New TV vs. tried-and-true TV

Forget "Friends," say goodbye to "Seinfeld" and tell Paul Reiser no one's mad about him or his show anymore, no matter how many awards Helen Hunt wins or how straight her hair gets. It's a brand new season, and the television networks have cast out their lines in hopes of catching some smart demographic followings and populist audiences with brand new material, mixing new shows and tried-and-true shows.

How do Penn students view this year's lineup? Our sampling was surprising. Someone found "Felicity" less than far-fetched; "Teletubbies" provide some of you with post-party patter; and, thank God, "The Simpsons" still rank.

No one, fortunately, seemed to care about Josie Bisset returning to "Melrose Place."

Steve Blum, Wharton and Engineering, Class of '99
"I don't really watch TV."
Terence Cho, College, Class of '99
"'Felicity,' because I feel like I can relate to it."
Janeane Kaufman, College, Class of '02
"'Teletubbies.' My friends and I watch it after we go out on the weekends. It makes a lot more sense at 3 a.m."
Vesal Dini, Engineering, Class of '99
"I love 'The X-Files' because it's very mysterious and it opens up the doors to new possible realms."
James Kim, Wharton, Class of '01
"'Celebrity DeathMatch.' It's funny. It's the only one worth watching."
Jen Frankel, College, Class of '99
"I'm pre-med. I don't watch TV."
Dan Fraidstern, College, Class of '00
"'Sports Talk.' It got me all emotional."
Mark DiBado, Engineering, Class of '99
"'King of The Hill.' It's funny."
Kelly McKenzie, Wharton, Class of '01
"'The Real World in Seattle.' It's the only soap opera I can watch without feeling guilty."
Hillary Aisenstein, College, Class of '99
"'That 70's Show.' It works; I like the characters."
Matt Dilmaghani, Wharton and Engineering, Class of '01
"Nothing can beat 'The Simpsons.'"
Mario Lucero, Wharton, Class of '99
"'Test Match Special' on BBC. Cricket is the only thing worth watching on the telly nowadays."