A Serial Worth Consuming

The Tagline You'll Never See: Here's hoping "Vanished" doesn't.

The Basics: Has anyone seen the senator's wife? She's got curly brown hair, brown eyes and, oh yes, is living a secret life. That's what sullen FBI agent Graham Kelton (Gale Harold) and his team have going for them as they scour the state of Georgia for her. Sara Collins (Joanne Kelly) goes missing from a political function early in the pilot episode -- but this isn't your standard TV kidnapping that will wrap up at the end of the hour. This one's going to take at least all season to solve, especially as we learn more about the enigmatic victim.

The Lowdown: "Vanished" kicks off the season of the serial: The new fall lineup is full of dramas whose story lines continue from episode to episode as network executives hope to follow the success of "Lost" and "24." The risk? If the audience loses interest early, it could mean an early retirement for the show.

Reality Check: With more twists and turns than a DNA strand, the show should have no problem keeping viewers hooked. The detectives land some incredible breaks thanks to high-tech gadgetry that would make the folks at "CSI" jealous. But it's always one step forward, two steps back for the crew as secrets about other characters are revealed -- making it hard for agents to find the missing lady. The appealing Harold makes a successful jump from a much different leading role in Showtime's "Queer as Folk." Another reason to watch: the frantic Rebecca Gayheart (left) as an aggressive tabloid reporter who wants to break this case before the FBI does.

Vanished

Mondays at 9 p.m. on Fox

-- John Maynard