Nine Lives

In previous postings, I mentioned that there were three new shows that I was looking forward to more than any other.

Both "Heroes" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" have met, and in certain moments exceeded, my expectations, and make up perhaps my favorite two-hour block from a single network.

The third show, "The Nine" (ABC, 10 p.m.) makes its debut tonight. The show revolves around nine bank customers who were hostages in a 52-hour crisis when a bank robbery goes awry. The show mixes in the past lives of the characters, scenes from the robbery (we're not meant to see the whole crime at once; it unfolds during the season) and the post-crisis impact it has on the characters' lives.

The cast includes Tim Daly ("Wings"), Kim Raver ("24") and Scott Wolf ("Party of Five").

Of course, it would be nice to tell you whether or not the pilot lived up to the hype, but ABC refuses to include me on its screener list.

But, if "The Nine" does prove to be a hit, combined with its lead-in "Lost" (9 p.m.), it might knock off NBC's Monday night duo as my favorite network programming block.

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BET: Honestly, did you think this would be anything other than "Lost?" The third-season premiere opens with a ton of new questions: What will happen to Jack, Sawyer and Kate? What exactly happened when Desmond turned the key? Why does the statue have only four toes? And so forth...

"Lost" was one of those rare shows that didn't lose much momentum after its strong first season. With the glut of new characters joining the original survivors, viewers might have been overwhelmed by all of the various plotlines and mysteries to follow, but the writers did a good job of juggling it.

"Lost" will run for six episodes, then give way to Taye Diggs' new series, after which it will return for the rest of its run beginning in January.

If "The Nine" doesn't prove to be your cup of tea, I urge you to give "Kidnapped" (NBC, 10 p.m.) one more chance. Ratings haven't been strong, most likely because of Fox's awful "Vanished" that came out first and sapped viewers away. Also, if you missed the "Friday Night Lights" debut on Tuesday, NBC is re-running the pilot at 8 p.m.

For me, I will be catching the Mets as they face the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS series (ESPN, 4 p.m.).