Premiere: Sept. 2, 8 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Biggest Loser, House, NCIS, Opportunity Knocks
Cast: Shenae Grimes, Tristan Wilds, Dustin Milligan, Lori Loughlin, Rob Estes
Status: No one has seen it

Ask anyone in this town and they’ll tell you they know someone who knows someone who read an early pilot script and “hated it.” But here’s what you should know about the new 9-0: The series has now been through multiple rewrites and reshoots, and I’m hearing it’s gotten better with every turn. “Pretty good” is the general assessment among those who’ve seen early cuts of the premiere (which is still being finalized, so no one has seen the real deal), and personally, I’m keeping an open mind. After all, some truly good series (see: Brothers & Sisters, 30 Rock) worked out many a kink before hitting the air. Not to mention the producers (Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs from Freaks and Geeks) seem to know what they are doing. Will it redefine television as we know it? Probably not. But it could be one hell of a juicy guilty pleasure, and you didn’t get a TV to watch C-SPAN, did you?

Vegas Odds on Survival: 4 to 1
My Verdict: Watch the premiere

FRINGE (Fox)

Premiere: Sept. 9, 8 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Dancing With the Stars, The Mentalist, Privileged
Cast: Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo
Status: I’ve seen the first episode

Joshua Jackson is back on TV! If that’s not reason enough to watch, I should mention that that other J.J., the guy who helped to bring you Felicity, Alias and Lost, is the man behind the curtain running this show, and the premise is pretty freaking cool. See, it’s the new millennium, so it’s time for a new generation of feds to investigate a new generation of paranormal mysteries. Move over, X-Files, and take your very special Chupacabra investigations with you, because Fringe is ditching modern American supernatural mythology—the Winchester bros have that all locked up anyway—for pseudoscience, where the mysterious happenings are almost plausible.

Anna Torv (a sort of freckly, blond Jennifer Garner and wholly likeable) is the stalwart FBI agent sucked into the industrial-strength mischief, John Noble is the lunatic wizard who knows where the bodies of the failed clone zombies are buried, and Joshua Jackson is the witty raconteur who finds himself in the middle, translating between the two parties. Between the three of them, we may actually have a chance of preventing the Greed (personified here by mystery mogul William Bell and his conglomonster Massive Dynamics) from eating mankind alive.

The pilot is one of J.J. Abrams‘ beautifully symmetrical creations (like quartz, those things), the writers are all refugees from other Bad Robot productions, and Fox is throwing everything but the kitchen sink at this thing. So it should take off, and our Vegas oddsmaker Benjamin Eckstein agrees, placing it the second most likely new series to succeed this season. But of course, only you will truly decide.

Vegas Odds on Survival: 3 to 1
My Verdict: Watch it

PRIVILEGED (CW)

Premiere: Sept. 9, 9 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Dancing With the Stars, Fringe, The Mentalist
Cast: Joanna Garcia, Anne Archer, Lucy Hale, Ashley Newbrough, Allan Louis
Status: I’ve seen the first episode

It’s been written that the primary duty of the tutor and governess in the wealthy household is to be on hand so that someone can fall inappropriately in love with them. This would seem to be the gist of Privileged, the story of Megan Smith (Reba’s Joanna Garcia), a middle-class Mary Poppins who finds herself charged with redeeming two teenage termagants of Palm Beach society, Rose (Lucy Hale) and Sage (Ashley Newbrough).

While trying to keep the brats on track, Megan has her own coming-of-age tale to write, both literally and figuratively. She will work on the great American novel in the morning, tutor the kiddos in the afternoon, and by night, vacillate between her sexy upper-class beau Will and her sexy working-class friend Charlie. Tough life, right?

With Everwood‘s ultratalented Rina Mimoun running the show, Privileged should very well turn out to be a good story…however, I’m hoping the series overall is both wittier and less hectic than the pilot, which rang a bit hollow. That said, (a) it doesn’t matter what I think because the tweens will determine whether this show lives or dies, and (b) it’s never not fun to live the lifestyles of the rich and famous vicariously through a pretty young thing, so if the tweens are in, so am I.

Vegas Odds on Survival: 50 to 1
My Verdict: DVR it

THE MENTALIST (CBS)

Premiere: Sept. 23, 9 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Dancing With the Stars, Fringe, Privileged
Cast: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Amanda Righetti, Owain Yeoman, Tim Kang
Status: I’ve seen the first episode

Patrick Jane is a former TV psychic who now puts his keen observational skills to work for the cops, instead of using them to make people cry for the cameras. The reason for this change of heart is pretty hard-core, but despite a darkish past, Jane still manages to be mostly charming, thanks to the natural charisma of Simon Baker. The murky, noirish atmosphere of The Mentalist means it is miles from Psych‘s territory and actually very close to the tone and style of CBS’ other crime dramas (or an uninspired clone, depending on your level of discernment when it comes to crime-show distinctions).

If the procedural elements keep pace, between sexy Baker and the pervasive threat of the season’s major villain, Red John, there should be a lot to watch. Without using my third eye at all, I foresee a success.

Vegas Odds on Survival: 40 to 1
My Verdict: DVR it, or watch it live if you’re a big procedural fan

Here’s the funny thing about writing about Fall TV this year: There are still some new series that no one has seen, thanks to the lasting effects of the writers’ strike.

Still, after interviewing the producers and actors, checking out the promos and previews and digging deep into what’s going on behind the scenes (and doing a little soul-searching), I have a pretty good inkling as to which shows should be worth your time. (Especially the ones I’ve seen—some of which I loved and some of which made me break out in hives, ahem, Gary Unmarried.)

Also, just for fun this year, we reached out to a nationally syndicated Vegas oddsmaker—Benjamin Eckstein of America’s Line—for his take on what will rock or flop.

And so, today, we are kicking off E! Online’s night-by-night look at fall’s new series with Monday’s options—CBS’ Worst Week, NBC’s My Own Worst Enemy and TNT’s Raising the Bar—and will tackle a new day each day this week.

Find out what’s worth a look, and then weigh in with what you’ll be watching…

WORST WEEK (CBS)
Premiere: Sept. 22, 9:30 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Heroes, Samantha Who?, Prison Break, One Tree Hill
Cast: Kyle Bornheimer, Erinn Hayes, Kurtwood Smith, Nancy Lenehan
Status: I’ve seen the first episode

If you’ve seen the giant billboards around town of a guy striking a pose in a diaper, you know what you’re in for: The sexiest show of the season!

OK, so that’s not true at all. But this does look to be the funniest new show (based on what I’ve seen so far), and Kyle Bornheimer, who plays leading man Sam Briggs, is undeniably likeable and just, well, awesome.

Worst Week is the story of Sam Briggs, a sweet schlub of a man who has wonderful intentions and terrible, terrible luck. His life is a veritable Rube Goldberg device of misunderstandings, mistakes and unfortunate decisions, where every catastrophe is the direct cause of a new, different and even more humiliating disaster. You will laugh your booty off at Sam’s misfortune, and you should be sure to enjoy it, because Bornheimer is killing himself just to make you giggle. Kyle told me last week, “I was set on fire yesterday…sometimes I wonder, Am I part of some new reality show where they tell a guy that he’s the star of a TV show and it’s really just to put him through really torturous situations?” Torturous for Sam, maybe, but pretty uproarious for the rest of us.

Verdict: Definitely watch it

MY OWN WORST ENEMY (NBC)
Premiere: Oct. 13, 10 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Boston Legal, CSI: Miami, Raising the Bar
Cast: Christian Slater, Alfre Woodard, Mädchen Amick, Saffron Burrows
Status: No screeners available yet

Hey, look! It’s Christian Slater, and he’s on TV! That just might be enough to make some of you tune in, but FYI, the show’s premise also sounds wickedly intriguing. Enemy is about a stay-at-home dad who lives a double life as an international superspy, but because of government meddling in his frontal lobe, he doesn’t actually know what his spy side does at night.

As Slater puts it, “It’s a Jekyll and Hyde story, with a little bit of James Bond thrown in. And yet it’s very relatable—it’s about the question, What do you do when you find out the person you can’t trust is yourself?”

As for the real-life mystery, Enemy is one of the new NBC series that no one has seen yet. The all-star cast is a good sign, and I really like creator Jason Smilovic, but right now, there’s just no telling if My Own Worst Enemy is worth our while.

Verdict: Wait and see, but looks promising

RAISING THE BAR (TNT)
Premiere: Sept. 1, 10 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Boston Legal, CSI: Miami, My Own Worst Enemy
Cast: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben, Jane Kaczmarek, J. August Richards
Status: I’ve seen the first episode

Trade the scrubs for suits and Raising the Bar is essentially Grey’s Anatomy in a courthouse: Gorgeous young professionals wrestle their personal demons, flirt with each other and conspire to get ahead, always working out at least a temporary solution to both problems by the end of act four.

Created by Steven Bochco, Raising centers around a group of law-school classmates who now face off as district attorneys and public defenders in the New York City courts. Respectable writing, decent production values, a sustainable procedural premise and a cast of TV favorites—Malcolm in the Middle’s Jane Kaczmarek, ER’s Gloria Reuben, Angel’s J. August Richards and, of course, Zack Morris himself—add up to a pretty good time.

Verdict: DVR it for a rainy day

Tuesday, Sept. 2
90210 (CW), 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 3
Sons of Anarchy (FX), 10 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 5
Samurai Girl (ABC Family), 8 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 7
True Blood (HBO), 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 9
Fringe (Fox), 8 p.m.
Privileged (CW), 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 10
Do Not Disturb (Fox), 9:30 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 22
Worst Week (CBS), 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 23
The Mentalist (CBS), 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 24
Knight Rider (NBC), 8 p.m.
Gary Unmarried (CBS), 8:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 3
The Ex List (CBS), 9 p.m.
Sanctuary (Sci Fi), 9 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 9
Kath & Kim (NBC), 9:30 p.m.
Eleventh Hour (CBS), 10 p.m.
Life on Mars (ABC), 10 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 10
The Starter Wife (USA), 10 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 13
My Own Worst Enemy (NBC), 10 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 17
Crusoe (NBC), 8 p.m.
Crash (Starz), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 22
Stylista (CW), 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 26
Greek (ABC Family), 9 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 1
Gossip Girl (CW), 8 p.m.
One Tree Hill (CW), 9 p.m.
Prison Break (Fox), 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 2
The Shield (FX), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 3
America’s Next Top Model (CW), 8 p.m.
Bones (Fox), 8 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 7
Entourage (HBO), 10 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 8
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox), 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 10
‘Til Death (Fox), 9 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 11
Kitchen Nightmares (Fox), 9 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 12
Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Fox), 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 16
Biggest Loser: Families (NBC), 8 p.m.
House (Fox), 8 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 18
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX), 10 p.m.
Smallville (CW), 8 p.m.
Supernatural (CW), 9 p.m.
Survivor: Gabon (CBS), 8 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 22
The Big Bang Theory (CBS), 8 p.m.
Boston Legal (ABC), 10 p.m.
CSI: Miami (CBS), 10 p.m.
Dancing with the Stars (ABC), 9 p.m.
Dr. 90210 (E!), 10 p.m.
Heroes (NBC), 9 p.m.
How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 8:30 p.m.
Two and a Half Men (CBS), 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 23
Law & Order: SVU (NBC), 10 p.m.
NCIS (CBS), 8 p.m.
Without a Trace (CBS), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 24
Criminal Minds (CBS), 9 p.m.
CSI: NY (CBS), 10 p.m.
Lipstick Jungle (NBC), 10 p.m.
The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS), 8 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 25
ER (NBC), 10 p.m.
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), 9 p.m.
My Name is Earl (NBC), 8 p.m.
The Office (NBC), 9 p.m.
Ugly Betty (ABC), 8 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 28
Amazing Race (CBS), 8 p.m.
American Dad (Fox), 9:30 p.m.
Brothers & Sisters (ABC), 10 p.m.
Californication (Showtime), 10 p.m.
Cold Case (CBS), 9 p.m.
Desperate Housewives (ABC), 9 p.m.
Dexter (Showtime), 9 p.m.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC), 8 p.m.
Family Guy (Fox), 9 p.m.
King of the Hill (Fox), 8:30 p.m.
The Simpsons (Fox), 8 p.m.
The Unit (CBS), 10 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 29
Chuck (NBC), 8 p.m.
Life (NBC), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 1
Dirty Sexy Money (ABC), 10 p.m.
Friday Night Lights (DirecTV 101), 9 p.m.
Pushing Daisies (ABC), 8 p.m.
Private Practice (ABC), 9 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 3
Everybody Hates Chris (CW), 8 p.m.
The Game (CW), 8:30 p.m.
Ghost Whisperer (CBS), 8 p.m.
Numb3rs (CBS), 10 p.m.
Supernanny (ABC), 9 p.m.
Wife Swap (ABC), 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 5
Girls Next Door (E!), 10 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 6
Samantha Who? (ABC), 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 9
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS), 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 14
Eli Stone (ABC), 10 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 30
30 Rock (NBC), 8:30 p.m.