JACK & BOBBY: This family drama is about the adventures of two brothers played by Matt Long, left, and Logan Lerman, one of whom will grow up to be president, and their eccentric, single mother (Christine Lahti).
Jack & Bobby, 9 p.m. (premieres Sept. 12 on the WB) The title brings a host of Kennedy comparisons, even though this series - about the present-day adventures of two brothers, one of whom will grow up to be president - has nothing to do with America's royal family. Instead, it's a sensitive family drama about two boys raised by an eccentric, pot-smoking single mom (Chicago Hope alum Christine Lahti), with occasional nods to the idea that one of these guys eventually will lead the free world. Buzz factor: It's one of fall's most impressive pilots. But the flash-forward interviews with the future president's staff and colleagues will get old quickly. Will it survive? Not while airing on the WB's sinkhole of a Sunday night.
THE REST
Desperate Housewives, 9 p.m. (debuts Oct. 3 on ABC) Like a topsy-turvy Stepford Wives, this series centers on four secretly unfulfilled suburban moms rattled by the discovery that a friend who committed suicide may have been hiding an awful secret. Buzz factor: Relatively high. The characters are complex and engaging, but it's tough to imagine knockout Teri Hatcher as a single mom who can't get a date, or Sports Night alum Felicity Huffman as a harried mother who can't control her three rambunctious sons. Will it survive? Taking Alias' timeslot this fall so ABC can run the spy show's episodes without repeat in 2005, it faces an uphill battle on two fronts: trying to beat Law & Order: Criminal Intent, while corralling fleeing Jennifer Garner fans.
Boston Legal, 10 p.m. (debuts Oct. 3 on ABC) As sort of a spinoff of The Practice, this series features James Spader as ethically challenged lawyer Alan Shore, who now works for a tony law firm headed by William Shatner's addled attorney Denny Crane. For a show developed to ride The Practice's coattails while dumping its expensive cast, it's not bad. Buzz factor: Noting Practice creator David E. Kelley's recent move north to Palo Alto, some wonder if he will stay involved. But considering his recent track record, including CBS' quickly-canceled Brotherhood of Poland, N.H. last year, less Kelley may not be a bad thing. Will it survive? Practice episodes featuring the new cast got knocked around by NBC's lame-o forensics drama Crossing Jordan last season. Expect more pummeling this time around.
