It is officially fall, in my heart, with the beginning of the new fall lineup. My favorite shows are back for another round and some new blood is getting the chance to compete for the openings in my schedule. The first new series I got to take a look at was The Good Wife, a legal drama about a woman in dire straits trying to get back on her feet. Though at first I wasn't sure about another addition to this all too common genre, once I started watching the pilot I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.

The Good Wife follows Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies, ER), the wife of State Attorney Peter Florrick (Chris Noth, Sex and the City). Actually...that's former State Attorney Florrick. After a sex scandal in the Attorney's office is broken to the press, Alicia is forced to deal with both the media and her husband's infidelity at the same time. Due to the nature of his affairs, Peter is sent to prison for abuse of office and Alicia is left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.

Six months after the media firestorm, Alicia is trying to make ends meet by returning to her former field of employment, the law. It has been thirteen years since she last appeared in a court room so it's safe to say that Alicia is playing catch up. Unfortunately, the Florrick name is hard to escape so it will be a fight to get some respect in the legal field. With the help of the firms investigator, Kalinda (Archie Panjabi, Traitor), Alicia will try to play the game and become more than just the woman behind the man.

With a title like The Good Wife it is clear that this series depends on solid characters, and that is exactly what this show delivers. Julianna Margulies is fantastic as the woman in the spotlight trying to cope. She comes across very vulnerable most of the time but still maintains an air of confidence while constantly being attacked from a business and personal standpoint. Archie Panjabi is a terrific complement to Margulies with her relaxed nature and unique personality. Panjabi's character is a former employee of Peter Florrick, and though she left his employ on bad terms she gained a greater understanding of the system that she now has no qualms about exploiting. Together the two use their individual talents to succeed where others have failed. This really is a terrific pairing.

What sets The Good Wife apart from other legal dramas is that it isn't completely procedural. The series focuses mostly on whatever case Alicia is currently assigned, but there is a strong personal element as well. Alicia is trying to hold down a career while also being a high profile single mother with a significant lifestyle change. Occasionally the personal aspect gets a bit too overwhelming for the viewer with Alicia being relentlessly attacked from all sides, but I can understand it as a base for the rest of the series. It will be interesting to see where this series is going and what Alicia will have to do to get out of the sizeable shadow that has been cast on her.

The Good Wife looks to be a very promising addition to the fall lineup. With powerful characters and a well balanced premise I imagine it will receive a warm welcome from the viewing public. The story hints at an even deeper arc than I have gathered from the pilot alone so I will definitely be keeping an eye on this show and I look forward to seeing what verdict the viewers reach in the end. The Good Wife premieres Tuesday September 22 at 10:00pm on CBS.