There isn’t a whole lot of reason to watch normal network television any more.  Pretty much everything they’ve come out with lately has been just a new version of something that’s already been around for years upon anyway.  And the stuff that hasn’t already been out for years upon is involved in some kind of cinematic incest and inbreeding; seriously, how much difference is there REALLY between American Idol, America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance?

So when I first heard about Fringe, the first season of which will be out on DVD in just a matter of days, I confess to some doubt.  Network TV is hardly the place to go anymore for anything more than second-rate watered-down content that fully complies with FCC regulations so draconian and nightmarish in scope that it’s a wonder we can see ANYTHING, let alone the nonsensical garbage we get these days.  What I got was actually pretty engaging with some innovative touches that brought it above the standard.

Fringe is a series about an FBI group that tackles things on the titular fringe of science.  All the stuff that’s in the process of going from science fiction to science fact, like nanotechnology and genetic engineering and assorted similar whatnot.  And the three people tracing down all these cool and sexy science terms are an FBI special agent, a literally mad scientist, and the mad scientist’s rogue wandering genius son.

If you think of Fringe as C-S-Sci-Fi, or The X-Files without the constant romantic tension, you won’t be too far from the truth of it.  The storylines are fairly deep and involved–they’re going to get all the way up to corporate conspiracy with this, involving an outfit called Massive Dynamic, which makes this some really prime sci-fi drama.  There’s any number of places they could go with this plotline. And, I love how the locations are given in three-dimensional lettering superimposed over the scene itself.  It really beats that little block of text at the bottom of the screen and is sufficient unique to catch interest.

Special warning in advance, though–Fringe can get  surrealist with its imagery and will get downright weird at points.  If you’re not game for that, stay WELL away.  Seriously.  I spent so much time watching this and wondering what bizarrity they were going to pull out next.

Maybe I have to rethink the whole “network TV is useless” concept.  The Broken Clock Theory still applies.  And as such, the Screenhead Ten Scale gives the massive seven disc collection of Fringe season one an eight out of ten for busting a hole in expectations and doing so with some style besides.