This fall TV season there's a lot of slapping the pasta against the wall to see what sticks. Cougars are on the prowl, medical shows steam up the screen and viewers are invited into sci-fi and fantasy forays. And let's not forget NBC's big experiment: Handing over five hours of scripted prime real estate for Jay Leno's cheaply produced talk show, premiering Sept. 14.

While TV critics have their favorites, from ABC's Modern Family to CBS' The Good Wife, not since Lost premiered five years ago have critics and fans been so excited about a new series as they have been for Fox's Glee. The series blends a wickedly witty sense of humor with the trauma known as high school. And while other series from Cop Rock to Viva Laughlin became punch lines for their poorly executed use of musical numbers, Glee producers (including Nip/Tuck's Ryan Murphy) have somehow managed to make this series sing.

Glee is this season's pick for best in show. Let's see what else makes the grade this fall:

Take Note:

1. Glee 9 p.m. Sept. 9, Fox. Centering on a largely unknown cast, Glee taps into high school angst in the battle between the cool kids and those who are not. The adults play a crucial role, from the earnest show choir teacher to the sanctimonious cheer squad coach. Four notes.

2. The Good Wife 10 p.m. Sept. 22, CBS. We've watched the parade of politician's wives standing by their high-profile husbands after being cheated on and wondered how these women can choke down their self-respect. Julianna Margulies has never been better as she plays the wronged wife trying to build a new life as a defense attorney. Four Notes.

3.V 8 p.m. Nov. 3, ABC. Just don't screw it up. That was the advice from Scott Wolf's family and friends about the remake of the 1980s cult hit about reptilian aliens in human form taking over Earth. He doesn't, and neither does the rest of the impressive cast. Wolf plays a journalist whose integrity is compromised. This intriguing series asks questions about our moral fiber, and offers some crackling good action scenes. Three Notes.

4. Eastwick 10 p.m. Sept. 23, ABC. There's a cauldron full of trouble brewing in this small town as the Devil (Paul Gross) comes to get his due from three unsuspecting witches played by Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price and Jamie Ray Newman. Here's to wishes coming true, even if they involve some dark magic. Three Notes.

5. Flash Forward 8 p.m. Sept. 24, ABC. This intriguing fantasy has the world slamming to a stop for two minutes and most survivors, like Joseph Fiennes as a cop trying to solve the mystery, experiencing a look into their future. Can we change fate? Sounds a lot like Lost, which ABC desperately needs to replace. Lost's Penny (Sonya Walger) and Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) co-star. Three Notes.

6. The Cleveland Show 8:30 p.m. Sept. 27, Fox. Animated Family Guy spinoff pokes the censor bear. There's no middle ground here. You either love creator Seth MacFarlane's irreverent bawdy humor or you don't. For those who do, this one's not to be missed. Three Notes.

7. NCIS: Los Angeles 9 p.m. Sept. 22, CBS. LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell form the perfect buddy unit, with a couple of the requisite quirky characters in this spin-off that doesn't stray far from the mother ship. Three Notes

8. The Vampire Diaries 9 p.m. Sept. 10, CW. While it might seem as if this series is just a poser for CW to cash in on the Twilight/True Blood vampire wave, the books for this series came before either one. Lost's Ian Somerhalder plays the bad vamp brother, vying with good vamp brother for the love of a high school girl. Three Notes.

9. The Beautiful Life 9 p.m. Sept. 16, CW. Writing this may make quash all the credibility, but this wasn't awful. Well, Mischa Barton as a washed up model was terrible, but the story of a bunch of wannabe models is a train wreck you can't quite turn away from. Three Notes.

10. Community 9:30 p.m. Sept. 17, NBC. Not there quite yet, but this series starring Talk Soup host Joel McHale and SNL vet Chevy Chase has some serious comedy percolating, but not enough to recommend yet. Three Notes.

11. Modern Family 9 p.m. Sept. 23, ABC. Shot documentary-style with characters speaking to the camera, three couples linked together test what it means to be a family. A few funny moments that might turn into something enjoyable down the line. Three Notes.

12. The Middle 8:30 p.m. Sept. 30, ABC. Patricia Heaton tries to be super mom in Middle America to a clan that includes her blue collar husband (Neil Flynn), clinically quirky elementary age son, a terminally hopeful teen daughter and an attitude infected teen son. Two Notes.

13. Accidentally on Purpose 8:30 Sept. 21, CBS. Wardrobe and make-up have some explaining to do, because stunningly beautiful Jenna Elfman gets a downgrade. Beyond the superficial, this series, about a 36-year-old film critic who gets pregnant after a fling with a younger man, has a glimmer of possibility given the talents of Elfman and co-star Ashley Jensen. Two Notes.

1. Mercy 8 p.m. Sept. 23, NBC. Nurses are the new firefighters! A mouthy nurse (Taylor Schilling) fresh from Iraq, where she had a steamy affair with a doctor (James Tupper), returns home to rekindle a marriage. She's joined by an optimistic nurse (Michelle Trachtenberg) and a sultry nurse (Jaime Lee Kirchner). Mercy indeed. One Note.

2. Melrose Place 8 p.m. Sept. 9, CW. Past its prime time. Not even tabloid fodder Jessica Simpson's little sis, Ashlee Simpson Wentz, can drum up much of a spark as the soapy show about residents of an L.A. apartment building attempts a comeback filled with a few old faces (Laura Leighton, Thomas Calabro) and a host of fresh flesh. One Note.

3. Brothers 8 p.m. Sept. 25, Fox. What a monumental waste of CCH Pounders' considerable acting abilities. The formidable actress gets stuck saying "He's an ass, but I love him" three times to each of her sons (Michael Strahan, Daryl Chill Mitchell) and her husband (Carl Weathers) in this unbearable series. No Note.

4. Three Rivers 9 p.m. Oct. 4, CBS. This series is drowning in good intentions and very little else. Alex O'Loughlin ("Moonlight") became an online pin-up boy for his vampire series, but this medical drama about transplant doctors just sucks. And Katherine Moennig as the rebel doctor looks like she's one step away from a homeless shelter and her next heroin hit. No Note.

5. Trauma 9 p.m. Sept. 28, NBC. The trauma going on here is being forced to watch this mess about San Francisco paramedics filled with frenetic energy and forgettable characters. Things go boom, but make no sense. Two helicopters crash midair and one skitters across a rooftop leaving one guy alive? Not even sci-fi shows ask for this much suspension of disbelief. No Note.

6. Cougar Town 9:30 p.m. Sept. 23, ABC. This Courteney Cox vehicle drives right into the muck and can't get unstuck. Cox plays a divorced woman who decides to take a dip in the kiddie pool, even hitting on high schoolers. No Note.

7. Hank 8 p.m. Sept. 30, ABC. Kelsey Grammer attempts another shot at his post-Frasier career with this non-starter. He plays a downsized CEO attempting another climb the ladder, dragging his wife and two kids behind. No Note.

8. The Forgotten 10 p.m. Sept. 22, ABC. Christian Slater just signed on to this series about amateur detectives tracking down cold murder cases. The pilot has yet to be completed as roles have been recast. Doesn't bode well, despite the fact that this series comes from the team behind CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.. No Note.

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