Pitch Hits

5. Adam Brody, ''The O.C.'' (pictured)
(Fox, Thursdays, 8 p.m.; premieres Nov. 4)
WHAT IT IS Rich parents and spoiled children live less-than-perfect lives in a wealthy community.
WHO HE IS Seth Cohen, the onetime geek who's discovered girls
HIS PITCH ''People need to watch the show to be cool. Because I'm cool right now. No, just kidding.''

4. Robert Sean Leonard, ''House''
(Fox, Tuesdays, 9 p.m.; premieres Nov. 16)
WHAT IT IS A team of doctors led by Dr. Greg House (Hugh Laurie) solves medical mysteries.
WHO HE IS Wilson, a trusty sidekick of Dr. House
HIS PITCH ''Our pilot was directed by Bryan Singer, who directed 'X-Men' and 'The Usual Suspects.' You usually don't get directors of that caliber to do a pilot, and it's every bit as good as those films. It's Sherlock Holmes in a hospital. It's mystery, it's kind of sexy and dark and funny. I really liked it, and that's more than I can say for almost everything else I saw this year. And I even thought I was okay in it. I didn't think I was great, just okay. But the show is fantastic.''

3. Eric McCormack, ''Will & Grace''
(NBC, Thursdays, 8:30 p.m.; premieres Sept. 16)
WHAT IT IS A comedy about a straight girl, a gay guy, and their laughable love lives (but you already knew that)
WHO HE IS Will Truman, who would be Grace's main man, if only he preferred women
HIS PITCH ''People who stopped watching last year missed the funniest stuff. And I think we've always gotten funnier from year to year, I really do. What else are people going to watch? I mean, my God, another reality show?''

2. William Shatner, ''Boston Legal''
(ABC, Sundays, 10 p.m; premieres Oct. 3.)
WHAT IT IS Spun off from ''The Practice,'' it's a look inside a high-priced but oversexed and slightly wacky law firm.
WHO HE IS Denny Crane, a loose-cannon senior partner
HIS PITCH ''There's throbbing sex, and it's totally different from 'The Practice.' It's light in tone, and the issues at hand will be less frigid and more tabloid. Look at it this way: If 'Ally McBeal' is a ten, and 'The Practice' is a one, we're a six.''

1. David Gallagher, ''7th Heaven'' (The WB, Mondays, 8 p.m.; premieres Sept. 13)
WHAT IT IS A family drama about the largely wholesome Camden family
WHO HE IS Simon Camden, an eager adolescent
HIS PITCH ''Simon's getting laid! I wouldn't know about anything else that's coming up, honestly. But I'm 'doing it,' and I'm good with that.''