It’s a bittersweet fact of life that the annual sense of excitement and anticipation over the new fall TV season is undercut by the fact that many old favorites are no longer with us.

It helps, though, that some of this fall’s new entries help recapture the style and sensibility of the best among TV’s dearly departed.

Needless to say, there are at least two no-brainers in the bunch. For example, fans missing their longtime best "Friends" can tune into the very same Thursday night time period for "Joey," (8 p.m. WTHR , premiering this week), the spinoff sitcom centered around Joey Tribbiani (two-time Emmy nominee Matt LeBlanc), who has moved to Los Angeles in hopes of jump-starting his acting career.

It’s no news that LeBlanc is charming and funny, but wonder of wonders, "Joey" itself is no lukewarm leftover lasagna, either. In his new West Coast setting, Joey rekindles a long-dormant relationship with his older sister, Gina (Drea de Matteo of "The Sopranos"), and her academically gifted but socially inept son, Michael (newcomer Paulo Costanzo), two new ripe-for-comedy characters.

Based on the pilot, "Joey" manages to tastefully exploit its "Friends" legacy while fearlessly exploring fresh facets of its main character, specifically how Joey Tribbiani relates to his family. Very smartly cast, written and acted, "Joey" looks to be one of the season’s few sure things.

As for the second no-brainer, ABC has managed an all but seamless transition between David E. Kelley’s long-running Sunday courtroom drama "The Practice" and its spinoff, "Boston Legal," which moves into the same time period. Kelley and his creative team shrewdly used last season to introduce and/or deepen characters played by Rhona Mitra, William Shatner and — most unforgettably — James Spader as ethics-challenged attorney Alan Shore, whose outrageous behavior already has fans hooked even before "Boston Legal" has its official premiere this fall (10 p.m. WRTV , Oct. 3).

Last spring’s still-tragic cancellation of The WB Network’s "Angel," which followed the prior departures of its parent show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and the short-lived sci-fi series "Firefly," means that Joss Whedon fans are pretty much left high and dry this season when it comes to this demented choirboy’s gleefully skewed blend of comedy, horror and high art.

Whedon is such a very distinctive creative voice that his absence is hard to gloss over.

That said, ABC’s "Lost" (8 p.m. WRTV , Sept. 22), shows some early potential in its provocative combination of adventure thriller (air-crash survivors stranded on a remote uncharted island form a volatile social alliance) with the fantastic and/or supernatural (something big, nasty and hungry is lurking just out of sight, waiting to gobble up the unwary or stupid). Each Wednesday’s episode includes new revelations about one of the castaways, who include Matthew Fox ("Party of Five"), Harold Perrineau ("Oz") and Dominic Monaghan ("The Lord of the Rings"), and we learn that each is a lost soul.

Have they all been "brought" to this island for some greater reason? Could be. Stay tuned.

"ER" continues to chug away as the Energizer bunny of medical dramas over on NBC, but viewers who preferred the quirky and unpredictable Dr. Jeffrey Geiger (Mandy Patinkin) on CBS’ now-defunct "Chicago Hope" will find a kindred spirit in Fox’s new Tuesday (8 p.m., WISH , November) medical drama "House" — as in Dr. Greg House, the brilliant but cranky diagnostician played by British actor Hugh Laurie.

Laurie is most familiar to U.S. audiences via his comedy roles, playing amiably goofy characters in such PBS favorites as "Jeeves and Wooster" and Rowan Atkinson’s "Black Adder" comedies, so it may require a period of adjustment for some viewers to feel comfortable with his new curmudgeonly mode. Having such pros as Robert Sean Leonard, Lisa Edelstein and Omar Epps in the supporting cast makes that transition a little easier, though.

Fans of "Sex and the City" were bereft when that HBO smash ended its long run last season. But anyone who admired those strong, sharply drawn female characters and their outspokenly witty points of view will recognize the same qualities in ABC’s "Desperate Housewives," a highly anticipated Sunday ABC entry that laces the tired nighttime soap formula with laugh-out-loud comedy. "Housewives" focuses on a close-knit group of friends and neighbors trying to make sense of the fact that one of their number, who led a seemingly perfect life, has just blown her brains out as the series opens (9 p.m. WRTV , Oct. 3).

There’s plenty of sexual tension courtesy of Gaby Solis (Eva Longoria), a former model whose teenage lawnboy is putting in overtime with her, and serial divorcee Edie Britt (Nicolette Sheridan, rekindling those "Knots Landing" bad-girl memories).

What makes this show absolutely fly, however, are peerless comedy turns by Marcia Cross ("Melrose Place") as Bree Van De Kamp, a Martha Stewart in overdrive; Felicity Huffman ("Sports Night") as Lynette Scavo, a former executive turned harried mother of four; and, first among equals, Teri Hatcher ("Lois & Clark"), who is both touching and hilarious as divorced single mom Susan Mayer.

Fresh, funny, high-spirited and original, "Desperate Housewives" seems destined to succeed or fail in a big way. Either viewers will embrace this very clever series on its own terms or it will go down as another casualty in the heartbreaking genre of "TV that was just too good for TV."

Here’s a look at other network shows for the fall season:

(Show times and premiere dates are subject to change.)

Center of the Universe (9:30 p.m. Wednesdays, WISH ; Sept. 22): John Goodman is the figurative and literal center of this sitcom about a family man who often has to question the benefits of having relatives. The supporting cast is rich with comedy veterans: Jean Smart as his sensible wife, Diedrich Bader ("The Drew Carey Show") as his daft brother, and Ed Asner as his libidinous father.

Clubhouse (9 p.m. Tuesdays, WISH ; Sept. 28): Any boy — or man — who ever dreamed of being in the bullpen with a pro baseball team will relate to the young hero (Jeremy Sumpter, "Peter Pan") of this drama. Initially without his mother’s (Mare Winningham) knowledge, he becomes the batboy for the fictitious New York Empires. Dean Cain has the right charisma as the squad’s star.

Commando Nanny (8:30 p.m. Fridays, WTTV ; premieres in October): It sounds a lot like "Major Dad" — it even has that show’s star, Gerald McRaney — but this new sitcom is based on the experiences of TV producer Mark Burnett, the brainchild behind "Survivor" and "The Apprentice." Owain Yeoman plays a former British soldier hired to mind the children of a Beverly Hills tycoon (McRaney).

Complete Savages (8:30 p.m. Fridays, WRTV ; Sept. 24): Keith Carradine comes to series television as a family patriarch determined to transform his slovenly sons into domestically inclined neatniks. Co-stars Erik von Detten, Andrew Eiden, Shaun Sipos, Evan Ellingson and Jason Dolley contribute to the household mayhem in the show, created by former staff members of "The Simpsons" and "Everybody Loves Raymond."

CSI: NY (10 p.m. Wednesdays, WISH ; Sept. 22): Las Vegas and Miami can keep handling their own forensics investigations. The Big Apple now has its own CSI team, introduced to big ratings last spring in a "CSI: Miami" episode. The appropriately intense Gary Sinise and "Providence" alumna Melina Kanakaredes lead the new group of police detectives.

Dr. Vegas (10 p.m. Fridays, WISH ; Sept. 24): After the brief life of "The Lyon’s Den" last fall, Rob Lowe lightens things up for himself with this comedy-drama about a doctor who’s always in — at the Las Vegas casino where he operates from the penthouse. When he’s not catering to the general manager (Joe Pantoliano) or co-workers, he’s tending to patrons who keep the cards shuffling and roulette wheels spinning.

Jack & Bobby (9 p.m. Sundays, WTTV ; Sept. 12 ): The names of the title siblings deliberately are designed to evoke memories in this drama from producers of "Everwood" and "The West Wing." The surname is McCallister instead of Kennedy as Matthew Long and Logan Lerman play the brothers, one of whom will grow up to be president of the United States. Emmy and Oscar winner Christine Lahti also stars as their colorful, single mother.

Kevin Hill (9 p.m. Wednesdays, WNDY ; Sept. 29): Taye Diggs has charisma to spare in the new TV season’s showcase role for any male star. He plays Kevin Hill, a high-powered lawyer who sees his entire life change in an instant in this drama that has many critics and advertisers raving. His cousin’s death makes him the sudden guardian of a 6-month-old, so he joins another firm — a female-driven one — that suits his new lifestyle better..

LAX (10 p.m. Mondays, WTHR ; Sept. 13): Blair Underwood ("L.A. Law") is the other source of star power in this new drama built around co-star Heather Locklear. He admirably holds his ground as the terminal supervisor vying for ultimate supervision of Los Angeles International Airport.

Listen Up (8:30 p.m. Mondays, WISH ; Sept. 20): The home and work lives of sportswriter and broadcaster Tony Kornheiser provide the basis for Jason Alexander’s latest series. He’s not exactly George Costanza of "Seinfeld" this time, but the actor still gets to act hapless often enough as a sports-show personality whose passion for games evades his teenage daughter, Lauren (Daniella Monet).

Medical Investigation (10 p.m. Fridays, WTHR ; Friday): "CSI" meets "Marcus Welby, M.D." in this fast-paced, highly visual drama about National Institutes of Health doctors summoned to the sites of crises that could spread beyond those immediately impacted by unidentified diseases. Several survivors of past series — including Neal McDonough ("Boomtown"), Kelli Williams ("The Practice") and Christopher Gorham ("Jake 2.0") — comprise the team.

Rodney (9:30 p.m. Tuesdays, WRTV ; Sept. 21): Rodney Carrington clearly hopes the TV tradition of turning stand-up comics into sitcom stars holds up. He mirrors aspects of his life by playing a pull-no-punches family man who loses his job and decides to pursue his dream of becoming a comedian.

Second Time Around (9:30 p.m. Mondays, WNDY ; Sept. 20): Currently engaged and expecting their first child in real life, former "Soul Food" co-stars Nicole Parker and Boris Kodjoe tie the knot for the second time as this comedy’s principal characters. Ryan and Jackson are convinced they have a head start on making matrimony work, since they know what went wrong the first time, but assorted friends and relatives don’t make it easy for them.

The Benefactor (8 p.m. Mondays, WRTV ; Sept. 13): If you don’t know the name John Beresford Tipton, the name Mark Cuban will do for now. Tipton was the unseen "Millionaire" on a classic drama series about a wealthy man who gave away fortunes to complete strangers. Dallas Mavericks owner Cuban does the same thing in this unscripted show — but the person who gets $1 million from him has to stand out among a group of 16 hopefuls.

The Contender (8 p.m. Tuesdays, WTHR ; premieres in November): One of the season’s two new reality boxing shows, this one partners someone who knows something about the sport — Sylvester Stallone, who took his share of hits in the five "Rocky" movies — with the king of the unscripted genre, Mark Burnett ("Survivor," "The Apprentice"). Sixteen amateur fighters duke it out in pursuit of glory and a $1 million prize.

The Next Great Champ (9 p.m. Tuesdays, WXIN ; Tuesday): This show is getting a two-month jump on "The Contender." Here, veteran boxer Oscar De La Hoya gauges hopefuls who enter the ring for a possible shot at a World Boxing Organization title (moves to Fridays Oct. 22).