“Fringe”

Starring: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble Two-hour series premiere tonight at 8 on FOX B+… Starring: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble Two-hour series premiere tonight at 8 on FOX B+ ‘ ‘ ‘ If you wake up one day and find yourself living in a J.J. Abrams-produced TV show, do yourself a favor ‘mdash; stay off commercial airlines! If the threat of crashing on a polar bear-infested, teleporting tropical island like one of the castaways on ‘Lost’ isn’t evidence enough, Abrams’s newest sci-fi serial ought to drive the point home. ‘ ‘ ‘ Just ask any of the poor saps trapped in the first five minutes of ‘Fringe’ ‘mdash; a 747 full of passengers whose faces mysteriously (and oh-so-graphically) melt off. Was it a paranormal accident? Act of terrorism? Or did someone pop in a Dragonforce CD? ‘ ‘ ‘ If you think this mystery sounds like a job for Mulder and Scully, you’re right ‘mdash; unfortunately, though, they no longer live at FOX. They’re replaced by Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and John Scott (Mark Valley), FBI agents and secret, scandalous lovers. Dunham leaves Scott behind while she travels the globe, desperately searching for a cure to the mysterious affliction that made the flight passengers look like Gumby under a heat lamp. ‘ ‘ ‘ At this point, your enjoyment of this show might be directly related to your appreciation of ‘The Mighty Ducks.’ Joshua Jackson joins the team as Peter Bishop, the genius son-of-a-genius with a ‘Pacey Witter after a three-day bender’ near-beard. Play along and take a shot every time he tosses out a condescending nickname like ‘sweetheart,’ and you’ll have died of alcohol poisoning by the second hour. Take one every time he actually sounds like a tough guy, and you’ll never lift your glass. ‘ ‘ ‘ It’s all in good Abrams-style fun, though ‘mdash; fans of ‘Lost’ and other paranormally themed shows will find plenty to love here, particularly in the characters and the quasi-realistic sci-fi vibe. The ragtag team of loveable outcasts has been the favored archetype for paranormal investigation ever since ‘Scooby-Doo,’ with modern incarnations like ‘X-Files,’ ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Ghostbusters.’ Who says you can’t save the world and make some new best buds at the same time? ‘ ‘ ‘ As likeable as the characters can be, the show suffers from a bit of self-indulgence. The two-hour premiere could easily be trimmed down ‘mdash; the beginning and end are thrilling, with a bit too much time in the middle devoted to characters pacing around looking skeptical. ‘ ‘ ‘ As for the future of the show, saving the world appears to be on the agenda ‘mdash; all signs point to a mysterious and sinister corporation and an evolving pattern of unexplainable phenomenon across the globe. If our intrepid heroes know what’s good for them, though, they’ll solve these mysteries without stepping foot on a plane.