While we lost a couple important shows (The 4400, The Dead Zone), there were also some series that never really clicked with audiences (Cavemen, Bionic Woman) and those that could have used more time to reach their potential (Moonlight, New Amsterdam). Jericho proved that while fans may have the power to resurrect a series, they can't always gather the necessary viewers to keep that series on the air.

Fall still remains the prime landscape when it comes to launching new shows. And while cable prefers to launch during other seasons, some of the bigger cable outlets felt comfortable going up against the big networks this fall with series like HBO's True Blood and SCI FI's Sanctuary. The other big development had to do with the resurrection of syndication for scripted drama, thanks to Legend of the Seeker.

One of the main trends in new shows has to be the continued use of a sci-fi or fantasy element in otherwise mainstream shows (The Ex List, My Own Worst Enemy). This blurring of what is sci-fi or fantasy and what is mainstream continues to become increasingly acceptable to the mainstream audience.

However, the most notable trend this season involves where the new series ideas are coming from. Most of the new shows are based on foreign television series (Eleventh Hour, Life on Mars, The Ex List), novel series (True Blood, Legend of the Seeker) or a past television show (Knight Rider). Only four scripted series offer original material (Fringe, My Own Worst Enemy, Valentine). We'll throw Sanctuary in the original category even though it started life as a Web series, since the original creative team is still behind the series.

And, as always, irony plays a part this year. Considering it takes years to get a series on the air, how odd that we end up with two shows about cutting-edge science gone wrong (Fringe, Eleventh Hour) in the same year. Or shows about organizations that download personalities into people so they become more effective spies, only to have the personalities become aware that they are not who they think they are (My Own Worst Enemy and Joss Whedon's midseason entry, Dollhouse).

All in all, it seems like a good season with enough variety, even among the similarly themed shows, to give viewers something to sink their teeth into. And better yet, when we add these new series to the continuing shows (Stargate Atlantis, Primeval) and the returning shows (Heroes, Pushing Daisies, Terminator, Smallville), it adds up to a great fall season where our biggest issue will be "How do we find the time to watch it all?" And that's not a bad problem to have.

Check out next week's "2008 Fall TV Preview: Part II" to find out the scoop on all the returning shows, midseason replacements, movies and miniseries.Shows Canceled or Not Returning

The 4400, USA
Bionic Woman, NBC
Blood Ties, Lifetime
Cavemen, ABC
Charlie Jade, SCI FI
Drawn Together, Comedy Central
The Dead Zone, USA
Flash Gordon, SCI FI
Jericho, CBS
Journeyman, NBC
Moonlight, CBS
New Amsterdam, Fox
Phenomenon, NBC
UFO Hunters, SCI FI
Who Wants to Be a Superhero, SCI FINew Shows

Eleventh Hour
CBS, Thursdays, 10 p.m. ET/PT
Premieres Oct. 9

Über-producer Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI) tackles science in his latest procedural. Based on the British limited series of the same name starring Patrick Stewart, Eleventh Hour explores the world of Dr. Jacob Hood and his protector, Special Agent Rachel Young. Hood, a brilliant biophysicist who is a science advisor to the government, investigates scientific mysteries that often lead him to those who attempt to misuse science. A true believer in the possibilities that science offers, Hood is often called in at the 11th hour to stop its abuses from being unleashed on the world. From human cloning to cryogenics to extreme rapid weight loss, Hood and Young are on the case. While producers have gone out of their way to say Eleventh Hour is NOT science fiction and that there is no real mythology, the series is certainly of interest to sci-fi fans. Brit Rufus Sewell (A Knight's Tale) stars as Hood, and Marley Shelton (Grindhouse) takes on the role of Rachel Young. Stephen Gallagher created the original British series, with Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Danny Cannon, Cyrus Voris, Ethan Reiff and Mick Davis producing this new American version.

The Outlook: Expectations are high for Jerry Bruckheimer's latest, with lead-ins Survivor and CSI on Thursday nights. After all, this is the timeslot that made Without a Trace a hit. Rufus Sewell adds charm to the eccentric Hood, and Marley Shelton is believable as his FBI protector. However, whether Eleventh Hour can become Bruckheimer's latest hit remains to be seen. Thursday night has shaped up to be sci-fi's biggest battle, thanks to another British-inspired series, ABC's Life on Mars. Both shows are well done and worthy of interest. While Eleventh Hour wants to be the next House, Fox's Fringe got to the scientific frontier first and in a showery fashion. And now Hour finds itself up against another appealing show with Mars. Unless Hour can stand out, it may well have a decent but unexceptional run along the lines of CBS' Shark. Still, look for enough interest to keep this series going through the year. The Ex List
CBS, Fridays, 9 p.m. ET/PT
Premieres Oct. 3

Another foreign-inspired series, The Ex List, does a bit more reimagining than other offerings. Based on the 2007 Israeli dramedy Mythological X, this romantic dramady follows Bella Bloom (Elizabeth Reaser), a single, thirty-something woman who owns her own floral business. During a bachelorette party for her sister, Daphne, a psychic tells Bella that she has already met her soulmate and that she has only one year to hook up with him again or she'll never find true love. At first it seems ridiculous to Bella, but when some of the psychic's predictions seem to come true, she begins to open herself up to the possibility. And when her exs start showing up in her life again, Bella pays attention and begins a list of all the men she's dated or been interested in in the past. While her friends don't quite buy the psychic's prediction, Bella's not going to take the chance. Rachel Boston plays Daphne, and Alexandra Breckenridge, Adam Rothenberg and Amir Talai star as her friends. The Ex List comes from Diane Ruggiero (Veronica Mars).

The Outlook: With a bright star leading the cast in Elizabeth Reaser and the talented Diane Ruggiero running the series behind the scenes, The Ex List offers viewers something different, if sometimes a bit too different. However, the very youth-oriented series seems like an odd choice to sit between the older-skewing Ghost Whisperer and NUMB3RS on Friday nights. Beyond that, CBS hasn't had any luck in that time period, with a series of shows being canceled after landing there. If it doesn't break out with great ratings quickly, The Ex List's best chance is to hope for another timeslot on a different night.Fringe
Fox, Tuesdays, 8 p.m. ET/PT
Premiered Sept. 9

In the season premiere, after international Flight 627 was targeted, and all aboard were killed due to a mysterious toxin, FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) discovered that it was just part of a pattern of experiments performed on human beings involving fringe science. When her partner and lover, John Scott, was gravely injured, Olivia learned that her best asset in finding out what was going on was Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), our generation's Einstein, who spearheaded experiments in fringe science 17 years earlier before he was locked away in a mental institution. Unfortunately, to get Walter involved in her investigation, Anna also needed his brilliant son, Peter (Joshua Jackson). The events of the pilot are just the beginning for Olivia, Walter and Peter as they join together to learn what the pattern is and who is experimenting on the human race. Fringe comes from J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the team behind Alias and Mission: Impossible III.

The Outlook: With a tone and subject matter that will remind you of The X-Files, Fox's latest conspiracy-theory sci-fi series quickly forges its own new territory. Hailed by many as the best new show of the season, Fringe certainly has loads of potential and has a star-making performance by Anna Torv as Olivia. With Abrams, Kurtzman and Orci behind the scenes, there's little doubt that Fringe will be quite a ride. Now, hopefully, it won't get bogged down in mythology. Ratings for the pilot were good, although not great. When Fox's House premieres on Tuesday as a lead-in, chances are good that Fringe's ratings will get even better. While there's plenty of competition in the Tuesday night 9 p.m. timeslot, Dancing With the Stars and The Mentalist should skew older. Look for Fringe to do well this season. Knight Rider
NBC, Wednesdays, 8 p.m. ET/PT
Premieres Sept. 24

After the events of NBC's 1982 television series starring David Hasselhoff, and last spring's TV movie, the Hoff's television son, Michael Traceur (Justin Bruening), is back to take over for his daddy, driving a new and improved K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Three Thousand). For those who've been in a cave for the last 20-plus years, K.I.T.T. (voiced by Val Kilmer) is an artificially intelligent car that for some reason needs a ruggedly handsome guy to sit in it while it chases bad guys and saves the day. Mike and K.I.T.T. have a team to back them up that hangs out in the K.I.T.T. Cave, including Mike's old girlfriend Sarah Graiman (Deanna Russo) and her father, K.I.T.T.'s creator, Charles Graiman (Bruce Davidson). And while this might seem like a trip down memory lane, producers promise some high-octane fun. K.I.T.T. is capable of hacking computer systems, turning into other vehicles, taking out bad guys with jet-fighter-grade weapons and using sophisticated holographic imagery. Knight Rider is from Gary Scott Thompson (Las Vegas), based on Glen Larson's characters from the original series.

The Outlook: After getting great ratings with Knight Rider's TV movie last spring, it's no surprise NBC decided to go forth with a new series. Executive producer Gary Scott Thompson has stated that he has plans to take the new series far beyond the TV movie, and yet revisit some of the things that made the original series such a hit, by amping up the special effects and bringing back the turbo boost from the 1982 series. There is plenty of competition to face in the 8 p.m. Wednesday timeslot with Fox's Bones and ABC's Pushing Daisies, but this new Knight Rider may appeal to the entire family, considering its early timeslot. While NBC's take on The Bionic Woman is a reminder that not all iconic television shows were meant to be remade, if Thompson can achieve the right mix of fun and drama (with lots of car special effects and action), it's possible this series could find an audience.Legend of the Seeker
Syndication, Saturdays primarily, but check local stations
Premieres Nov. 1

Syndication comes blazing back as the team that brought us Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess bring us another fantasy series. Based on the first book in the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth series, Wizard's First Rule, this show takes on a different kind of hero's journey. Richard Cypher (Craig Horner) is a woodsman and tracker who lives the simple life in a world without magic. Then into his life comes Kahlan (Bridget Regan), a mysterious woman who introduces Richard to a world filled with magic. Traveling with an old wizard and Kahlan, Richard finds himself both the hunter and the hunted, because he is the one person who can stop the evil tyrant named Darken Rahl. The series is executive-produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, Joshua Donen and Kenneth Biller.

The Outlook: Since Hercules and Xena left the small screen, syndication hasn't been a viable option for scripted drama. Originally titled Wizard's First Rule, Legend of the Seeker won't wink at the audience in the way that the earlier shows did. However the series does have a rich universe, thanks to Goodkind. While the pilot hasn't been available for review, the producers promise plenty of action, romance and stand-alone episodes, not to mention two very pretty leads. Thanks to its syndicated status, Legend of the Seeker will have a 22-episode first season. Life on Mars
ABC, Thursdays, 10 p.m. ET/PT
Premieres Oct. 9

NYPD detective Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara) is on the trail of a serial killer when he's hit by a car. When Sam comes to, the David Bowie song "Life on Mars" is playing on the radio and he's somehow gone back in time to 1973. As Sam struggles to figure out what's going on, the cops at the station assume he's a new transfer. While it may be the 1970s, Sam has a murder to solve that looks a lot like the one he was investigating in 2008. As he has to deal with politically incorrect fellow cops and solve crimes in a world before DNA analysis, Sam attempts to find a way back home to the woman he loves, Maya (Lisa Bonet). The series also stars Harvey Keitel as the gruff Lt. Hunt, Michael Imperioli as the resentful fellow detective Ray and Gretchen Mol as Sam's ally in the department, Annie. Life on Mars is based on the British limited series by the same name. Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg executive-produce.

The Outlook: As the biggest wild card of the season, Life on Mars has the potential to be great. The early pilot took place in L.A. and had a mostly different cast. The move to New York City seems to be a good one, and anything with Harvey Keitel can't be bad. Beyond that, Jason O'Mara looks like a star. But whether the new production team can pull Life on Mars together remains to be seen, especially considering it's landed in the most challenging timeslot of the season. The battle between this series and Eleventh Hour will be a difficult one, since the premise is a tough sell. Is it time travel or not? If not, what is it? In the British version the main character was in a coma. Producers have stated that that is not necessarily the case with this American version. However, if viewers can sit back and enjoy the ride and embrace how much the world has changed, they just might like this successor to NYPD Blue. Best guess for success: If Life on Mars can win over critics, ABC will give the series time to grow an audience.My Own Worst Enemy
NBC, Mondays, 10 p.m. ET/PT
Premieres Oct. 13

Henry Spivey (Christian Slater) is an average guy who has a good job as an efficiency expert and a nice home in the suburbs with a wife, two kids and a dog. Edward Albright is a cold-blooded spy who speaks 13 languages, can run a four-minute mile and can kill a man with his teeth. Unfortunately, Henry and Edward share the same body. A secret government organization called the Janus Collective has put an implant in Henry/Edward's brain that gives them the ability to flip a switch between the two personalities, insuring the safety of their secrets if Edward gets captured. But when the chip malfunctions, the two personalities begin to learn about each other and each man finds himself in unfamiliar territory. And if the company finds out, they'll both be history. The series also stars Alfre Woodard as Mavis Heller and Madchen Amick as Henry's wife, Angie. My Own Worst Enemy was created by Jason Smilovic, and the pilot was directed by David Semel.

The Outlook: You've got to love a show that stars Christian Slater and Christian Slater. No pilot has been available, but the previews look great. Slater certainly has the range to play the mild-mannered Henry and the calculating Edward. Producers promise that My Own Worst Enemy will spend equal time as a family drama and a spy thriller, as Henry and Edward have to deal with each other's worlds. As for the timeslot, Enemy airs after Heroes. While that didn't work out well for last season's Journeyman, Enemy appears to be a better fit. The series will have to take on two proven series with ABC's Boston Legal and CBS' CSI: Miami. It will be a tough job, but if Slater's Jekyll-and-Hyde character get some meaty material to play, he just might find a home on Mondays.Sanctuary
SCI FI, Fridays, 9 p.m. ET/PT
Premieres Oct. 3

Sanctuary is billed by SCI FI as the first television series to feature live actors against primarily virtual sets, along the lines of 300 and Sin City. While it began life as an eight-episode Web series, the television show features a two-hour premiere that starts at the beginning of the story. While investigating a murder case, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) begins to suspect the explanation offered at a murder scene. Will soon discovers that his suspicions are right. When a woman named Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) approaches him, she takes Will to a place she calls the Sanctuary and tells him an amazing tale. According to Magnus, the world is filled with Abnormals, fantastic creatures that are the stuff of fairy-tale books and incredible legends. The world needs to be protected from some of them, while others need to be protected from the world. Magnus has made it her mission to find and study these creatures, and to offer them sanctuary if they want it. She is joined on her mission by her fearless daughter, Ashley (Emilie Ullerup), a loyal butler who looks a lot like Bigfoot and their technical wizard, Henry. As Will learns more about Magnus' world and her nemesis, John Druitt, he must decide if he can "dare to believe in the unbelievable." Sanctuary is executive-produced by Tapping, creator Damian Kindler, Martin Wood and Sam Egan.

The Outlook: SCI FI's big new sci-fi entry, Sanctuary, offers to put Amanda Tapping back in action in a very different role than that of Stargate's Col. Samantha Carter, and that's a good thing. Beyond that, it's dripping with mythology and has loads of action and extremely cool visuals, not to mention some nicely drawn characters. Along with Fringe, Sanctuary has more of a fully realized world than any of the other fall offerings. Taking up residence on Friday nights, the series should be an excellent match for Stargate Atlantis. With 13 episodes ordered, look for Sanctuary to do very well for SCI FI. Scream Queens
VH1, Sundays
Premieres Oct. 12

This reality series competition from Lionsgate Films takes 10 unknown actresses and pits them against each other to win a major role in a horror movie. The actresses will compete in a series of challenges to gauge their talent, intelligence and ability to belt out a really good scream. Writer/director/producer James Gunn (Slither), actress Shawnee Smith and acting coach John Homa will be the judges for the competition. Smith will serve as the show's host, while Gunn will direct the girl's performances and Homa will act as an acting coach. Eight episodes have been ordered.

The Outlook: While television acting competitions haven't done well in the ratings in the past, VH1's expectations for the series are not the same as they would be for a network. Much depends on how this new series is put together. However, 10 pretty actresses who at some point will undoubtedly be scantily clad and probably drenched in blood may offer enough appeal to bring viewers to the series. True Blood
HBO, Sundays, 9 p.m. ET/PT
Premiered Sept. 7

After an invention of synthetic blood has allowed vampires to "come out of the coffin" so they don't have to feed off the human race, they've managed to get rights as full citizens. In the small town of Bon Temps, La., local waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) can't wait to meet her first vampire. Sookie knows something about being different, since she's been able to read minds since she was a little girl. Knowing what everyone around her thinks has been a curse to her. However, when vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) walks into the bar she works at, Sookie discovers she can't read his mind. Her attraction to him is strong, and she doesn't care that he's a 173-year-old vampire, despite what her friends and the people of the town think. But Sookie's about to discover that Bill's arrival is only the beginning of the changes that are about to happen in her life. Academy and Emmy Award winner Alan Ball created True Blood based on the Southern Vampire series of books by Charlaine Harris.

The Outlook: True Blood is a very faithful re-creation of the novel series, and Ball does a good job bringing Sookie's world alive. Oscar-winning actress Anna Paquin embodies Sookie nicely, and Stephen Moyer is just right as Bill. Ball has updated the material appropriately, but it does feel a bit flat without Sookie's internal dialogue, something you can only get by reading the books. The big problem, however, is that the people who don't know anything about Sookie Stackhouse will find the series difficult to follow if they miss an episode. Luckily, being on HBO, the episodes will be run many times. Still, it's a difficult call whether Sookie's world will appeal to enough people to make HBO happy. The good news is that all 12 episodes that loosely make up the events of the first novel will air.

UPDATE: Well, HBO is indeed happy. With an audience of over four million viewers for the premiere and an unprecedented gain in viewers of 24 percent for the second episode, the cable channel just announced that its renewed True Blood for a second season. Production is set to begin in early January 2009, with the second season set for the summer.Valentine
The CW, Sundays, 8 p.m. ET/PT
Premieres Oct. 5

The Greek gods are alive and well and living in a mansion high up in the Hollywood hills. They call themselves the Valentines, and their mission is to help bring mortal soulmates together. Grace Valentine (Jaime Murray), also known as Aphrodite, is the matriarch of the family. She applies a firm hand when it comes to her son, Danny (Kristoffer Polaha), or Eros, the god of erotic love. There's also Leo (Robert Baker), or Hercules, and Phoebe (Autumn Reeser), the family seer. When Grace realizes that the modern world is making their job harder, she decides she needs a modern expert who also believes in the power of love. The Fates bring Kate Providence (Christine Lakin), a romance novelist, into their lives, and before they know it Kate becomes an invaluable part of the team. In fact, Kate's arrived just in time. The gods' power is starting to fade, and only by creating true love in the world can they keep their powers intact. Valentine was created by Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives).

The Outlook: Considering the trouble The CW has had on Sunday nights, it's no surprise that the network made a deal with Media Rights Capital to produce original shows for the night. And making Valentine one of those new shows also makes sense, especially since the last series the network had success with on Sundays was Charmed. Once again we have a family of magical beings dealing with the real world and getting into trouble because of it. While Valentine isn't as clever or charming as Charmed (which had eight years to get it right), it has some funny moments and there's nothing else comparable on during its timeslot. Considering that the expectations for Valentine are low, there's a good chance this series could do well enough to get a full year pickup.Kids Stuff For Adults

Spaceballs: The Animated Series, G4, premieres Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. ET
Mel Brooks' animated series, based on his 1987 Star Wars spoof, finally makes it to G4 this fall. The series explores the adventures of Princess Vespa of the Planet Druidia, Lone Starr and Barf as they battle the evil Dark Helmet in his quest to take over the galaxy. Brooks voices two of the characters, President Skroob and Yogurt. Joan Rivers and Daphne Zuniga reprise their roles from the film. Thirteen episodes are planned.

Superjail, Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network, premieres Sunday, Sept. 28
What happens when you get stuck in the most violent prison complex in the universe? The staff and inmates of Superjail are about to find out. Watching over the proceedings is their sadistic Willy Wonka of a warden, who lords over the dangerous criminals, fantastic creatures, bizarre contraptions and frequent riots. Superjail was created by Christy Karacas, Stephen Warbrick and Ben Gruber.

The Young Person's Guide to History, Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network, premieres in October
Forget all the stuff you read in books. Here's the true story of our forefathers in a live-action series that reveals that Thomas Jefferson and his fellow leaders are actually bloodsucking vampires when they're not heroically shaping our country. Kids Stuff for Kids

Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Cartoon Network, premieres this fall
Batman's a busy guy. In his latest animated series, he'll team up with Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, Aquaman and countless other colorful superheroes from the DC Universe in an attempt to uphold justice. This time the caped crusader will find himself venturing out of Gotham City now and then to face an assortment of bad guys. Beyond his fellow superheroes, Batman will still be able to rely on his stealth, resourcefulness and limitless supply of cool gadgets to save the day. Sam Register executive-produces this Warner Brothers Animation creation.

GoGoRiki, The CW4Kids, premiered Sept. 27
This Russian import features the GoGoRiki, animal-like beings with cute round shapes and charming personalities. These best friends find themselves on zany adventures, which results in amusing mishaps and hysterical situations. Each 30-minute episode contains three short adventures.

Gundam 00, SCI FI, premieres this fall
Making its American debut on SCI FI's Ani-Monday, Gundam 00 is the latest installment in the long-running franchise. In the year 2307, fossil fuels have been completely depleted, leaving mankind to depend on solar energy. The nations controlling the solar power end up at war with impoverished countries. A group called the Celestial Being attempts to end war and bring peace to the world with four Gundam mech. Seiji Mizushima directs.

Gurren Lagann, SCI FI, presently airing
The anime series also makes its American debut on SCI FI's Ani-Monday anime block. The series takes place in a future where humans have been forced to live in isolated subterranean villages. A 14-year-old digger named Simon and a fellow orphan named Kamina join to create Team Gurren. The series explores their battle against the Beastmen, who pilot mech robots known as Gunmen.

Huntik: Secrets & Seekers, The CW4KIDS, premieres in January 2009
From Egypt to the Amazon, young Lok Lambert and Dante Vale are on a quest with their group of Seekers to unlock the ancient secrets of each exotic location in an attempt to find powerful spirit-warriors called Titans. In an effort to save the human race, it's up to Lok, Dante and the Seekers to stop the evil Professor and his organization, who have their own plans for the Titans. Huntik: Secrets & Seekers was created by Iginio Straffi using 2-D and 3-D animation, and is geared to boys 6 to 12 years old. Twenty-six episodes have been ordered.

Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Nicktoons Network, premieres in the third quarter of 2009
After the hit movie, the Marvel superhero Iron Man gets his own animated series as a teenage Tony Stark battles bad guys. In later episodes Iron Man will be joined by War Machine and the Hulk.

Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight, The CW4KIDS, premieres Feb. 2009
The 12 Kamen Riders are the protectors of Ventara. They have Advent Decks, which allow them to turn into armored warriors with special powers. But when the Riders are defeated by General Xaviax and 10 of the Advent Decks are taken, new riders must be called. Kit Taylor finds an Advent Card and he meets Len, who claims to be a Kamen Rider. Len convinces Kit to join his quest to recover the stolen decks and battle the general's corrupt Kamen Riders.

Making Fiends, Nicktoons Network, premieres this fall
This offbeat animated series is about two very different girls, Charlotte and Vendetta, who are polar opposites. Vendetta makes fiends with hopes of terrifying the dreary town of Clamburg, while Charlotte somehow manages to foil her most fiendishly brilliant plot. Charlotte actually thinks Vendetta's fiends are cute, and she loves her little town. Created by Amy Winfrey, the series is based on her popular online series of shorts.

RollBots, The CW4KIDS, premieres in February 2009
RollBots are round robots with retractable arms and legs that travel around Flip City at high speeds on roller-coaster-type tracks. The series explores their adventures. RollBots is being produced by YTV, with an order for 26 episodes.

The Secret Saturdays, Cartoon Network, premieres Friday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. ET
Doc, Drew and Zak Saturday are undercover world-saving adventure scientists who call themselves The Secret Saturdays. They battle evil from a hidden base as part of clandestine network of scientists. The globe-trotting Saturdays travel from the Gobi Desert to the Marianas Trench to explore ancient temples and bottomless caves as they battle twisted villains such as V.V. Argost and his half-human giant spider. The Secret Saturdays was created by Jay Stephens at Porchlight Entertainment, with a 26-episode order.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Cartoon Network, premieres Friday, Oct. 3, at 9 p.m. ET
Picking up where the summer's animated movie left off, this half-hour weekly animated series focuses on the impulsive 20-year-old Anakin Skywalker, Master Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the rest of the Jedi Knights. As the Jedis battle the dark forces behind the Clone Wars, the Star Wars universe expands with all-new adventures and new characters. Star Wars: The Clone Wars is from George Lucas and Lucasfilm Animation. More than 30 episodes have been produced.

Straight Jacket, SCI FI, premieres this fall
Straight Jacket is an anime tale that brings sorcery and advanced technology together in the city of Tristan. To protect Tristan's citizens from the constant threat of demon attack, the Magic Administration Office uses warriors known as Tactical Sorcerists. But when things get bad, a reclusive named Tactical Sorcerist Layot Steinberg must step in in an attempt to defeat the demons. The series makes its American debut on SCI FI's Ani-Monday.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Back to the Sewer, The CW4Kids, premiered Sept. 13
The latest TMNT series sends the Turtles off to cyberspace to save Master Splinter. As they battle the Cyber Shredder, they're going to have to find new ways to work together in this very strange land if they're going to get their beloved Master back.

Wolverine and the X-Men, Nicktoons Network, premieres in the first quarter of 2009
The latest X-Men series puts Wolverine in charge with a mission to unite the X-Men and save the human race from a terrible future. After the mansion is attacked, the Professor and Jean Grey go missing. When the X-Men disband, a battle erupts between the humans and the mutants. However, the Professor sends a message back in time, charging Wolverine to bring the X-Men together to save the world from the Sentinel Project and the Brotherhood of Mutants. Twenty-six episodes have been ordered.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D, TheCW4Kids, premiered Sept. 13
In the latest series, Domino City has been transformed into Neo Domino City, a futuristic society where dueling has evolved. The winners and losers are separated not just by skill and strength, but also by speed. Five special duelists are chosen as signers, and they are now marked by destiny to learn the secrets of the five dragons. Check out next week's "2008 Fall TV Preview, Part II" to find out the scoop on all the returning shows, midseason replacements, movies and miniseries.