Five New Reasons to Turn Your TiVo on (and off!) this Fall

The fall television season is rapidly approaching. Heck, the networks have been airing ads for some of these shows since May. While we know many of you are pining for the return of Desperate Housewives and Lost, here are a quintet of new series worth taking a look at. Commander in ChiefTuesdays, 9 p.m., ABC Oscar-winner Geena Davis stars as the first female Vice President (and an Independent!) who is thrust into the Oval Office when her boss kicks the bucket. But not everyone is happy to see a lady leading the countryparticularly the Speaker of the House (Donald Sutherland), who is already plotting a takeover of the throne. Both intriguing and moving, the show is the leader of the new drama pack. ThresholdFridays, 9 p.m., CBS Apparently CBS is going after the X-Files audience that used to stay home every Friday night to watch Mulder and Scully investigate the paranormal. Here, Carla Gugino (Spy Kids) plays a doctor who plots out worst case scenarios for the government. When one of her worst cases (in this worst case, an alien invasion) comes true, she and a team of experts are called in to investigateonly they become more involved than they expected. In terms of sci fi, this is the pick of the new litterand what a litter it is. There are no less than three new alien invasion shows this year. Thats two too many. BonesTuesdays, 8 p.m., Fox OK, so maybe the universe wasnt begging for another procedural crime drama, but this one kept our interest. First, it stars Emily Deschanel as a kick-ass, brilliant forensic anthropologist who can solve crimes with just skeletal remains as evidence. Second, openly gay actor Eric Millegan plays her genius assistant. And third, David Boreanaz, who plays an FBI agent teamed with Deschanels character, is just hot. Really, the third reason alone is good enough for us. Prison BreakMondays, 9 p.m., Fox After his brother is put on death row for a crime he didnt commit, Michael (the exceptionally hunky Wentworth Smith) gets into the maximum security prisonby robbing a bankwith a plan to get his brother out. The show plays like Oz light (meaning, no hot gay sex well, at least not in the pilot) with a diverse and appealing (in a criminal kinda way) cast of characters. It will be interesting to see if these lads actually make it out. And if they succeed, what will the series do then? Veronica MarsWednesdays, 9 p.m., UPN OK, so its not a new show, and, yes, its up against Lost this season (UPN must really want to kill this show), but Kristen Bell is so fierce and feisty as a high school student/detective that it still makes the grade. If you havent watched this whip-smart show, you had best catch up quick. PLUS: Five Must-Miss Shows! The War at Home (Fox): Unfunny and borderline homophobic, this new comedy (using the term loosely) stars Michael Rappaport as a would-be Archie Bunkerlike dad. Just Legal (The WB): Don Johnson plays a washed-up, alcoholic lawyer who is forced to clean up (a little) when he takes a 19-year-old legal prodigy (Jay Baruchel) into his office. You will want to sue to get your time back. Head Cases (The WB): Pair unfunny Chris ODonnell as a lawyer who has a nervous breakdown with obnoxious Adam Goldberg as a mentally troubled lawyer, and what do you get? After watching one hour of the show, we still have no idea. Sex, Love & Secrets (UPN): It wants to be Melrose Place (or at least it should), but this lame melodrama set in Los Angeles is too much mellow and not enough drama. Freddie (ABC): Possibly less funny than The War at Home, but at least this sitcom has the surprisingly engaging Freddie Prinze Jr. going for it (and 90210 alum Brian Green is amusing).