Fringe

FRINGE premieres tonight on FOX.  It's the new show from JJ Abrams (creator of Alias and LOST) and has a distinct X-Files vibe going on.

Tonight's 95 minute premiere opens with a mystery involving a plane landing, but everyone on it is dead.  An FBI agent is tasked to find out what happened leading her to a mad scientist (literally mad, he's in an institution) and his theories about fringe sciences, mind-reading, teleportation, excetra, in other words, all our sci-fi faves.  In order to get his cooperation, she enlists the help of the scientist's son (and the Scully of the show) played by Pacey from Dawson's Creek.  (Joshua Jackson if you insist on using actor's real names.)

By the end of the 95 minute premiere, the first mystery will be solved and we'll get a new one next week.

Apparently, the network is hoping that less of a serialized approach will hope viewers feel more comfortable, as it will allow them to come in whenever and not be too penalized by missing an episode.

I suppose this is a sound theory, but speaking for myself, I'm much more interested in investing my time in shows that ask something of me.  Sure, sometimes it means that I have to hold off after missing an episode and catching up in the summer with the DVD release (although iTunes has made it much easier to catch up quickly for the low, low price of  $1.99, and often times the networks have the episode available for free on their own website, so this is less and less of an issue), but on the flipside, keeping up with a serialized show is tons more rewarding.

I have to admit, I'm excited about Fringe, because of the creators pedigree in part and also because of the storyline and actors attached, but I think that I'd be tons more interested if it were a highly serialized show the way that Alias and LOST were.

After all, if I'm not penalized for missing an episode, isn't it more likely that I will?

Until Next Time, I'll put up my review of the pilot tomorrow.