The Hollywood writers' work stoppage left a punishing wake: a truncated fall TV season with only about half the number of new scripted shows to view. Television critic Vince Horiuchi offers a peek at the new series headed your way each day of the week. Since the networks are behind schedule in producing their new season shows, Horiuchi has seen only a few of the pilots, so watch at your own peril. Oh, the horror of contract negotiations!

Monday

"My Own Worst Enemy" Premieres: Oct. 13, 9 p.m., KSL Channel 5.

Christian Slater ("Broken Arrow") is a secret agent by night and a suburban husband and father by day. Only he doesn't know it, and the chip in his brain that keeps the two identities separate begins to malfunction.

"Worst Week" Premieres: Sept. 22, 8:30 p.m., KUTV Channel 2.

It's like "Meet the Parents" every week when Sam tries to impress his future in-laws - always with disastrous results. Funny pilot, but will it be the same every week?

Tuesday

"The Mentalist" Premieres: Sept. 23, 8 p.m., KUTV Channel 2 CBS' version of USA's "Psych," in which a former psychic uses his powers of observation and fakery to help catch criminals. Typical legal procedural fodder without a new, interesting twist.

"Fringe" Premieres: Sept. 9, 7 p.m. (regular time slot, 8 p.m.), KSTU Channel 13 "The X-Files" meets the psychedelic 1980s movie "Altered States" in this derivative conspiracy-laced schemer from J.J. Abrams about FBI agents investigating a plane full of dead passengers.

"90210" Premieres: Sept. 2, 7 p.m., KUCW Channel 30 New teens from America's snottiest ZIP code make up a new sequel/remake of the 1990s Fox prime-time soap. Won't be pre-screened for critics, which raises questions about how good/bad it might be.

"Privileged" Premieres: Sept. 9, 8 p.m., KUCW Channel 30 A writer decides to tutor two horrendous socialite teen twins (think of Paris Hilton times two, which is horrifying enough) and finds herself swirling in the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Wednesday

"Knight Rider" Premieres: Sept. 24, 7 p.m., KSL Channel 5 K.I.T.T., the talking computerized car from the hit 1980s action show, returns in this remake minus David Hasselhoff in the lead role (though he might cameo).

"Gary Unmarried" Premieres: Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m., KUTV Channel 2 Jay Mohr ("Jerry Maguire") stars in this sitcom about a recently divorced painter and his ex-wife and how they juggle the custody of their children.

"Do Not Disturb" Premieres: Sept. 10, 8:30 p.m., KSTU Channel 13 Jerry O'Connell ("Carpoolers") runs a small hotel with the usual wacky cast of characters, from the modelesque hotel clerk to the cute, full-figured reservationist. The pilot was as sexist and unfunny as it sounds, too.

Thursday

"Kath & Kim" Premieres: Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m., KSL Channel 5 High hopes are riding on this remake of an Australian sitcom with Molly Shannon as the mom and her grown, newly divorced daughter (Selma Blair) living together again.

"Life on Mars" Premieres: Oct. 9, 9 p.m., KTVX Channel 4 Based on a British series, a detective inexplicably goes back in time to 1970s New York, where he has to investigate without computers or DNA analysis and, worst of all, with bell bottoms.

"Eleventh Hour" Premieres: Oct. 9, 9 p.m., KUTV Channel 2 Yet another crime drama from the Jerry Bruckheimer factory (the "CSI" franchise), this time about an FBI investigator specializing in high-tech, high-science crimes.

Friday

"Crusoe" Premieres: Oct. 17, 7 p.m., KSL Channel 5 The classic, literary version of "Lost," based on the Daniel Dafoe novel of a man left to survive on a deserted - or so we think - island.

"The Ex List" Premieres: Oct. 3, 8 p.m., KUTV Channel 2 A single woman anxious to get married is told by a psychic that the person she will marry is someone she dated before, which leads her on a journey - "My Name Is Earl" style - to revisit all her past boyfriends.

Sunday

"Surviving Suburbia" Premieres: Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m., KUCW Channel 30 Bob Saget ("Full House") returns to the family sitcom as a suburbanite whose life is shaken up when new neighbors move in.

"Valentine" Premieres: Sept. 21, 7 p.m., KUCW Channel 30 In this one-hour romantic comedy, a family of Greek gods tries to get people to fall in love (which is better, in theory, than throwing lightning bolts at them during entire episodes).

"Easy Money" Premieres: Sept. 21, 8 p.m., KUCW Channel 30 The son of an eccentric family takes over the short-term loan business in what sounds a little like "Six Feet Under." Emmy winner Laurie Metcalf ("Roseanne") co-stars.