There is always one television series that catches the attention of television critics when they come together in Los Angeles to preview an upcoming season. The Fox drama "Fringe" had the most buzz even before the Television Critics Association meetings started a few days ago.

Makes sense. J.J. Abrams, the man behind the mind-testing "Lost" and the even more mind-testing "Alias" is an executive producer of the series. If the new series, slated to air at 9 p.m. Tuesdays, is half as interesting as "Lost," then Fox will have another hit.

But is the buzz justified or is it hype?

"Fringe" is good. In fact, it is one of the best new shows of the 2008-2009 season. Of course there are only a handful of new shows scheduled to start in September. You can blame the writers strike for that.

Those of you who still sit on the edge of your bed at night weeping because "The X-Files" ended years ago can now get some sleep. "Fringe" has the same strange mysteries, big business conspiracies and secrets as "The X-Files." It is going to be up to Australian actress Anna Torv to be as engaging as David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.

While 'Fringe' is good, it really doesn't live up to the hype. Too much of what is going on is way too familair. Torv has potential but doesn't seem strong enough to be at the center of another big business mystery. The idea behind the series is that science is developing faster than humans can control it. The idea has so much potential even CBS will launch a series in the fall, "The Eleventh Hour," that deals with the same topic.

The series will make you wonder what Abrams has against airlines. "Lost" started with a plane crash. 'Fringe" starts with a messy attack on a flight.

Critics had to wait to see the series opener when they got to Los Angeles. Actually, we could have seen the show on the Internet as a bootleg copy got released. If you go looking for it, there are only a few changes that have been made. And, if you are headed to ComicCon in San Diego next week, the first episode will be shown there.

I once wrote a review that had some doubts about Abrams' series "Felicity." The first episode was good. I just had problems with a series about a young woman who makes a decision about where she is going to go to college based on a boy. Abrams called me after the review published. He suggested I look at additional episodes before I made up my mind. I did. And "Felicity" became a very strong series.

Maybe "Fringe" also will become a very strong series.