The Last Word

n the next few weeks, the major networks will have premiered all their new shows. A few will be huge successes, while many will be off the air before Thanksgiving. Each of the networks will have ups and downs throughout the season, but it's almost impossible to guess what exactly will take place. However, I'm going to try. Here are seven things that (I think) will happen on television. Before you start watching fall TV this year, peep this sheet. With this knowledge, you'll be able to enjoy everything you need to and avoid almost anything on Fox.

1. Most of the new shows will be utter failures. This may happen for various reasons -- bad ratings, bad time slots, bad quality -- but it will happen. In today's television landscape, the shelf life of most shows is very short, and based on the previews for the new ones this year, that's not going change. Take one look at Fox's slate of new shows and you too will lose faith in network programming. "Nashville," "Kitchen Nightmares" and "K-Ville" look to be three of the worst shows this year.

2. NBC will continue to have quality programming that no one watches and remain in fourth place among the major networks. The Peacock has some of the best shows on TV -- "Heroes," "Friday Night Lights" and its entire Thursday night comedy block. However, the only shows it consistently had in the ratings top 20 last season were "Deal or No Deal" and its NFL coverage. New shows such as "Journeyman" and "Bionic Woman" look to be decent shows and could pull in more viewers, but it won't be enough to get the network back in the top three.

3. The CW will actually matter this year. Last year, the network that was created from the merger of UPN and WB failed to make any noise. It decided to carry over old shows, and "America's Next Top Model" was the only one that did as well as it had before the switch. However, this year the network has a strong group of new shows - "Reaper," "Gossip Girl" and "Aliens in America," all of which have a healthy amount of buzz attached to them and should do well.

4. Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. will become the chic time slot battle. Last year, Thursday night at 9 p.m. was the big ratings throw-down between "Grey's Anatomy," "CSI" and NBC's comedy lineup, but the same time Wednesday night is shaping up to be enthralling this year, too. Four networks are airing major shows then, hoping to win the night. Three newbies: "Bionic Woman," "Private Practice" and "Gossip Girl" are looking to dethrone last year's winner "Criminal Minds." Expect "Practice" to lead early, but "Minds" will retain throughout.

5. The two most underrated shows on TV, "Friday Night Lights" and "Supernatural," will gain more respect and viewers. "Supernatural" features the best chemistry between its lead actors Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, while the demon-hunting story line is a fresh one. The story line and emotions on "Friday Night Lights" are realistic and the characters are fleshed out -- rare traits for a sports program. Both of these shows have yet to find a wide audience but do have small, rabid fan bases. This year, that's going to change, as word-of-mouth will permit these shows to reach mass appeal.

6. "Chuck" will be the best new scripted show while "Moonlight" will be the worst. The NBC action-comedy "Chuck" will thrive as the lead-in for the network's biggest player, "Heroes," and it will be because of its excellent cast and crew. Josh Schwartz, who created "The O.C.," will lend his talents to this quirky show about a dork who has the entire government's intel downloaded into his head. Meanwhile, "Moonlight" will suck because it's a complete rehash of "Angel" and "Forever Knight." The show has also been plagued with creative issues, which is never a good sign.

7. The five other new shows to watch: "Pushing Daisies," "Bionic Woman," "Reaper," "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Journeyman." Five new shows to avoid at all costs: "Cavemen," "The Big Bang Theory," "Life," "Viva Laughlin" and "Nasvhille."

Bank on it.