The approaching fall season is such a lovely time. The leaves are changing, the Badgers are winning and, most importantly. . . no more boring reruns! The month of September is the kick-off for nearly every show on television. The problem is, with hundreds of channels available 24 hours a day, there are too many shows to pick from.

Unless you quit school and become a professional couch potato, you cannot spend all of your time flipping channels. Here then is the ArtsEtc. guide to help you navigate your way to the season’s best dramas any day of the week.

SUNDAY

ALIAS (ABC 8 p.m.)

According to ABC’s hit drama, being a double agent just isn’t as simple as it used to be. Sure, you get to work with hunks like Michael Vartan and wear funky wigs that turn you into a Cher look-a-like, but the spy game is much more than good looks and fashion.

Last season’s final episode left Vaughn’s (Vartan) life hanging in the balance, with Sydney (Jennifer Garner) as his only hope for escape (don’t worry, Vartan has a six-year contract).

This season, expect some familial conflict when Sydney encounters her evil mother, who worked for the KGB, faked her own death, betrayed her country and tried to kill her husband’s father. (See, your mom isn’t so bad.)

Also, if last year’s complex storylines left you with a throbbing pain in your head, the producers are promising this season will be just as exciting and a little less confusing. (Apparently, by the end of the season, not even the writers knew what was going on.) So for all of you who can’t afford cable, or can’t stomach the violence, skip “The Sopranos” Sunday night and tune in to the best show on ABC.

BOOMTOWN (NBC 9 p.m.)

“Boomtown” is probably the most innovative new show of the season. Set on the gritty streets of Los Angeles, the crime drama examines a single story from multiple narrative perspectives.

The season begins with a drive-by shooting that results in the murder of a teenage girl. The plot unravels as seen through the eyes of cops, attorneys, reporters and paramedics. This is a show about unsung heroes and hidden truths in the City of Angels. The show’s cast is diverse and experienced in both TV and film roles.

Former New Kid on the Block Donny Wahlberg plays the complex and conflicted Detective Joel Stevens, and Mykelti Williamson, who played the lovable Bubba in Forrest Gump, depicts fearless Detective Bobby Smith.

If an ex-New Kid and a fictional war hero won’t draw you in, well, then you may be a lost cause for TV land.

MONDAY

THIRD WATCH (NBC 8 p.m.)

“Third Watch” looks into the lives of New York City’s finest night shift. The cast of characters includes cops, firefighters and paramedics, each struggling with his or her own humanity, even as their jobs require them to be heroes.

The show’s third season ended with a blackout that left each of the characters in potentially life-changing situations. Officer Yokas’ (Molly Price) husband suffered a heart attack as they waited for rescue in an elevator. Paramedics Doc (Michael Beach) and Carlos (Anthony Ruivivar) lost their ambulance in a fire, and the always-angry Officer Bosco (Jason Wiles) relied on a shady character to save the life of an innocent bystander.

The show frequently wades in the waters of melodrama, but one thing is guaranteed — life on the “Third Watch” is never boring.

TUESDAY

GILMORE GIRLS (WB 7 p.m.)

The end of last season left “Gilmore Girls”‘ fans picking their jaws up off the floor.

Good-girl Rory (Alexis Bledel) unexpectedly planted a kiss on bad-boy Jess (Milo Ventimiglia), and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) was left broken-hearted, again, by Rory’s father, after his “intimate” visit.

Rory spent the summer in Washington, D.C. training for her new position as class vice president. She’ll return to Star’s Hollow with some difficult decisions to make about her fizzling relationship with Dean (Jared Padalecki) and her sort-of relationship with Jess.

WEDNESDAY

WEST WING (NBC 8 p.m.)

Last year’s season finale was a heartbreaker. They finally let poor, hardworking C.J. (Allison Janney) have a man, and just when it seemed she was about to get some loving, they killed him off. Now that’s just mean.

Expect this season to focus on the upcoming presidential election, which pins President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) against the idiotic Governor Ritchie from Florida. Plus, Rob Lowe shocked all of us by announcing this summer that he will be leaving the show in March. Tune in to find out how Sam Seaborn (Lowe) will leave his post as deputy of communications.

THURSDAY

ER (NBC 9 p.m.)

For all those who are asking, is that show still on? The answer is most definitely yes, and this year’s premiere is a don’t miss.

Yes, the show is approaching its umpteenth season, and it’s true that many of the original cast members will soon qualify for social security; nevertheless, the writers have outdone themselves this year.

Last season ended with a bang as smallpox contaminated County General and exposed persons had to be quarantined, including Abby (Maura Tierney) and Carter (Noah Wyle), who had an “almost-kiss” moment right at the end.

The season opener promises a desperate search for the small-pox cure and a continuation of the never-ending Abby-Carter romance. Set aside your piles of homework for one hour to watch this “Must See TV” drama kick-off yet another season. Plus, it’s kind of educational because it’s about medicine and science and stuff like that.

PUSH, NEVADA (ABC 8 p.m.)

“Push, Nevada” is the “Twin Peaks” of the interactive age. ABC’s new drama follows IRS agent Jim Prufrock (Derek Cecil) to a quirky western town where you can’t walk down the street without tripping over a mystery.

Prufrock is drawn to Nevada in search of some missing money. Upon his arrival, this mild-mannered city boy is forced to play the role of detective, but he’s not the only one who gets to hunt down the clues and examine the evidence.

Produced by LivePlanet, the production company of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, “Push, Nevada” invites its viewers to participate in the show’s detective work and reap the benefits. By following along with the show and searching for clues, one lucky viewer will win one million dollars.

Finally, being a lazy, TV-obsessed bum could pay off. The show will preview Tuesday the 17th, but it will regularly air Thursdays at 8 p.m. In that time slot, opposite “Will & Grace” and “CSI,” this new show will certainly need the help of Hollywood heavyweights and million-dollar gimmicks.

FRIDAY

JOHN DOE (FOX, Sept. 20, 8 p.m.)

This new Fox drama begins with a strange man crawling out of a swamp on a deserted island. He has no knowledge of himself or his past but possesses an almost omniscient understanding of the world around him.

He then works his way to Seattle, where he becomes the ultimate crime-solving detective. It could be another “Law & Order” series — “Law & Order: Strange, Swamp Guy Detective.”

Nonetheless, it’s an interesting concept, and, if executed well, it could become Fox’s next big hit. The cast is made up of mostly unknowns, but the director has a series of successes, including “ER” and “The Peacemaker.” With good writing and some breakout stars, “John Doe” may be a fascinating and entertaining hybrid of the “X-Files” and “The Bourne Identity.”

SATURDAY
Sorry, no good dramatic television Saturday. Plus, only losers watch television Saturday night. Get off the couch and do something.