There's a huge amount of pressure on anything that bears the strap line 'The next big thing from JJ Abrams' - I'm happy to say that Fringe shoulders the burden well.
Far removed from LOST in style and purpose, Fringe also handles its material well with a much smaller cast.
Anna Torv is driven enough & her character involved enough to make you happy to go along for the ride. John Noble's mad scientist role could easily grate on the nerves but he actually manages to juggle comedy & tragedy very well and provides welcome light relief to the overall serious nature of the show's narrative.
I have to admit that I watched the first couple of shows on Sky and found Joshua Jackson's character to be very irritating - I'm pleased to say he calms down somewhat and begins to enjoy some good back & forth banter with his mad scientist father. I'd definitely recommend viewing this on DVD rather than Sky with its 5 minute ad breaks (every 5 minutes!).
In nature, the show is a cross between X-Files & Alias - it takes the best of both worlds - it has series-encompassing story arcs and also 'monster-of-the-week' shows too.
I personally can't wait for the second & (eventually) third series to become available on DVD.
Great extras too!! All the cast members & crew are happy to talk about the making of the show in great detail (with the notable exception of Jackson who is rarely seen).
For all those of you who are having to ween themselves off their LOST fix, this is another extremely accomplished show from Abrams - I dare you not to feel a shiver when you hear those familiar discordant LOST notes kicking in here & there!!