ARE YOU EXCITED?

No, not about Miley.  Shiver.  The poor girl is like a train wreck that never stops.

No, I'm talking about truly important stuff here:

 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is leading off an entire night of new ABC programming (always a risk, especially in these fragmented times),

taking on TV's top-rated drama (NCIS), satisfying the expectations of Marvel Comics fans and Joss Whedon's considerable cult following,

that's a lot for any spin-off to live up to, even with source material like The Avengers.

But hey, this is S.H.I.E.L.D.  They protect the ordinary from the extraordinary.

Those who have already seen the pilot know that in patented Whedon fashion, S.H.I.E.L.D. slyly subverts portentous comic book clichés with refreshing blasts of self-effacing wit amid all the stylized mayhem.

The show's greatest asset is also its most provocative mystery:

the resurrection of Agent Phil Coulson (the dry, wry Clark Gregg)

 from his untimely fate in The Avengers, supervising deadly Ken's and Barbies as they jet around the world in a mammoth stealth aircraft.

Then, there is my personal favorite:

The thriller Person of Interest, which moves from Thursday to its new night and time period (10/9c) for a third season with everything,

including the mysterious missing Machine, (which spies on us all and spots individuals about to be murdered) in flux.

Shaw, the sociopathic ex-intelligence agent, (Sarah Shahi, now a series regular) is partnered with Reese, the former government operative seeking personal redemption (Jim Caviezel),

and their latest case involves figuring which of the many naval officers visiting New York City for Fleet Week is the Machine's target du jour.

Carter (Taraji P. Henson) has been demoted to patrol cop after tangling with the infamous HR, but she's not about to give up —

and neither is institutionalized hacker Root (Amy Acker). Sounds like we're off to a strong start.

What TV shows, if any, are you looking forward to?