Plus ’Six Feet Under’ feedback

And now... the story you’ve all been waiting for ... well, maybe not, but here’s the good, the bad and the inexplicable of the fall TV season, as determined by myself and my TV co-conpirator, Tribune arts critic Sid Smith.

THE GOOD

Best villains: Donald Sutherland is a charismatic and vindictive politician on "Commander in Chief," and the ever-creepy William Fichtner gives a dramatic boost to the "aliens are among us" drama "Invasion."

Most promising leads: "Everybody Hates Chris" is bound to launch the career of Chris Rock alter-ego Tyler Williams into the stratosphere, and Jason Lee makes a striking impression as naughty good ol’ boy Earl in the offbeat NBC comedy "My Name Is Earl."

Most unexpected development: Did you notice that we just used the words "offbeat" and "promising" in relation to an NBC comedy? Will wonders never cease?

Most lovable loony: Adam Goldberg, who had a memorable role a few years back as Joey’s annoying roommate Eddie on "Friends," does a terrific turn as a twitchy lawyer with anger-management problems on "Head Cases."

Most intriguing stunts: "Will & Grace" is planning a live premiere episode (let’s hope they plan some funny jokes as well), and "The West Wing" is mulling a live debate for its presidential candidates during November sweeps. Why not a live episode of "The O.C.," complete with a spontaneous, fists-of-fury party fracas?

Best comeback: Don Johnson completely inhabits his role as a grizzled, hard-drinking lawyer in "Just Legal."

Most promising comedy ensemble: Predictions and early assessments often come back to bite us on the behind. Still, although we’ve seen only one episode, we’re willing to say that the gang on "How I Met Your Mother," which is anchored by a deft Alyson Hannigan ("Buffy") and a razor-sharp Neil Patrick Harris (wildly different here from his "Doogie Howser" persona), is already one of the most appealing casts on prime-time network television.

Most promising drama ensemble: "Threshold" boasts not only stylish thrills, a potentially cool story and the always wonderful Carla Gugino, but it’s also got a rogue’s gallery of great character actors (Peter Dinklage of the film "The Station Agent," Brent Spiner of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Charles S. Dutton). We’d watch this killer ensemble read the telephone book, but happily, they’ve got meatier stuff to work with here.

Best trend: We love reality TV — the "so bad it’s good" kind and the "just plain good" kind. But after a long summer of uneven unscripted fare ("Rock Star," "Beauty and the Geek," "Dancing With the Stars" and Kathy Griffin’s Bravo show were the welcome, top-notch entries), we’re glad that this fall — unlike last fall — isn’t overstuffed with giant helpings of reality fare. And, miracle of miracles, there’s almost no reality on Fox this season. Thank you, Peter Liguori!

Most likely to be on the cover of Entertainment Weekly before the year is out: Wentworth Miller of "Prison Break."

Most hoped-for resolution for the season: The "Lost" survivors finally find out what’s in the hatch; a sled named Rosebud.

THE BAD

Worst trend: Several new crime dramas ("Close to Home," "Killer Instinct," "Criminal Minds") are chock-full of gut-churning violence against women, a trend that’s already far too prevalent on network drama (see also, Fox’s grisly "The Inside"). Sorry, TV types, but having a plucky female detective or lawyer lock up the bad guy does not excuse the overworked dramatic cliché of women in jeopardy. And why is it mostly women who are brutalized? And often attractive, scantily clad women, at that?

Most frightening move: The beloved drama "Everwood" moves to Thursdays this fall. ("Alias" does, too, but because the show is probably ending its run after this season, we’re not so upset about that.) The WB stuck by "Gilmore Girls" when it went through a slump; let’s hope the network shows the same patience when the plucky, worthy "Everwood" tries its best against behemoths such as "CSI" and "The Apprentice."

Most frightening presences: We see dead people. Lots of them. With "The Ghost Whisperer," "Supernatural" and "Medium," spirits and poltergeists from beyond the grave are almost getting more screen time than the living.

Most enjoyable guilty pleasure: Any soap that busts out the "teen-pregnancy scare" story line within the first 10 minutes should not, by rights, be a show that we get sucked in to. The exception is "Reunion," a show set among six high school friends over the course of 20 years. There are more than a few slices of cheese in this drama, but, to be honest, we kind of can’t wait to see the next installment.

Most appealing actors stuck in bad shows: David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel in "Bones," Eric Balfour in "Sex, Love and Secrets," Dennis Hopper in "E-Ring."

Most missed shows: We’re still mourning the cancellations of "Joan of Arcadia" and "Judging Amy," and the loss of those shows is all the more galling once you see the rather more pedestrian shows that replace them on CBS’ schedule:, "Close to Home" and the superficial "Ghost Whisperer."

Worst monster: We’re supposed to be scared by the critter in "Surface," but we don’t get to see it much in the premiere. Maybe it’ll grow on us ... like a fungus.

People we feel the most sorry for: The CBS P.R. employees who are hand-addressing a series of tiny envelopes that are being sent to TV writers and critics. Each one contains part of a puzzle hyping "Threshold." Hey, we already like the show. Stop giving yourselves hand cramps!

THE INEXPLICABLE

Biggest upset: Hot on the heels of the last season’s much-praised "Veronica Mars" and the respected (but canceled) "Kevin Hill," UPN has raised its scrappy profile even more with "Everybody Hates Chris," clearly the sitcom all of the bigger networks wish they had bagged.

Strangest decision: NBC has decided to bring back "Joey" with a full-hour episode. But, er, we can’t really stomach it for 30 minutes at a time.

Link to the above item.

THE COMEBACKS: Here’s the latest (and some of these are spoilers, so beware) on crucial developments and cast changes on several highly anticipated returning shows - though of course, we wouldn’t dream of revealing every single morsel of news. Still, here are a few tantalizing tidbits for those who want to be in the know.

"Everwood," returns Sept. 29: Bright Abbott (Chris Pratt) gets two new roommates, Ephram Brown (Gregory Smith), and a medical student named Reid Bardem (Justin Baldoni), who may turn out to be a love interest for Amy Abbott (Emily VanCamp).

"Boston Legal," Sept. 27: Rupert Everett and Heather Locklear guest-star for two episode when the series returns, and there are casting shakeups as well: Rhona Mitra and Monica Potter are gone, and "Ed’s" Julie Bowen, as well as newcomers Justin Mentell and Ryan Michelle Bathe, join the legal team at Crane, Poole and Schmidt.

"NCIS," Sept. 19: Lauren Holly joins the cast for a multi-episode arc; she’ll play the new NCIS boss, who’s trying to keep a lid on the fact that she and Mark Harmon’s character have had a romance in the past.

"The Amazing Race," Sept. 27: CBS finally unveils the eagerly anticipated new family version of the show. Teams will be composed of four relatives, and not all teams include children. But as USA Today reported, "half of the teams have at least one contestant younger than 18, and one Virginia family includes brothers ages 11 and eight."

"America’s Next Top Model," Sept. 21: Caustic supermodel Janice Dickinson won’t be returning as a judge; Brit waif Twiggy, might just have a bit of trouble filling Dickinson’s towering stilettos.

"House," Sept. 13: Sela Ward is back for at least seven episodes as the former flame of Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie). Some fans are hoping for a romance between Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) and House, but what’s this rumor we hear about a possible flirtation between the grumpy doc and Lisa Edelstein’s character, flinty hospital administrator Lisa Cuddy? Say it ain’t so!

"Las Vegas," Sept. 19: Lara Flynn Boyle joins the cast as a high-living casino owner.

"Lost," Sept. 21: We’ll find out what’s in the hatch, thank goodness. Count on Julie Bowen to return for one episode as Jack’s wife, and Michelle Rodriguez, who guested last season, also will be back. Joining the cast as new island residents are Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje from "Oz" and Sarah Watrous from "The Drew Carey Show." And there’s this to look forward to: Co-creator Damon Lindelof told TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello that "By the finale of Season 2, you will know why the plane crashed."

"Desperate Housewives," Sept. 25: Richard Burgi, who plays Susan’s ex, will have a more prominent role on the show, but the star attraction this fall will be Alfre Woodard, Wisteria Lane’s newest resident and someone with - who’d have thunk it? - a lot to hide. "My son and I have a lot of baggage with us and, it’s not just the stuff that we were unloading from the car," Woodard told Eonline.com’s television columnist, Kristin Veitch. "And it might make a few people’s hair stand on end when they’re watching! There’s something very provocative that happens at the very end of the first episode, and that’s the thing that’ll make you go, `Whooooaa!’ It plays out over months."

"Alias," Sept. 29: Jennifer Garner (for those of you who have been living under a rock for the last year) married Ben Affleck over the summer and is due to give birth to a baby in a few months. Garner’s pregnancy will be written into the show (on the show, Michael Vaughn is the father), and Balthazar Getty and Rachel Nichols of Fox’s "The Inside" join the show as a new undercover agent and CIA analyst, respectively. Exiting the show is Greg Grunberg, who played Agent Eric Weiss, and, if Internet scuttlebutt is to be believed, Michael Vartan, who plays Vaughn, may be leaving too - that’s the possibility the fans at www.mvcampaign.com are protesting.

"The O.C.," Sept. 8: Jeri Ryan plays a new pal of Kirsten Cohen’s, whom Kirsten meets in rehab. Meanwhile over at Harbor High, Summer (Rachel Bilson) will have to fend off a newcomer named Taylor Townsend (Autumn Reeser), who tried to take over as top dog in the school’s social hierarchy. Finally, trouble-magnet Marissa will be in the center of a big bunch of drama, as usual: As the season opens, the authorities still don’t know if Marissa or Ryan shot Ryan’s brother, Trey (viewers, of course, know it was Marissa who pumped Ryan full of lead).

"Joey," Sept. 22: Joey will have a new pal, a fellow actor named Zach, who’ll be played by Miguel Nunez, Jr., and Joey will get cast in a big summer movie. Hilarity will no doubt ensue.

"Smallville," Sept. 29: Guest star Tom Wopat will rejoin his former "Dukes of Hazzard" co-star John Schneider for one episode of this superhero-in-training drama, and "Buffy" cult favorite James Marsters (he played the vampire Spike) will have a multi-episode arc as the evil Brainiac.

"Numbers," Sept. 23: Diane Farr, the lone female firefighter on "Rescue Me," joins this CBS drama when it returns, replacing Sabrina Lloyd, who left the show just before it ended its spring run.

"ER," Sept. 22: Sherry Stringfield, who was set to only appear in a handful of episodes this season, will not return to "ER," making a second exit from the veteran medical drama. Her place will no doubt be taken by some earnest young person whose name we won’t be able to remember from week to week.

"Grey’s Anatomy," Sept. 25: There will be more shenanigans among Meredith Grey, her hot doc lover and his wife, but I also came across this tidbit on CBS’ "Grey’s Anatomy" Web site: "Dr. Richard Webber, Seattle Grace’s paternal but no-nonsense chief of surgery ... harbors some secrets of his own concerning Meredith’s mother." Dun-dun-dun!

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent," Sept. 25: This year, the crime-fighting duo of Chris Noth and Annabella Sciorra will appear in half of "C.I.’s" 22 episodes; Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe will star in the other 11 episodes.

"The West Wing," Sept. 25: Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda return as presidential candidates Matthew Santos and Arnold Vinick; producers reportedly haven’t decided yet which side (Santos is a Democrat and Vinick’s a Republican) will win. Perhaps a rumored live debate between the candidates will help the bigwigs decide who ends up in the White House.

"Veronica Mars," Sept. 28: New cast members promise to shake things up on this critically acclaimed detective show. Charisma Carpenter - like previous "Mars" guest star Alyson Hannigan, an alumna of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" - joins the cast as a trophy wife named Kendall Casablancas (love the name), and Steve Guttenberg comes aboard as a mayoral candidate in Veronica’s hometown of Neptune, Calif.