Five new serial dramas worth your time

The networks promise this fall’s slate of new shows will be the best ever. Hundreds of pitch meetings were whittled down to dozens of pilots, and these new series have made the final cut. If we’re to believe the hype, any of the freshmen programs are destined to take their place among “The Honeymooners” and “The Sopranos” as the finest of all time.

But that’s what they said about “Manimal” too.

What’s different now, however, is the networks are asking more of audiences than ever before. The fall schedule is heavy on serialized shows such as “Lost” and “24,” shows that feature plenty of intertwining storylines, a boatload of riddles and demand viewers' laser-like attention. Unlike procedural shows such as “CSI,” serialized shows leave viewers with a gap in show knowledge if they miss even one episode.

And while the networks long for viewer loyalty to such new shows, they won't guarantee loyalty on their end. If a serialized series is getting beat up in the ratings, don’t expect the network to play out the 22 episodes and solve the show’s mystery. (Think FOX's "Reunion," a serialized drama from last fall that was canceled quickly without ever revealing the murderer.)

So, in the interest of those who don’t want to waste their time watching a show that might not be on the air next May, here are one writer's picks for the five new serials that have the best chance of being around ’til the end — or at least the end of season one.

‘The Nine,’ ABC, 10 p.m. ET, Wednesdays
“The Nine” is not only the best new serial of the season, but maybe the best new show of the fall. Perfectly positioned in the post-“Lost” timeslot, this story starts out as a typical crime drama and quickly ventures into intriguing character backstory.

A group of nine disparate folks, from a bank manager and his young doctor to a handsome doctor, are held hostage during a bank robbery that ends violently. But instead of the hostages going their separate ways after the ordeal, they stay connected in ways they would’ve never imagined before that fateful day.

Tim Daly (“Wings”), Chi McBride (“Boston Public”) and Scott Wolf (“Party of Five”) do a nice job setting the tone in a pilot that promises lots of intrigue and goes way beyond the seen-it-before hostage machinations of other shows.

‘Six Degrees,’ ABC, 10 p.m. ET, Thursdays
J.J. Abrams has become something of a cult figure to TV watchers. He created the WB‘s first signature show, “Felicity,” then turned Jennifer Garner into a sleek, ass-kicking star with “Alias” before birthing “Lost.” His latest incarnation is “Six Degrees,” which like “Lost,” features a tangled group of characters with seemingly nothing in common. But as the promo campaign relentlessly hypes, instead of throwing them together on a remote Pacific island, this time they're all together on the island of Manhattan.

The show stars some of the top names of the indie film circuit — Erika Christensen, Campbell Scott, Hope Davis — and intertwines their lives in various and complex ways, although it’s unclear from the pilot how all the pieces fit. While the pilot offers potential, it didn’t grab this viewer immediately in the way “Lost” or “Alias” did. But with Abrams’ credentials, there’s excellent reason to believe “Degrees” will still be cooking by season’s end.

‘Heroes,’ NBC, 9 p.m. ET, Mondays
A Texas high school cheerleader can walk through fire, a Japanese office worker can transport himself telepathically to New York and a cop can hear the thoughts of others.

Trying to capitalize the “X-Men”-esque superhero movie phenomenon, NBC brings the story of ordinary folks with great powers to television. Even if sci-fi/comicbook fare isn’t a high priority for you, don’t be surprised if the slow-to-develop but ultimately engaging storyline slowly sucks you in. Plus, the last two minutes of the pilot might just be the most talked-about scene of any new show.