The name sits with several recent shows and movies quite well. If you do not know him, then you may know his work: TV shows and films such as Lost, Alias, Cloverfield and, yes, even Felicity.

I was an early fanboy of Lost; I must admit the show started out quite interesting. Season one ended with many questions left unanswered that had many viewers hooked. After season one, however, the show just got most of its viewers, well…Lost- including me. For those of you still hooked on the show’s bizarre twists and turns you are quite aware of the long waiting periods between new shows being cooked up. With the new season set to air in early 2009, a good substitute will be required in the meantime.

What better substitute than a show created by the very same producer? The same quirky genre may not exactly be there, but the same taste still will be evident.

Fringe, a new scientific crime show with roots similar to that of X-files, premiered Sunday, September 14th, at 8/7 central. The show has harbored a widespread community, which appears to be growing rapidly. The official website contains links to a wiki dedicated to the show where viewers can discuss and express their opinions on the series to others. The website also hosts a link to view the pilot and the first full episode in the event you missed the premiere.

The show kicks off in an airplane, a strange man injects himself with some kind of virus and minutes later the entire passenger and crew population are infested. I won’t go into particulars, but the show’s main character, FBI special agent Olivia Dunham, embarks on a journey, so to speak, to find out what exactly happened on board the flight. With a certain personal connection, the main character, Olivia, only has so much time to find out what the virus is and what happened.

If you are looking for a great substitute until Lost airs in early 2009, Fringe should fill that void and keep you interested. If you are looking, however, for a brand new show which defines the sci-fi genre, you might not be so lucky.