quotient: This looks like good, solid police drama, albeit about some rather squirm-inducing topics. (And look a number of "Law & Order" characters to make cross-over appearances.)
Performance potential: Could be a hit. The problem is that this show should be on an hour later -- a complaint voiced loudly by creator/producer Dick Wolf himself.
Debut date: Monday, Sept. 20
THE PARKERS (Mondays, 7:30 p.m., UPN/Ch. 14) is a spin-off of "Moesha." Kim (Countess Vaughn) goes off to college and is joined by her single mother, Nikki (Mo'Nique). Both mother and daughter are more interested in man-hunting than education, however.
Quality quotient: It would be hard to find a dumber show than this one on any network's schedule this fall. Calling this cartoon-like would be insulting to cartoons.
Performance potential: Given the low expectations at UPN, this might hang on to enough of "Moesha's" audience to survive for a while.
Debut date: Premiered Aug. 30
TIME OF YOUR LIFE (Mondays, 7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13) is a spin-off of the long-running "Party of Five." Sarah (Jennifer Love Hewitt) moves to New York City in search of her biological father and ends up building a new life for herself with an eclectic group of twentysomething friends. The cast includes Jonathan Schaech, Jennifer Garner, Pauley Perrette and Diego Serrano.
Quality quotient: Fox has yet to screen the show for critics, and that combined with the with the fact that the original pilot was scrapped and reshot makes this somewhat suspect.
Performance potential: Impossible to say at this point.
Debut date: Monday, Oct. 25
ALLY (Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13) isn't exactly a spin-off, it's the latest in recycled TV -- old hourlong episodes of "Ally McBeal" are recycled into half-hour sitcoms of a sort. One main storyline from episodes over the past two season, employing footage not originally seen, becomes
a half-hour sitcom
Quality quotient: Fox has yet to make the show available to critics.
Performance potential: Well, no matter what the ratings are it will be rather cheap to produce -- which could help keep it on the air for a while.
Debut date: Tuesday, Oct. 25
SIXTY MINUTES
While 30-minute shows remain strictly in the realm of comedy, the hourlong format has changed somewhat. Oh, there are still hourlong dramas, but what with the success of "Ally McBeal" and the failure of so many sitcoms, networks and producers are looking to the hourlong format -- long the domain of drama -- as a solution to the comedy conundrum.
And some shows attempt to mix comedy and drama with varying degrees of success.
COLD FEET (Fridays, 9 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5) is another attempt at romantic comedy. It follows three couples who are at various stages in their relationship -- one has just begun dating; the second is a married couple expecting their first child; the third is a married couple whose marriage isn't going so great.
Quality quotient: The cast is better than the writing in this one. Adam Williams and Jean Louisa Kelley, as the dating couple, are great-- and their characters are the most interesting. The show has its moments, but the pilot is very inconsistent. It's likable enough -- although a bit tasteless in spots.
Performance potential: This could take a while to catch on. If NBC has patience, however, it could do alright -- it's certainly an alternative to "20/20" and "Nash Bridges" on the other networks.
Debut date: Friday, Sept. 24
FAMILY LAW (Mondays, 9 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2) is sort of "Ally McBeal" a decade (or so) older. Kathleen Quinlan stars as a successful attorney whose husband suddenly leaves her and takes their joint legal practice with him. She's forced to try to rebuild her life and her business with one stalwart supporter (Julie Warner) and new partners who include a woman (Dixie Carter) who once went to jail for killing her husband and a man (Christopher McDonald) whose ethics aren't the best.
Quality quotient: This is an uncomfortable mix of low comedy and high drama, of slapstick and earnestness. And the characters are neither believable nor particularly sympathetic.
Performance potential: It might last out the season, but it might not.
Debut date: Monday, Sept. 20
HARSH REALM (Fridays, 8 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13) is the latest form "X-Files" creator Chris Carter. Scott Bairstow stars as an Army officer who is drawn into an ultra-violent cyber world where he's not sure what's real and what's not. With help from another soldier (D.B. Sweeney), he must do battle with the game's high scorer and resident vicious dictator (Terry O'Quinn) to return to the real world.
Quality quotient: It's not just that "Harsh Realm" is overly violent and confusing, it's also a big honkin' bore.
Performance potential: If anything, this will be less successful than the late, unlamented Chris Carter-created "Millennium."
Debut date: Friday, Oct. 8
JACK AND JILL (Sundays, 8 p.m., WB/Ch. 30) is about two twentysomethings who unexpectedly meet and fall in love in Manhattan. Amanda Peete stars as Jack (Jacqueline Barrett) and Ivan Sergei plays Jill (David Jillefsky) in the center of a supporting cast of characters who play various friends and co-workers.
Quality quotient: If you can get past the far-too-precious conceit of having the guy named Jill and the girl named Jack, this could be a fun little show. Whether Sergei and Peete can develop the oh-so-vital chemistry will help decide this show's fate.
Performance potential: A very, very tough time slot makes this show very, very iffy.
Debut date: Sunday, Sept. 26
JUDGING AMY (Tuesdays, 9 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2) is based on star/executive producer Amy Brenneman's own mother. Brenneman plays a thirtysomething woman who leaves an empty marriage and legal practice in New York City and returns to her hometown of Hartford, Conn., where she becomes a family-court judge. She moves in with her difficult mother (Tyne Daly of "Cagney & Lacey") and faces life as a single mother.
Quality quotient: It's earnest and it has possibilities, but it's not all that great.
Performance potential: Can Brenneman, who used to be on "NYPD Blue," beat her former show? No -- nor can she beat NBC's "Dateline" with this program.
Debut date: Previews tonight; debuts Tuesday, Sept. 19
SAFE HARBOR (Mondays, 8 p.m., WB/Ch. 30): Gregory Harrison ("Trapper John, M.D.") stars as a small-town Florida sheriff and single father raising a bunch of sons with the help of his mother (Rue McClanahan of "The Golden Girls") in this show from the producers of "7th Heaven." The plan here is to create another family friendly drama series.
Quality quotient: The original pilot wasn't real good. It was TV-by-the-numbers, with static characters, weak writing and some surprisingly risque dialogue from the rather sleazy grandma. But the show is undergoing massive revisions -- including new actors and new characters -- so the jury is still out.
Performance potential: "7th Heaven" is the WB's highest-rated show, but the network hasn't been able to hold that audience. It makes some degree of sense to look for a series that's in the same vein -- although it's impossible to say at this point if this is that series.
Debut date: Monday, Sept. 20
SNOOPS (Sundays, 8 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4) is about private investigators in Los Angeles who use high-tech gimmickry and don't worry much about what's legal as they try to solve crimes. The cast includes Gina Gershon, Paula Marshall and Danny Nucci.
Quality quotient: This isn't the worst new show of the season, but it is the most disappointing because it comes from David E. Kelley, the man behind shows like "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal." At best, "Snoops" is a standard private-eye show. And the mix isn't good -- Gershon and Marshall don't seem to like each other, on-screen or off.
Performance potential: Telling people to expect another "Practice" is a mistake. It's hard to believe that this can succeed.
Debut date: Sunday, Sept. 26
THE STRIP (Tuesdays, 8 p.m., UPN/Ch. 14) is an ultra-violent detective show, with a couple of hip, young guys (Sean Patrick Flanery and Guy Torry) who work as private security consultants for a Las Vegas casino. The show is shot in Vegas, lending some glamour to an otherwise standard series.
Quality quotient: It's mindless and not-so-entertaining entertainment -- and the violence really is excessive. And it probably won't help that this show, which was originally scheduled as a midseason replacement series, is being rushed on the air because "Secret Agent Man" couldn't be ready for a fall airdate.
Performance potential: Oh, nothing on UPN really works, does it?
Debut date: Tuesday, Oct. 12
THE THIRD WATCH (Sundays, 7 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5) is sort of an "ER" prequel, taking in the action that occurs before the patient gets to the hospital. (And it's from the producers of that medical drama.) The large ensemble cast is full of characters who are cops and paramedics and firemen who range from young and eager to older and wiser, from sympathetic to outright jerks.
Quality quotient: Maybe if there had never been an "ER," this would have seemed new and exciting. As it is, "Third Watch" seems like recycled leftovers -- a frantic pace surrounding characters we're supposed to care about (but the jury is still out on that one). And the pilot contains some horrific violence and a good deal of gore, which seems a rather unusual choice for a show that's airing early on Sunday evenings.
Performance potential: This is a very, very tough time slot and it's hard to image "Third Watch" can become a hit here. The thought is obviously counter-programming up against "Touched by an Angel," the Disney movie and "The Simpsons," but it's doubtful the show can succeed.
Debut date: Previews Thursday, Sept. 23; regular time-slot premiere is Sunday, Sept. 26
WASTELAND (Thursdays, 8 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4) is another ensemble drama about young people from Kevin Williamson, the creator of "Dawson's Creek." This one is about a group of friends in their early 20s trying to navigate life and love in New York City.
Quality quotient: The cast is full of attractive young people whose acting skills are minimal at best. The characters they play are self-absorbed, whiny and annoying. As a matter of fact, this may be the single most annoying new show of the season.
Performance potential: It has failure written all over it.
Debut date: Thursday, Oct. 7
THE WEST WING (Wednesday, 8 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4) is a drama set in the White House, although the President plays a subordinate role in the story-telling to the members of his staff. From John Wells, the executive producer of "ER," and Aaron Sorkin, the executive producer of "Sports Night," this is literate story-telling very much in the vein of Sorkin's theatrical screenplay "The American President." A fine cast includes Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Moira Kelly, Richard Schiff, John Spencer and Bradley Whitford.
Quality quotient: This has already been anointed in some quarters as the best new show of the season, but it's a bit early to be shining up that crown. The somewhat abbreviated pilot was rather confusing, with lots of characters rushing in and out, and Sorkin got quite preachy at times. (The liberal Democratic president isn't going to go down well with some viewers.) That said, "West Wing" does have a great deal of potential, with fine performances and a great writer.
Performance potential: Could be a hit, but probably won't be a real big one.
Debut date: Wednesday, Sept. 22
FOR COMEDIC EFFECT
Half-hour situation comedies are somewhat in decline this season, down from a high of 64 three years ago to 50 this fall. Which still spreads the available writing talent too thin -- as quickly becomes evident when you get a look at the overall lack of quality in this fall's new offerings.
GROWN-UPS (Mondays, 8 p.m., UPN/Ch. 14) marks the return of Urkel himself, Jaleel White ("Family Matters") to network TV. He plays a nice young man trying to find his way in life and hanging out with his best friend and that best friend's wife.
Quality quotient: Certainly a sincere effort, this is nonetheless unbearably predictable and boring. The jokes, such as they are, all seem recycled from other shows.
Performance potential: It's a longshot at best.
Debut date: Premiered Aug. 23
LADIES MAN (Mondays, 7:30 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2) is sort of the grown-up version of "Odd Man Out." British actor Alfred Molina stars as an all-American, blue-collar kind of guy. He's the male in the center of a female ocean, including his very pregnant wife (Sharon Lawrence of "NYPD Blue"); his ex-wife (Park Overall of "Empty Nest"), his 15-year-old daughter from his first marriage; his 10-year-old daughter from his second marriage; his opinionated mother-in-law (Betty White); and his even more opinionated mother (Dixie Carter of "Designing Women").
Quality quotient: It's loud and boisterous and occasionally funny. It's also full of off-color humor.
Performance potential: In this time slot -- between "King of Queens" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" -- it looks like it could be a success.
Debut date: Monday, Sept. 20
LOVE & MONEY (Friday, 7:30 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2) tries to rework the old opposites-attract formula. She (Paget Brewster) is the daughter of multi-millionaire parents (David Ogden Stiers of "M*A*S*H" and Swoozie Kurtz of "Sisters") who live in the penthouse; he (Brian Van Holt) is the building's handyman and his father (Brian Doyle Murray) is the doorman. She's about to marry somebody else when he sweeps her off her feet.
Quality quotient: This is very broad comedy that can be quite funny. It all hinges on whether Brewster and Van Holt can forge the proper chemistry and whether the writers are brave enough to be bold.
Performance potential: It faces a tough, uphill climb
Debut date: Friday, Oct. 8
THE MIKE O'MALLEY SHOW (Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5) is a half-hour sitcom about a 30-year-old man who lives with his slacker friend and has studiously avoided responsibility all of his life. But, when his best friend gets married, he decides to try to turn his life around and win back his ex-girlfriend.
Quality quotient: This is the sort of show that can ride a strong comedic personality to success -- but O'Malley doesn't provide that. It isn't awful, and there are a few laughs. But not enough to merit spending half an hour with.
Performance potential: Expect a quick cancellation.
Debut date: Tuesday, Sept. 21
MISSION HILL (Fridays, 7 p.m., WB/Ch. 30) is a half-hour animated show about a 24-year-old slacker -- an aspiring cartoonist -- who lives in the big city with his odd friends and becomes the reluctant guardian of his nerdy 17-year-old brother. Actors providing the voices include Wallace Langham ("Veronica's Closet") and Vicki Lewis ("Suddenly Susan").
Quality quotient: Bad writing, bad (and ugly) animation and tasteless, moronic content -- gee, what else could you ask for in a comedy?
Performance potential: If this succeeds it will be nothing short of stunning.
Debut date: Friday, Sept. 24
OH GROW UP (Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4) is sort of half of "Friends" -- the male half. Three longtime friends in their mid-30s share a house in Queens -- one is a stud whose life is a series of one-night stands; another is an earnest guy trying to find success as a painter; the third is a successful lawyer who has just figured out that he is gay. The cast includes the stud's 18-year-old daughter (whom he has just become aware of); the gay guy's ex-wife; and a dog named Mom.
Quality quotient: This is a show that can be funny in spots and is populated by likeable characters. But it has a hard edge that's sometimes uncomfortable. And the strange device of having subtitles while the dog barks is incredibly annoying.
Performance potential: Won't be a big hit, but could ride "The Drew Carey Show's" coattails to success.
STARK RAVING MAD (Thursdays, 8:30 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5) is an odd-couple comedy about a neurotic book editor (Neil Patrick Harris of "Doogie Howser, M.D.") who is assigned to work with an off-the-wall horror writer (Tony Shalhoub of "Wings") who is sort of a zany Steven King. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start but they soon learn they need each other.
Quality quotient: The pilot, frankly, wasn't that great. The acting was fine, but the writing was weak. Particularly considering that it comes from Steve Levitan, the hugely talented creator/executive producer of "Just Shoot Me" who is also a former "Frasier" producer. But, with luck , Levitan and Co. can turn it into something worth watching.
Performance potential: Sandwiched between "Friends" and "Frasier," lots of people are going to watch this. But it's going to have to put out a better product to hold those viewers.
Debut date: Thursday, Sept. 23
THEN CAME YOU (Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4) is another opposites-attract comedy. She (U. grad Susan Floyd) is a 33-year-old career woman who has just left her unsatisfying marriage; he (Thomas Newton) is a fresh-faced 22-year-old who just graduated from college.
Quality quotient: The pilot has some very, very funny lines in it and the cast is appealing. You've got to wonder where this one is going to go, however.
Performance potential: It's an uphill -- and, potentially, unwinnable -- battle against NBC's Thursday-night juggernaut.
Debut date: Thursday, Oct. 7
WORK WITH ME (Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2) casts Nancy Travis and Kevin Pollack as married lawyers -- he's very corporate, she's more free-thinking. But when he loses his cushy Wall Street job and joins her firm, it's a culture-shock for both of them.
Quality quotient: With fabulous stars like Travis and Pollack, there isn't a greater waste of talent on TV this season. This is predictable, unfunny junk.
Performance potential: It's a bomb just waiting to detonate.
Debut date: Wednesday, Sept. 29