THE JAY LENO SHOW. 10 p.m. weeknights starting tonight, Channel 10.

JAY LENO is probably the last guy anyone would have expected to change the face of television.

We're talking about a man who thinks it's going to be a shift to be on TV - for the first time since 1992 - without a desk.

But as the former host of NBC's "Tonight Show" prepares to take up residence in prime time tonight and every weeknight from now on, Time magazine is hailing him (with no great enthusiasm) as the "future of television" and the industry that made him a star is watching to see what happens next.

Because what looks to many as a surrender by the once-proud Peacock, which lately seems strained by the burdens of programming seven nights a week, could turn out to be a coup.

If Leno succeeds - and given how much less his show costs than five nights of scripted drama, the bar's set low - it could be bad news for anyone trying to sell a broadcast network on anything heavier than "Jaywalking."

On the bright side, it could also signal the resurrection of TV comedy (whose death, it might be argued by CBS and NBC, has been too long exaggerated).

I couldn't help noticing that some of this year's best fall pilots aren't about alien invasions or emergency workers or people who've glimpsed the future.

They're comedies.

But then, thanks in part to "The Jay Leno Show," there aren't as many new network shows as there would've been a few years ago, (despite a dizzying number from ABC, which is adding five new series on Wednesdays alone).

I'll be weighing in on most - the good, the bad and the ugly - before they hit your screens, but for now, here are some worth checking out.

The best (so far)

 

In order of their appearance:

_ Fox's "Glee" (9 p.m. Wednesdays). Yes, I know it technically premiered in May (its third episode airs this week), and you may already be sick of hearing about it. But if you haven't met the musical misfits of McKinley High yet, there's still time.

_ NBC's "Community" (9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Channel 10). Joel McHale ("The Soup") stars as a manipulative ex-lawyer who finds himself back in community college, where the dean's played by "The Daily Show's" John Oliver and the other students include a cluelessly amorous blowhard played by Chevy Chase. Premieres: Thursday.

_ CBS' "NCIS: Los Angeles" (9 p.m. Tuesdays, Channel 3). The closest thing to a sure thing there is this fall, "NCIS: LA" doesn't need my endorsement, but it earned it the minute Oscar winner Linda Hunt came on-screen as the Latin-spouting taskmaster riding herd on undercover agents G Callen (Chris O'Donnell) and Sam Hanna (LL Cool J). "NCIS" fans will recognize that it's respect for characters and their development as much as the work that ties the L.A.-based spin-off to the mother ship. Premieres: Sept. 22.

_ CBS' "The Good Wife" (10 p.m. Tuesdays, Channel 3). In easily the best-timed drama of the season, Julianna Margulies plays the wife of a disgraced politician (Chris Noth) who's forced to resume a long-abandoned law career. Co-stars include Christine Baranski ("Cybill"), Josh Charles ("Sports Night") and Matt Czuchry ("Gilmore Girls"). Premieres: Sept. 22.

_ ABC's "Modern Family" (9 p.m. Wednesdays, Channel 6). I didn't think I wanted to see one more mockumentary-style comedy, but this sitcom about extended family is too good to miss. Premieres: Sept. 23.

The best of the rest

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