Ah, fall TV premiere season, you're back again. When I was a kid, the new fall season was as big a deal to me as Halloween or Christmas. From letting the anticipation grow all summer as the networks would reveal tidbits through their commercials, to my eagerly poring over the TV Guide Fall Preview issue in an attempt to map out my viewing for the year.

The good times.

These days, the anticipation is different, and it starts with the upfronts in May. I spend the summer digging up all the information available on the new shows. And although I don't pore over the TV Guide any longer, I do spend more hours on various Web sites than I probably should. It all leads up to one moment. The arrival of the fall shows. And this season seems more special than most.

The networks have picked up 10 genre-related series, with seven of them actually premiering this fall. Combine that with the returning genre series, and we've got more "high concept" programming on the major networks at one time than I can remember. Characters joining us this fall include a vampire, a time traveler, a human database, a death-reviving pie maker and his alive-again girlfriend, and of course, a bionic woman.

Looking at all the info I have learned about the new shows, I have to say I'm really looking forward to the re-imagining of "Bionic Woman." Michelle Ryan, playing Jamie Summers, is a beautiful woman and a capable actress. I saw her work in the BBC series "Jekyll" and was quite impressed. The show also has a very capable cast, which includes recurring character Sarah Corvus, played by "Battlestar Galactica's" Katee Sackhoff. Their scenes together were electric, and the contrasts of the two bionic women were a joy to behold. I won't be missing this one.

A new show I probably will miss will be "Moonlight." First off, vampires don't normally do well on the broadcast networks, so that's strike one. Secondly, the show has had casting issues since its inception. Of the cast used in the original pilot, only the lead Alex O'Loughlin playing the vampire Mick St. John remains. Thirdly, the showrunner hired to bring the show to air, former "Angel" showrunner David Greenwalt, left the show after only a month for health reasons.

It's a show that appears to be cursed, and if it makes it the whole 13 episode initial order, I'll be surprised.

But now, so I don't appear to be ignoring our returning shows, let's take a peek at them.

If I had to say which show I'm most looking forward to, it would have to be "Supernatural." I've always been a fan of the show, but the two-part finale to Season 2 was just perfect. It set up a multitude of story points for Season 3, but also closed enough old plot points to make Season 3 a perfect jumping on point. The buzz is strong on this one, especially with the show adding two female recurring regulars. This is don't-miss TV.

It's partner on The CW, "Smallville," can't say the same thing. Entering its seventh season, the show is tired. They have resorted to adding Supergirl to the show in an attempt to revitalize it. I have no idea if it'll work, but with the producers promising that the Clark/Lana dynamic will continue, it just screams boring. I don't know if even the Luthor family can make this one interesting. Only time will tell.

There are so many genre shows coming to us this fall, and so little time, I just hope my TiVo can keep up.

New show to watch this fall: Bionic Woman
New show to ignore this fall: Moonlight
Returning show to watch this fall: Supernatural
Returning show that will struggle: Smallville.

Ed Left is a columnist for Airlock Alpha, working out of Chicago. He also is the Webmaster of SciFi On TV. He can be reached at eleft@airlockalpha.com.