THE BEST

1. “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (NBC) Yes, it's really just “The West Wing” Goes Hollywood, and thanks to its star-studded cast, witty writing and zillion-dollar production values, it has my vote.

2. “Six Degrees” (ABC) An artful adult drama about the mystical connections between strangers is probably too precious to last, so catch glowing co-stars Hope Davis and Campbell Scott before their lovely show gets snuffed out.

3. “Ugly Betty” (ABC) With the adorable America Ferrera starring as a smart geek doing time at a vapid fashion magazine, the hottest property on ABC's schedule has some original fire in its belly.

4. “Kidnapped” (NBC) A top-drawer cast led by Timothy Hutton and Dana Delany gives this atmospheric kid-snatching drama such luxurious depth, you might sink in and never get up.

5. “Smith” (CBS) Yet another addition to TV's high-crimes collection, but the morally ambiguous characters so excellently played by Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen put this swanky drama in a class of its own.

THE WORST

(starting with the not-quite-so-bad):

5. “Jericho” (CBS) It means well, but this grimly sincere drama about post-apocalyptic life is one thick slab of TV fiber.

4. “Happy Hour” (Fox) May this grating “'Swingers' for Dummies” impale itself on a swizzle stick.

3. “Desire” (My Network TV) Cheesy in a bad, movie-theater nachos kind of way.

2. “Twenty Good Years” (NBC) Someone must have told John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor that YELLING their stale “Odd Couple” banter would make it funnier. It doesn't.

1. “30 Rock” (NBC) Tina Fey's alleged comedy about life behind the scenes of a TV variety show is being revamped. Let's hope they fumigated, too.

ROBERT P. LAURENCE'S PICKS

THE BEST

1. “Six Degrees” (ABC) Best of the best. People are more connected to each other than they know. This season's most intriguing and arresting new drama counts the ways.

2. “The Class” (CBS) A clever, good-natured comedy with a winning, talented young cast.

3. “The Knights of Prosperity” (ABC) Goofy guys come up with a goofy plan to rob Mick Jagger. Boy, it's goofy. But it's fun.

4. “Ugly Betty” (ABC) America Ferrera shines beautifully through a pilot plot that gets ugly at times.

5. “Help Me Help You” (ABC) Playing a psychologist, Ted Danson treads a path trod by Bob Newhart, and leaves his own footprint.

THE WORST

(starting with the not-quite-so-bad):

5. “Standoff” (Fox) Alfred Hitchcock made it look easy to combine suspense, romance and comedy. “Standoff” makes it look impossible.

4. “Jericho” (CBS) A dark, pessimistic, gloomy pilot is not an invitation to come back next week.

3. “Desire” and “Fashion House” (MyNetworkTV) Hackneyed plots, cheesy production, wooden actors don't bode well for two telenovelas. No extra points for being shot in San Diego.

2. “The Game” (CW) Let's hope real professional football players pick girlfriends smarter than these.

1. “Happy Hour” (Fox) Yes, this is it, as bad as it gets.