It's no secret in Hollywood that when shows get into their fifth season onward, they generally suck. They have no storylines left and the characters have been pretty much exhausted. This is when you see folks like Cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch emerge or suddenly characters have babies or get married.

Some of the more well written shows find a way to bring in some new characters and storylines that inject renewed life into a series. Look no further than this season of the show formerly called "The West Wing" ...

The United States is in turmoil after a redneck shoots down a UFO with a shotgun. The President, played by Charlie Sheen's dad, is forced to make a landmark announcement : "We are not alone." The public outcry forces a complete sacking of his staff, replaced by a collection of geniuses and misfits who know the UFO phenomenon all too well.

You'll witness the drama as George Noory tells a crying Martin Sheen that he is, in fact, an ET / human hybrid. You'll be left breathless as Richard Hoagland wants to nuke Brazil for no apparent reason. You'll laugh and cry with Stanton Friedman as he attempts, in vain, to clone Tesla. And, you'll grow to love Linda Moulton Howe as the plucky press secretary who gives it back to the bewildered reporters yearning for answers to the UFO enigma.

This fall, on NBC, we take you to ... The Coast Wing.