Huge question marks hang over the fall 2008 TV season.Such as:-- Will viewers, who tuned out in droves during the writers' strike, return to their pre-strike TV habits?-- Will series that took a creative downturn last season (cough, cough, "Heroes"), get back on track? And will (former) fans get back on board?-- What will be the fate of some sophomore dramas that haven't aired since late last year and even then had started to see their ratings erode (e.g., "Pushing Daisies," "Private Practice")?One thing we know with certainty: The networks are not treating fall 2008 as business as usual.Network executives are on edge, worrying that they'll throw a fall premiere party and no one shows up. TV critics are surly, having been deprived of preview copies of new fall shows because of productions delays or a "strategic marketing decision" in the case of The CW's "90210," which premiered Sept. 2.The big question is how you, the viewers, will respond.To make things easier -- on them and you -- the networks aren't rolling out a slew of new shows. ABC has just two on its fall schedule. Fox has three. NBC has four. CBS has five.The CW adds three shows of its own, but farms out its entire Sunday-night lineup to Media Rights Capital, an independent studio that will program the night with three new series and sell its own ads, similar to the arrangement The CW had with WWE Wrestling on Fridays for "Smackdown." ("Smackdown" moves to My Network TV, premiering in October.)With fewer new shows, the networks can spend more time and money promoting returning series that viewers may already know. It's a strategic move, but the networks also had no other choice. With development and production of pilots delayed by the writers' strike, their cupboards were almost empty. They're stocking up now.Just last month, ABC ordered five new series for midseason. Fox and NBC both have a roster of new and returning shows waiting in the wings.Before we get to short reviews and previews, there are a few things to keep in mind: Saturday night remains Rotating Rerun Theater for most of the broadcast networks (ABC airs college football in prime time; Fox has its true-crime shows). Premiere dates follow each capsule in parentheses.SUNDAY"In Harm's Way" (7 p.m., The CW): Another tough-guy reality show about Americans who work in dangerous jobs for a living. Not available for review. (Oct. 5.)"Valentine" (8 p.m., The CW): A family of Greek gods keep their identities secret while helping soul mates find one another. A romantic dramedy, the show stars Jaime Murray (Lila on "Dexter"), Kristopher Polaha ("North Shore") and Autumn Reeser ("The O.C."). Not available for review. (Oct.5.)"Easy Money" (9 p.m., The CW): Laurie Metcalf ("Roseanne") and Judge Reinhold ("Beverly Hills Cop") star in this drama about a family that runs a high-interest loan business. Not available for review. (Oct. 5.)MONDAY"Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed" (9 p.m., MNT): The Masked Magician from Fox's spoiler-filled specials returns to reveal how magic tricks are staged. Not available for review. (Oct. 6.)"Worst Week" (9:30 p.m., CBS): This single-camera comedy has a great pilot, but a premise that seems better suited to a one-shot movie than a weekly series. Sam (Kyle Bornheimer) is a victim of terrible luck, particularly when it comes to the parents of his pregnant girlfriend (Erinn Hayes). He often looks like a fool, but frequently it's not his fault in this hilariously uncomfortable comedy. But how can Sam's missteps sustain the comedy and not grow old? Maybe "Worst Week" will surprise us with its creativity. (Sept. 22.)"My Own Worst Enemy" (10 p.m., NBC): A Jekyll-and-Hyde drama about a man (Christian Slater) with two distinct personalities, one of whom is a proper family man and the other an operative who's trained to kill. Not available for review. (Oct. 13.)TUESDAY"90210" (8 p.m., The CW): Both edgy (a teen jock receives oral sex while in his SUV in front of his school) and old-fashioned (cheating scandal at school), the new "90210" is a satisfactory mix of new and old elements. A family from Kansas moves to Beverly Hills to look after the alcoholic grandma (Jessica Walter, the best part of the show). Characters from the old "90210" -- Kelly Taylor, Brenda Walsh and Peach Pit proprietor Nat -- mingle effortlessly with the new cast, including siblings Annie (Shenae Grimes) and Dixon (Tristan Wilds), the Beverly Hills newbies. (Already premiered.)"Opportunity Knocks" (8 p.m., ABC): Instead of families going to a studio to compete on a game show, the game show is trucked to their front door for this competition that's a family-friendly, positive version of Fox's "Moment of Truth." Not available for review. (Sept. 23.)"The Mentalist" (8 p.m., CBS): A competently made procedural crime show, this latest CBS series to star Simon Baker ("The Guardian") actually allows the actor to smile and display a rakish charm. He plays a California police investigator who once feigned psychic power but really just uses his keen observational skills to solve cases. It sounds a lot like USA's "Psych," and it is, but Baker brings an undeniable star presence that could make this show a hit. (Sept. 23.)"Fringe" (9 p.m., Fox): The latest J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi-tinged drama follows two government agents (Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv) who investigate scientific oddities. The pilot was a poorly constructed mess, but an underlying theme of paranoia regarding the corporate conglomerate Massive Dynamic holds some promise. (Already premiered.)"Privileged" (9 p.m., The CW): A young woman (JoAnna Garcia) who aspires to be a writer tutors rich kids in Florida. Cute drama with a touch of "Gilmore Girls" whimsy and characters who defy expected stereotypes. (Already premiered.)WEDNESDAY"Knight Rider" (8 p.m., NBC): A reboot of the 1980s series about a man and his talking car, this new "Knight Rider" began as a TV movie this past spring. Gary Scott Thompson, executive producer of the canceled "Las Vegas," is now calling the shots on this show. Not available for review. (Sept. 24.)"World's Funniest Moments" (8 p.m., MNT): Arsenio Hall hosts this clip show that sounds a lot like "America's Funniest Home Videos" from the Internet age. Not available for review. (Oct. 8.)"Gary Unmarried" (8:30 p.m., CBS): A sitcomy divorced couple -- he (Jay Mohr) is a dumb daddy; she (Paula Marshall) is a shrew -- cope with their lives that remain linked by their children. Some of the dialogue may be knowingly funny to male viewers, but much of it is gratuitous and not particularly funny (the 14-year-old son fears if he invites a girl over he'll be expected to "tap it"). (Sept. 24.)"Stylista" (9 p.m., The CW): Fashionistas vie for a job with Elle magazine, working as assistants on a set more spacious than the real Elle offices. "Stylista" comes from the executive producer of "America's Next Top Model" and stars Elle's "fashion news director," Anne Slowey, as the reality-TV version of Miranda Priestly from "The Devil Wears Prada." (Oct. 22.)"The Tony Rock Project" (9 p.m., MNT): Chris Rock's little brother conducts man-on-the-street interviews and hosts hidden-camera segments. Not available for review. (Oct. 8.)"Do Not Disturb" (9:30 p.m., Fox): For this Fox canceled "Back to You"? "Do Not Disturb" is an unfunny comedy set at a Manhattan hotel where fussy, sexist manager Neal (Jerry O'Connell) butts heads with the head of human resources (Niecy Nash), who protects the hotel's "downstairs" staff, including an overweight young woman who wants to work the front desk. Neal won't let her, preferring that leggy blondes work as the hotel's public face. (Already premiered.)THURSDAY"Hole in the Wall" (8 p.m., Fox): Teams of contestants must use speed and agility to advance to the next level on this game show. A wall with odd cutout shapes moves toward players, who must contort their bodies to match the cutouts to fit through the wall or they'll be swept into a pool of water. Not available for review. (Already premiered.)"Kath & Kim" (9:30 p.m., NBC): An adaptation of an Australian comedy about trashy fortysomething Kath (Molly Shannon) and her self-absorbed daughter, Kim (Selma Blair), who separates from her husband after six weeks of marriage and moves back in with her mother. Not available for review. (Oct. 9.)"Life on Mars" (10 p.m., ABC): A remake of the British series of the same name that aired on BBC America, this show follows the adventures of NYPD Detective Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara), who's hurtled through time from 2008 to 1973 after he's hit by a car. Now he has to try to find his way "home" while adjusting to a different era. Not available for review. (Oct. 9.)"Eleventh Hour" (10 p.m., CBS): Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell) investigates scientific oddities for the government, riding in at the 11th hour. Special agent Rachel Young (Marley Shelton) keeps tabs on him. Not available for review. (Oct. 9.)FRIDAY"Crusoe" (8 p.m., NBC): In this new adaptation of Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe," Philip Winchester ("Flyboys") stars as the title character who struggles to survive on an island. Flashbacks will detail Crusoe's love affair with his wife (Anna Walton, "Hellboy II"), who is back in England, and his relationship with a mysterious mentor (Sam Neill, "The Tudors"). Not available for review. (Oct. 17.)"The Ex-List" (9 p.m., CBS): A psychic tells single, thirtysomething Bella (Elizabeth Reaser, "Grey's Anatomy") that she's already met the man she'll marry, but if she doesn't marry him in a year, she'll be alone forever. Bella starts making a list of her exes and revisiting past prospects to see if love blooms anew. It's a cute concept that seems better suited to a movie than an ongoing series with no end date. The romantic nature of the show will draw some viewers and then push them away with one character's obsession with grooming down there. (Oct. 3.)(Contact TV editor Rob Owen at rowen(at)post-gazette.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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