Caught three series premieres last night and one season premiere. Surface (formerly "Fathom") was the night's winner. Really great story, well acted, tense, spooky at times, funny at others, totally had me on the edge of my seat. The effects could have been better in some parts, but I am not uber-picky about that. Aside from that, it was like watching a movie. The feel of the piece reminded me a great deal of The Abyss at times, and I mean that in a good way. Really very few negatives to report about this one. The other two pilots were sitcoms starring alumni of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Kitchen Confidential with Nicholas Brendon and How I Met Your Mother with Alyson Hannigan. Kitchen... was not bad, but it doesn't seem to have really gelled yet. It had the same sort of wacky deadpan feel as The Office, but not yet the same polish. That said, there was a very touching moment at the end of the pilot which really took me by surprise. Could turn into something really good, but I am not certain it will get the chance. Also, the subject matter seems somewhat limiting, but I could be wrong about that. Nick was totally underused in this episode, and I worry that he may get lost in such a large ensemble. Someone tell the execs that this man needs his own show! How I Met... was a lot of fun in a sappy, chick-flick sort of way. For me, it struck just the right note between wacky and sappy, and kept me laughing and smiling throughout. By its nature, the premise is a little limited, but it should be fun to see where they go with the story. Aly was awesome in this, balancing somewhere between "Willow" and her character from American Pie. A real delight. Season opener of Medium was up to the show's usual standards. Solid storytelling, believable characters, and a great cast. All this and a psychic, what's not to like? In short: Surface - Could be the next big thing, if the viewers can find it on the jam-packed Monday schedule. Kitchen Confidential - Fun, but might be too 'Indy' for the mainstream audience and too lowbrow for the Indy crowd. How I Met Your Mother - Terribly sweet, but manages to be quite funny at the same time. Could be a winner. Medium - Never blows my socks off, but always entertains. A terrific, solid show.