Like Hugh Laurie in House? Then you'll love Shark.   (Photo: Courtesy of Dean Hendler/Fox)

America the Beautiful
Thanks to America Ferrera, Ugly Betty is shaping up to be the new season’s most unlikely swan.
• Ugly Betty, ABC; premieres September 28 (8 p.m.)

Fancy Meeting You Here
Longtime friends and indie-film favorites, Hope Davis and Campbell Scott find themselves on network TV with each other.
• Six Degrees, ABC; premieres September 21 (10 p.m.)

Like House? Then You'll Love...
Now there’s Shark, a clever variation on House’s formula, substituting lawyers for doctors and inserting the just-­hammy-enough James Woods as the central sourpuss.
• Shark, CBS; premieres September 21 (10 p.m.)

We Can Work it Out: Standoff
The idea Silverstein pitched was “Mad About You with guns”.
• Standoff, Fox; premieres September 5 (9 p.m.)

The Not Ready for Prime Time Playoff
How to tell the difference between NBC’s dueling SNL-inspired shows.
• Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, NBC; premieres September 18 (10 p.m.)
• 30 Rock, NBC; premieres October 11 (8:30 p.m.)

Why to Watch The Wire
With season four, even die-hards might be nervous: The action’s shifted to Baltimore’s school system.
• The Wire, HBO; premieres September 10 (10 p.m.)

The Best of the Rest
Super freaks, pitiable fools, robbing Mick Jagger, and more.