Considering all that it has going for it, "Threshold" has a more formidable foe in Friday night apathy. Out of all the shows that could possibly conquer that, though, you couldn't place your faith in a better choice than this excellent proof of intelligent TV life.

File this under "We'll See."

Unless you're a cold, cynical, seen-it-all kind of guy (or chick), odds are you'll find a lot to like about the first episode.

It isn't a laugh-a-minute free-for-all.

This is not a shoot-the-moon, wholly unique story, but it's comforting and thoughtful.

Worst of all is the writing's low-bar comedy; it's so weak that the laugh track doesn't just sound forced, it sounds as if the audience has a gun to its head.

It's unfair to lay every fault on the actors when the dialogue is so insubstantial, verging on sophomoric and mawkish in a few exchanges

Guide to Style is smart, fun and instructive, emphasizing enlightenment over shame and choice over following orders.

Interesting, but the sprawling pilot doesn't do "Surface" any favors.

"Hex" may not be stupendous TV, but for a decent summer thrill, nothing on broadcast holds a candle to it.

A classy, stimulating look at six true mavericks through the eyes of six people in various stages of iconoclastic development.

"Bones" probably will remind more viewers of a cross between "CSI" and "The X-Files," except with more humorous banter than the first, and more romantic heat than the latter.

It's all very quirky. Too quirky, maybe, for an audience that is used to spaceships, robots and explosions.

A promising cast and respected executive producers conspire to give "The Unit" a shot at being this spring's breakout hit. But the real proof's in the pilot, a thrilling balance between the action of this sharpshooting brotherhood and the schemes of their secretive, slightly overbearing wives.

Borders on terrific at times and falters in others.

Relentlessly odd as "Meadowlands" can be, don't be surprised if it seduces you.

Just when you think The Office is working, it starts to crumble. You reach a point of giving up on it, and then suddenly it pulls you back. The thing defies concrete evaluation because it could go either way. [24 Mar 2005, p.D1]

If you don't like Woods' frantic, frequent speeches, and you can't get out of the "Without a Trace" Thursday habit, best to steer clear.

"Day Break" is an intricate, imaginative series designed to make you ask questions at every turn, but the killer will be, "What else is on?"

There comes a point at which sisterhood becomes powerfully irritating, and "Related" finds it within the first 40 minutes of its existence.

This vampire detective show (sorry, can't resist this) is one that first bites, then sucks. Hard.

The premiere breathe[s] like a moody, dark theatrical release -- one that tastes like Quentin Tarantino muddled with Michael Mann -- as opposed to a pilot from executive producer John Wells.

The only person with untainted clues as to the person Samantha really was is the doorman to her apartment building, Frank (Tim Russ), and the combination of all these factors creates a premiere that is as pathetic as it is occasionally funny.

"My Boys"... has development potential if you can get past the notion that it's been done to death.

Hang out for a while... and you may quickly realize why you didn't stay in touch with most of your fellow third-graders. People like these suck the life out of you.

"Supernatural" plays like a high-octane B-flick. You could be mildly ashamed at how much you like it.

"Psych" is one of those happy collisions of an intelligent script and an appealing cast.

The tale's beyond complicated, to be sure. But it also may be the most watchable six hours of strangeness you'll see this season.