Tonight is the official start of the 2010-2011 fall television season for the main networks. Here are short reviews of two of the big dramas, one of the best new comedies and the season premiere of last year's blockbuster hit.

The Event (tonight at 8, KSL Channel 5) • If there's one thing loyal TV viewers are sick of, it is being hoodwinked. With serialized mysteries, viewers get suckered into a new mythology, only to have the rug pulled out from under them when the show gets unexpectedly canceled.

It happened with shows like "Threshold," "Dollhouse," and the recent "Flash Forward." It's enough for any TV viewer to swear them off in favor of a program with a complete beginning, middle and end in each episode.

But NBC is willing to try again, and their attempt is this conspiracy thriller that has just enough intrigue to pull people in. The question, however, is will it last long enough to make it worth a commitment?

The pilot begins with Sean Walker, played by Jason Ritter (the late John Ritter's son), on a cruise with his girlfriend when unexplained events begin to happen. She soon disappears, and he's told that he was never a guest on the boat.

Meanwhile, the U.S. president (Blair Underwood), meets with a group of government detainees at a secret base, and Sean's soon-to-be father-in-law becomes involved in a plane hijacking plot. All seem unrelated, but you know they have some kind of connection.

Want to find out what it is? Keep watching, and make sure others do, too. If the show's canceled, those mysteries will never be revealed.

The first episode of "The Event" propels forward at a decent pace, even if its jumbled plots make it a little difficult to follow. And it's just interesting enough to make you stay tuned for a few more episodes. But as the producers of other failed serialized shows have learned, you better answer questions as quickly as you raise new ones or no one will be willing to go for the ride.

Chase (tonight at 9, KSL Channel 5) • It took me two viewings to review this Jerry Bruckheimer ("CSI," "Pirates of the Caribbean") thriller about U.S. marshals. Not because I wanted to delve deeper into my analysis, but because I literally forgot what it was about. That's the impression this bland, indistinguishable crime drama will leave on many. It's about federal marshals who chase after fugitives. In the pilot, the main agent, a tough-as-nails woman they call "Boots" (Kelli Giddish), goes through all the motions a television cop wades through to catch the bad guy. She talks to the suspect's girlfriend. She trains the new rookie. She has witty word play with her partner (Cole Hauser). And she gets in a couple of foot chases (that are filmed with the excitement of a high school track meet). Worst of all, there is no character, no humor and no style — just a lot of dusty clouds over a barren Texas landscape. If you see this show coming up on your television dial, run. Run as fast as you can.

Glee (Tuesday, 7 p.m., KSTU Channel 13) • The glee club members of McKinley High are back and better than ever. The surprise hit of last season has finally returned, and "gleeks" across the country can give a sigh of relief. The charm, laughs and vibrant musical energy of this wonderful toe-tapping musical/comedy are still intact.

The students, including Rachel, Finn, Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, Puck and Tina, have returned from summer vacation, and so has the rivalry between their glee club teacher Mr. Schuseter (Matthew Morrison) and the quick-tongued cheerleading coach, Sue (Emmy winner Jane Lynch).

This time, though, there is another adversary — the newly hired female coach of the football team, Coach Bieste. Meanwhile, New Directions has turned to two new recruits to help them on their journey to nationals in New York.

In that first episode is all the joyous cover songs, choreography and wonderfully wicked plot points we have come to love in "Glee." Now, the new school season can officially start.

Running Wilde (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m., KSTU Channel 13) • I really miss Fox's "Arrested Development." It was that rarity in broadcast television — a way-out comedy overflowing with eccentricity. "Running Wilde," which is made by the same writing team of "Arrested" and stars one of that show's co-stars, Will Arnett, makes up for the loss — just barely.

Arnett plays Steven Wilde, a spoiled millionaire who reconnects with his childhood love (Keri Russell), an environmental activist who was living in the jungle with her daughter. As adults, it is an odd pair indeed. But Wilde is determined to keep her in his mansion in hopes of rekindling their relationship. Helping him in his quest is his devoted nanny, his lifelong friend and driver, and a rival playboy millionaire.

Like "Arrested," "Running Wilde" is flooded with bizarre sight gags, subtle quips, and off-kilter characters. It may not be as wholly successful as its comedic precursor, but it's still light years ahead of the rest of the fall sitcoms.