School is well underway and football season is about to start, which can only mean one thing. The fall season of new and returning television series’ is upon us.

Fox has already got a jump on the other major networks by airing new episodes of “Vanished” and “Prison Break.” Over the next few weeks, the other major channels will follow suit and trot out their season premieres.

Be sure to check out the newcomers that have already garnered a lot of buzz. NBC, trying to move up in the network rankings from fourth place, is bringing out the most amount of new shows. These include “Heroes,” a drama about ordinary people who find they have extraordinary powers, “Friday Night Lights,” a series version of the film that stars Kyle Chandler in Billy Bob Thornton’s role, and “20 Good Years,” featuring “3rd Rock From The Sun’s” John Lithgow and “Arrested Development’s” Jeffrey Tambor as a duo of senior citizens trying to recapture their youth.

NBC will also be home to “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” a new drama about a comedy series, oddly enough. Aaron Sorkin, the genius behind “West Wing” and “Sports Night,”will be handling much of the series’ writing duties. The show boasts an all-star cast, including Amanda Peet, D.L. Hughley, “Friends” alum Matthew Perry, “West Wing” alum Bradley Whitford and TV legend Ed Asner.

Curiously enough, NBC is also introducing “30 Rock,” another show about a sketch comedy series. This one is a true-blue comedy, however, and is headlined by SNL’s Tina Fey. Fey plays Liz Lemon, the head writer of the fictional TV show, ‘The Girlie Show.’ When her boss dies and is replaced, Liz must try to run the show, wrangle a self-centered star (SNL’s Tracy Morgan), and deal with outside characters (SNL’s Rachel Dratch) without having a breakdown.

But NBC isn’t the only network with fresh series. ABC is mixing it up by moving “Grey’s Anatomy” to Thursdays, giving “What About Brian” a second season, and adding several new shows to their lineup.

ABC’s “Let’s Rob…” is a comedy starring Donal Logue about a group of guys who plot to break into Mick Jagger’s apartment. The series is paired with “Help Me Help You,” a comedy about therapy starring “Cheers'” Ted Danson.

“Big Day” will focus on one couple’s wedding plans and stars Wendie Malick, Marla Sokoloff, and “Four Kings'” Josh Cooke. “Notes From the Underbelly” takes a comedic look at parenthood. “Six Degrees,” the new series from J.J. Abrams, is a drama about six strangers whose paths cross in New York City.

“Brothers & Sisters,” a family drama that stars Calista Flockhart, Ron Rifkin, Rachel Griffiths and Patricia Wettig will move into the coveted post-“Desperate Housewives” timeslot.

“Betty the Ugly,” starring “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants'” America Ferrera as an unattractive assistant at a fashion magazine looks promising, as does “Men in Trees,” a light drama featuring Anne Heche as a self-help guru stranded in an Alaskan town dominated by men.

And “Lost” fans can breathe a little easier. In order to avoid mid-season repeats, ABC plans to run seven straight episodes of the popular island drama in the fall, give the timeslot temporarily to the Taye Diggs drama “Day Break,” and then run “Lost” for the rest of its pivotal third season.

Be sure to give new network “The CW” a chance. The network represents a merger of UPN and The WB, and boasts a combination of the best of both networks. Does it get any better than having “America’s Next Top Model,” “Gilmore Girls,” “Veronica Mars,” “Supernatural,” “Smallville,” and “Everybody Hates Chris” all on the same network?

With Fox and CBS as strong competitors as well, the new television season looks to be one for the records. So break in the recliner and program your TiVo’s- the 2006 Fall lineup is here!

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September:

5- House (Fox)

Nip/Tuck (FX)

Standoff (Fox)

7- ‘Til Death (Fox)

Happy Hour (Fox)

8- Nanny 911 (Fox)

20/20 (ABC)

9- Cops (Fox)

America’s Most Wanted (Fox)

10- American Dad (Fox)

Def Comedy Jam (HBO)

Family Guy (Fox)

Simpsons (Fox)

War at Home (Fox)

Wire (HBO)

12- Dancing With The Stars (ABC)

Men in Trees (ABC)

14- Survivor (CBS)

The Underground (Sho)

17- Amazing Race (CBS)

Talk Show With Spike Feresten (Fox)

18- Class (CBS)

CSI: Miami (CBS)

Deal or No Deal (NBC)

How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)

Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (NBC)

Two and a Half Men (CBS)

Wife Swap (ABC)

19- Boston Legal (ABC)

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)

NCIS (CBS)

Smith (CBS)

Unit (CBS)

20- America’s Next Top Model (CW)

Biggest Loser (NBC)

Criminal Minds (CBS)

CSI: New York (CBS)

Jericho (CBS)

Kidnapped (NBC)

21- CSI (CBS)

ER (NBC)

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

My Name is Earl (NBC)

Office (NBC)

Shark (CBS)

Six Degrees (ABC)

22- Close to Home (CBS)

Ghost Whisperer (CBS)

Law & Order (NBC)

Numb3rs (CBS)

WWE Smackdown (CW)

23- Dateline (NBC)

48 Hours Mystery (CBS)

24- Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

Cold Case (CBS)

Desperate Housewives (ABC)

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)

60 Minutes (CBS)

25- Heroes (NBC)

Runaway (CW)

7th Heaven (CW)

26- Gilmore Girls (CW)

Help Me Help You (ABC)

27- One Tree Hill (CW)

28- Smallville (CW)

Supernatural (CW)

TNA Impact! (Spike)

Ugly Betty (ABC)

October:

1- All Of Us (CW)

America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC)

Campus Ladies (Oxy)

Dexter (Sho)

Everybody Hates Chris (CW)

Game (CW)

Girlfriends (CW)

2- Bachelor (ABC)

House of Carters (E!)

3- Friday Night Lights (NBC)

Veronica Mars (CW)

4- Freak Show (CC)

Lost (ABC)

Nine (ABC)

South Park (CC)

20 Good Years (NBC)

6- Battlestar Galactica (SciFi)

Trading Spouses (Fox)

9-What About Brian (ABC)

11- I Pity The Fool! (TVLand)

30 Rock (NBC)

17-Ice T’s Rap School (VH1)

Knights of Prosperity (ABC)

20- Crossing Jordan (NBC)

Las Vegas (NBC)

November:

2- The OC (Fox)

15- Day Break (ABC)

December:

3- King of the Hill (Fox)

4- Supernanny (ABC)

6- According To Jim (ABC)

George Lopez (ABC)

January:

7- Rome (HBO)

24 (Fox)

9-The Shield (FX)

16- American Idol (Fox)