'The Good Wife,' 'The Vampire Diaries': Fall's likeliest new hits

"The Good Wife" is the best bet.

The Julianna Margulies drama, about the wife of a disgraced politician, should be the big new hit this fall. Timely and engrossing, "The Good Wife" makes you care about its title character.

But each broadcast network has reason to hope, and this fall's crop is a lot more exciting than last fall's. Here's a look at what's coming by network:

ABC

Likely hit: The Disney-owned network has the most ambitious plans. Its best hope could be the sassy sex comedy "Cougar Town," which brings back appealing Courteney Cox as a divorcee. It's not the second coming of "Friends," yet the slapstick goofiness produces guffaws.

Best show: "Modern Family," a comedy with Ed O'Neill, has earned critics' raves for its touching take on families. But it's "mockumentary" style could limit the audience. More enjoyable is ABC's lavish updating of "V," about extraterrestrials' frightening plans for mankind. Elizabeth Mitchell of "Lost" stars.

Familiar fare: "Eastwick," based on John Updike's "Witches of Eastwick," might be called "Desperate Witches." "The Middle," a pleasant sitcom with Patricia Heaton, is a milder "Malcolm in the Middle." "FlashForward," epic sci-fi about what happens after the world blacks out, tries to recapture the early allure of "Lost." That won't be easy.

Least likely to succeed: I love Kelsey Grammer, but I didn't love "Hank," a blah comedy about a corporate titan trying to reconnect with his family. "The Forgotten," a crime drama with Christian Slater, won't have an easy time opposite "The Good Wife."

CBS

Likely hit: "The Good Wife," because it's the perfect CBS show in the same way that "The Mentalist" was the perfect CBS show. And "The Mentalist" with Simon Baker was the big new hit last fall.

Best show: "The Good Wife" again. I most want to see its second episode. It's a terrific showcase for Margulies, who has many fans from "ER." The wife has to re-enter the work force after her husband goes to prison, and you pull for her. The choice supporting cast includes Chris Noth and Christine Baranski.

Familiar fare: "NCIS: Los Angeles" is a spinoff stationed right after the Mark HarmonJenna ElfmanAccidentally on Purpose." She plays a movie critic who becomes pregnant by a younger man, and he becomes her roommate. Would her critic like the show? I doubt it. original. The "NCIS" fans saw the characters introduced last spring. In comedy, is back in "

Least likely to succeed: "Three Rivers" is a well-meaning drama about organ transplants. It also brings back Alex O'Loughlin, the heartthrob from "Moonlight." But the soggy show has a lot of problems and needs transplants itself. The good news: Alfre Woodard has come aboard.

Fox

Likely hit: "The Cleveland Show" is a "Family Guy" spinoff that sends Cleveland Brown off on his own adventures. "Family Guy" fans should be overjoyed.

Best show: "Glee" is an outrageous musical-comedy set in a high school. Fox aired the pilot in the spring, and the next episodes are stronger. The series showcases fine singing, an affectionate approach to oddball characters and some wacky comedy. Jane Lynch stands out as a cheerleading coach.

Familiar fare: "Brothers" is an uneven sitcom about estranged brothers who bicker a lot. What fun! The brothers are played by Michael Strahan and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell. The best moments go to CCH Pounder of "The Shield" as their determined mother.

Least likely to succeed: "Brothers," because it's going to face a rough time at 8 p.m. Fridays.

NBC

Likely hit: The progress of "The Jay Leno Show" will be the most closely followed story this fall. Can the former host of "The Tonight Show" succeed at 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. It's an unconventional move by desperate NBC. My bet is that Leno will do well enough.

Best show: "Community" is an acerbic comedy about the misfits at a community college. Joel McHale of "The Soup" plays a wisecracking student, and Chevy Chase displays a subtle style as another student. It should fit right in with "The Office" and "30 Rock."

Familiar fare: "Trauma" is a flashy, frenetic drama about first-responder paramedics. It looks like "ER" transposed to the streets. "Mercy" is a sudsy medical drama about three female nurses and their romantic fortunes. In the season after "ER" left the schedule, NBC drama is on life support.

Least likely to succeed: It's a tossup between "Trauma" and "Mercy." "Trauma" has the tougher time slot and the less appealing cast. Maybe NBC can expand "Today" to night.

The CW

Likely hit: "The Vampire Diaries" is a big, engrossing drama based on the L.J. Smith books. It should appeal to fans of "Twilight" and "True Blood."

Best show: Again, "The Vampire Diaries," because it's so compelling and has an attractive cast. Vampire Stefan (Paul Wesley) goes to high school, and grief-stricken Elena (Nina Dobrev) falls hard. You can see why because Stefan has a powerful impact.

Familiar fare: You can't get more familiar than "Melrose Place," a glossy updating of the old Fox favorite. Laura Leighton and Thomas Calabro repeat their roles. The new show has lined up Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga for guest roles. Then there's "The Beautiful Life: TBL," a glossy look at the lives of young models. Mischa Barton plays an older model with lots of problems.

Least likely to succeed: Will America fall for "Melrose Place" all over again? Television has moved on, and there are so many appealing alternatives in 2009.