This year, using only the Upfront (the big LA bashes in May right around the time everyone is running Season Finales) information from Zap2It and TV Guide. I saw no pilots and read no one else's views -- in fact I have the Fall Preview editions of Entertainment Weekly & TV Guide sitting, untouched, on the desk beside me. I base my predictions on the write up of the programs, the actors and the producers.

This year, there seems to be a lot more financial interest on-net, meaning, shows produced by a company that is owned by the same company as the network, if not owned outright by the net. It is important to see if these shows get more time to build an audience, since there is a far greater reward should any of these shows reach the magical 100-episode mark which makes syndication very lucrative. Financial Production Scorecard

The 2002-2003 season looks to be an interesting one: Will "Friends" hold off "Survivor" again? Can "CSI: Miami" help CBS continue to build on the franchise? Will the graying "ER" be on life support? Will anyone watch ABC this season? What'll be the sleeper breakout hit of the year? Which Wednesday medical drama will survive? Who's the first to be cancelled or, um, put on hiatus? (It's a toss up for me...you'll just have to read and find out.)

Everything's presented through the grids: by network or by night. Each of the 35 new programs has a page with its information, a "What They Say," "What I Say" and "My Prediction & Analysis".

Enjoy and feel free to drop me a line -- and check back during the season to see if I have a clue. :)