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TODAY'S REVIEWS "Firefly" "John Doe" "What I Like About You" "Greetings From Tucson" 'Firefly' Airs: 7 tonight, Fox (Channel 4) Stars: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, Ron Glass Nutshell: Instantly lik-able ensemble adds appeal to this sci-fi Western. From "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon comes another self-effacing fantasy, this one revolving around a band of 26th-century mercenaries who fly around the fringes of galactic civilization, scraping by while evading the totalitarian alliance that wants them dead or alive. The show's spaghetti-western soundtrack sets a nicely ironic retro tone to the series; indeed, there's an old-fashioned train heist in the first episode. But the desperadoes aboard the spaceship Serenity are an oddly upright bunch; there's even an ascetic, conscientious-objector man of the cloth. Each person in the ensemble is distinct and intriguing. This show is loaded with possibilities. Fox hasn't had a genuine Friday-night hit since "The X-Files" six years ago; "Firefly" could be that show. (See related story on Page 4.) 'John Doe' Airs: 8 p.m., Fox (Channel 4) Stars: Dominic Purcell, Jayne Brook, William Forsythe, Sprague Grayden, John Marshall Jones Nutshell: Intense but promising drama about a polymath who appears programmed to solve crimes. One reason to root for "Firefly" is the hope that at least some viewers will stay through the break and watch this equally compelling series. When our hero (Purcell) wakes up on an island off the coast of Seattle, he is bereft of any knowledge of his past - yet has the accumulated knowledge of mankind at his fingertips. He can speak any language, recall any factoid. His deductive powers run circles around cable TV's supersleuth, Adrian Monk. But less trivial questions elude him: Why is he here? What's with that thing on his neck? And why does he see the whole world in black and white excepting certain people who, like the free spirits of "Pleasantville," stand out in color relief? Purcell's a strong drink of coffee, but I like him and can only hope other viewers agree. 'What I Like About You' Airs: 7 p.m., WB (Channel 62) Stars: Amanda Bynes, Jennie Garth, Simon Rex, Wesley Jonathan Nutshell: Goofy little sitcom is enhanced by the enthusiasm of its co-stars. You know Amanda from Nickelodeon and Jennie from "90210" - heck, you practically grew up with them! Now they're teamed as sisters. When Dad's employer transfers him to Japan, Holly (Bynes) must either follow or else convince Valerie (Garth) that she'd make a great roommate in her cool Upper West Side pad. Unfortunately, Holly's every attempt to please Big Sis ends in disaster. It's all fairly paint-by-numbers with a fair amount of physical comedy, yet I couldn't help laughing out loud at times - watching Bynes give a terrier the Heimlich manuever, for example. If nothing else, check out this episode to see Tony Hawk take a stupendous pratfall (it's actually a stunt double, but still a hoot). 'Greetings From Tucson' Airs: 8:30 p.m., WB (Channel 62) Stars: Julio Oscar Mechoso, Rebecca Creskoff, Jacob Vargas, Pablo Santos, Aimee Garcia, Sara Paxton, Bobby Chavez, Lupe Ontiveros Nutshell: Unexceptional sitcom about extended Mexican-American family benefits from strong characters. Less of a punchline parade than a lighthearted look at the foibles of family life, "Greetings From Tucson" is laced with ethnic jokes about El Caminos, pinatas and family shopping trips. The episode opens not long after the Tiants move into their new home. Finally, declares Dad (Mechoso), "we can afford to live in a neighborhood where birds are flying over us instead of helicopters." The center of the show is 15-year-old David (Santos), but the whole cast is unusually strong, especially his tart-tongued Anglo mother (Creskoff). Spanish-speaking viewers will be disappointed to learn that Channel 62 won't carry the alternate Spanish-language audio of "Greetings From Tucson" that the WB network is offering affiliates. KSMO has a shiny new broadcast tower and a digital signal - so why couldn't it pony up the relatively piddling cost of a SAP channel? - To reach Aaron Barnhart, phone (816) 234-4790 or visit the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com. @ART CAPTION:Jennie Garth stars in "What I Like About You." @ART CAPTION:Pablo Santos and Sara Paxton star in "Greetings From Tucson." @ART CREDIT:WB @ART CAPTION:Dominic Purcell, star of 'John Doe' @ART CREDIT:Fox @ART:Photos (3, color and b/w)
