CBS via AP

NEW YORK In sizing up the new series on tap for fall, its worth remembering that a new show usually premieres with its pilot episode.

When it airs, the pilot has another hurdle to clear; it must sell itself to the viewers. Then, the show can find its rhythm and start being a series.

Among the broadcast networks 21 fall series, here are 10 whose debut episodes just might whet your appetite for a second round:

Melrose Place CW, Sept. 8

Heres romance, glamour, naughtiness, mystery and (of course) Spanish-modern architecture in trendy L.A. Its a smart-but-not-too-smart re-imagining of the original 1990s soap, with the apartment digs significantly posher than before.

Glee Fox, Sept. 9

Maybe you already saw the pilot (which Fox first aired last spring and currently is putting online). A musical comedy about a struggling high school glee club, it was pitch-perfect.

Community NBC, Sept. 17

No disrespect meant to community colleges, but this one (Greendale Community College) is an ideal back- water for goofballs, schemers and slackers. Sharp writing and a classy ensemble (including Joel McHale, John Oliver and Chevy Chase) earn the very funny pilot an A-plus.

The Good Wife CBS, Sept. 22

Julianna Margulies, above, has never been better as a wife and mother forced to pick up her long-dormant career as an attorney and return to work in a pressure-cooker law firm after her politician hubby, played by Chris Noth, lands himself in jail. There are a lot of human issues to sort out here apart from the legal cases and a splendid cast to do it.

Mercy NBC, Sept. 23

A skilled, outspoken nurse, Veronica Callahan is back at New Jerseys Mercy Hospital after a tour in Iraq, with more personal problems than when she left. I dont need to talk to anybody about it, she tells her boss sarcastically. You know why? Because, Im on delicious Paxil. But viewers, keep your fingers crossed that Mercy keeps on working as well as its pilot, where Taylor Schilling is terrific as its star.

Modern Family ABC, Sept. 23

A lively half-hour boasting interlocked tales of three disparate families and a full-to-bursting ensemble (including Ed ONeill, Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara). Can this ambitious comedy make the most of its rich resources, and stay as brisk and funny as the pilot? Heres hoping.

Cougar Town ABC, Sept. 23

Courteney Cox, above right, as a woman with cellulite?! This comedy about a 40-year-old divorced mom is both riotous and strangely true-to-life as it depicts youth obsession, and how the no-longer-quite-young grapple with it. Dicey material. But auspiciously enough, Bill Lawrence is a Cougar Town executive producer and writer. As mastermind of Scrubs, he proved long ago he can find the familiar and funny in zaniness.

FlashForward ABC, Sept. 24

It happens to everyone on Earth, including all the characters who populate this eerie thriller: They black out for two minutes, during which they see visions of their future as they might (or might not) live it on a certain day next April. Whats causing this? Will the visions come true? And, hey, isnt that Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane in a cameo appearance? If you watch this episode, expect your future to include more episodes.

Brothers Fox, Sept. 25

The premise sounds like a sitcom at its most cliche: Two brothers (played by Michael Strahan, above right, and Daryl Chill Mitchell) who, in adulthood, squabble as they did when they were boys, plus their parents (Carl Weathers, above left, and CCH Pounder), all living under the same roof. The appeal of the pilot is its execution. Its fresh, relatable, engaging. And funny.

Trauma NBC, Sept. 28

Lots of action. Lots of blood. Lots of rescue. Lots of hanky-panky. The first-responder paramedics from San Francisco City Hospital are a trauma team who, in various ways, are themselves traumatized, both on and off the job. The pilots pyrotechnics and Bay Area locations make it look great. But what makes the series worth a second look: the fiercely complicated characters played by Anastasia Griffith and Cliff Curtis, who soar above the shows formulaic melodrama.