As we approach the new millennium, we witness the end of a century that holds the entire history of an artistic medium. Unlike music, theater, art, or even film, television was born entirely of technological advancements of the 20th century. Our last decade of this art form has been a mix of unbelievable apexes and shocking nadirs.

Recovering from the sanitized family sitcoms and dramas of the 1980s, network television seemed to take some of its clichés in new directions in the ’90s. The standard doctor show (ER), the typical cop drama (NYPD Blue), and the situation comedy (Seinfeld), all subverted their conventions to find something fresh and engaging.

The high mark of ’90s network television, I would argue, is The Simpsons. Although it’s not the lacerating social satire it once was in the early to mid-’90s, The Simpsons still stands as a monument to TV innovation. Through the creative freedom of its imaginary animated town, the show poked fun at all the ironies and absurdities in modern life, especially television itself. The way it—and to some extent Seinfeld—challenged the worn out conventions of network entertainment at times seemed like a call to arms for better shows.

And for a while it seemed as though TV was following through. But the late ’90s finds the networks losing their nerve again. As is typical of Hollywood, new shows have largely been paper-thin retreads of previous successes or shameless pandering to the lowest common denominator. Hopefully, though, with the outrageous success of cable shows like HBO’s The Sopranos, the networks will be forced to push the envelope and look for that something extra that makes a show compulsive watching.

So let’s take a look at your best and worst options for the fall season by starting with the veterans. Two quality shows looking for reprieves are ER and The X-Files. ER’s season last year was one of the most rapid drops in coherence and quality I’ve ever seen. Compelling characters turned grating and plot lines became so ludicrous they sounded like rejected scripts for bad movies. But sometimes what a show that’s been good for five years needs is a really bad season. The ratings dropped, so expect some much-needed new blood in the cast and more focused writing.

I have two suggestions for ER: A. Cut back on the emergency scenes. These fast-paced sequences were a good hook when the show began. Now they are disorienting and exhausting, which makes it hard to care if the patient lives or dies. B. If I’m to understand this program correctly, I’m not having enough sex with my co-workers. Co-workers do date in real life, but if people actually hooked up this often, coming to work would be like walking into an emotional minefield.

Chastity has always been one of the conceits that makes The X-Files so much fun. Mulder and Scully know they’re in love. The audience knows they’re in love. But nobody says a word about it, they just hold hands now and again. Of course it’s hard to confess feelings when you’re constantly quarantined or thinking the other person is dead. The seventh season may be a little late for any newcomers, but for those fans who were disillusioned by last year’s uninspired season, this is the time to come back. Expect some go-for-broke episodes.

For those looking for reliability, turn to NYPD Blue. After Blue’s fifth season, I thought this landmark show had run out of steam and adversities for Andy Sipowicz. From alcoholism to the death of his son to prostate cancer, Andy had been through it all. I was wrong. Last year they killed his partner and his wife, leaving him a widowed father of a 5-year-old. Dennis Franz is not done with this character and neither are we—there’s a long way to go before we finish understanding Andy Sipowicz. Kudos also have to be given to Rick Schroeder, who stepped into the wonderfully complex Danny Sorensen character with great aplomb.

On the sitcom front, your remote should guide you first and foremost to Friends. Underrated for most of its early seasons, this gem has finally come into its own in the past two years. Originally derided for having a cast of shallow pretty people, this group has turned into one of the best ensembles on television. The characters have gained the depth they need to mine for bigger laughs.

Take Matt LeBlanc’s Joey. In the beginning, Joey was little more than your stereotypical dumb character, but over the years, he has become one of the most lovable lugs there is. Who can be irritated with someone so affectionate and loyal to sarcastic roommate Chandler? History dictates that going into its sixth season, Friends should run out of steam. I say it depends on the Emmys. If they win, it’ll be a sucky season. If they get snuffed again, more quality comedy is on the way.

My other two sitcom suggestions are two relative newcomers, Sports Night and That ’70s Show. Please, please, please watch Sports Night. Inexplicably low in the ratings despite being hammocked between the affable Spin City and NYPD Blue, this was one of last year’s best new programs. Film scriptwriter Aaron Sorkin created an immediately engaging cast of characters—they spew mile-a-minute dialogue that sounds like real people, not cardboard cutouts waiting to deliver their one-liner.

What’s more, it’s nice to see a workplace comedy where the characters actually do their jobs. Sometimes the show oversteps its drama bounds, reminding you of M♦A♦S♦H in its overly preachy final years. But that dramatic weight serves up more resonant guffaws than anything else on network TV.

I originally resisted That ’70s Show because I considered its premise to be too gimmicky. I’ve also had about as much as I can take of teenagers lately. Over time, though, I couldn’t help but be charmed by the show. That ’70s Show succeeds where Dawson’s Creek and its clones fail by rendering teen years as mindless innocuous fun—not special episodes of angst. And in Red Forman we’ve got the funniest and most corrosive dad since Good Times’ John Amos. There’s no heart-to-hearts with son Eric, just the declaration that he’s a teenager, therefore he’s a “dumbass.”

It’s hard to say what to look out for from the new batch of shows. As usual, there are 30 new ones, of which probably only two will be good. Two names I can tell you to stay away from are David E. Kelly and Kevin Williamson. Kelly is the mastermind behind the overrated and melodramatic The Practice and the insipid Ally McBeal. His contribution this season is Snoops, a female private detective series starring Paula Marshall and Gina Gershon. Hopefully they weren’t forced to lose the requisite 50 pounds Kelly requires of his actresses (Laura Flynn Boyle, Calista Flockhart). Williamson finally reaches beyond teenagers with the twenty-something angst of Wasteland. Oh joy.

I’d recommend trying the Law & Order spinoff Special Victims Unit which promises to be a far more compelling look at issues in the American justice system than Kelly’s Practice. The scathing and profane Action, a satire of Hollywood, has been getting good word of mouth and hopefully will be a prime-time Larry Sanders. The West Wing’s White House premise sounds somewhat contrived, but it could be interesting to see what creators John Wells (ER) and Aaron Sorkin come up with.

Otherwise, good luck and good hunting (although it may be fruitless to get hooked on a new show with the possible Y2K apocalypse at the end of the year). It seems UPN has already rung the first bell of the four horsemen with Grown Ups, featuring the uncanny star power of TV’s Urkel (Jaleel White) and Punky Brewster (Soleil Moon Frye). Creepy.