A Busy Week for Sci-Fi TV

Big week this week: The series premiere of Knight Rider and the two-hour season premiere of Heroes; the midseason finale of Eureka; plus new episodes of Fringe, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Smallville, Supernatural, Stargate Atlantis, Primeval, and True Blood.

The splashy premieres on NBC threaten to overshadow a lot of interesting stuff going on in the other new episodes, including:

• Stargate Atlantis sees the always-welcome return of Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson.
• On Smallville we get the debut of Sam Witwer's character, who will soon become Clark's nemesis for this final season, as well as his first adventures as a reporter for the Daily Planet.
• Supernatural sees the return of the spirits of Meg and Agent Hendricks, as Dean and Sam are haunted by the people they couldn't save.
• Eureka sees the resolution of the eight-episode Eva Thorne storyline before heading into winter hiatus.

Here are the capsules:

• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Mon 9/22, 8 PM, FOX). "The Mousetrap" 2x03. Cromartie kidnaps Charley's wife, so Sarah and Derek put their heads together to devise a rescue plan. Elsewhere, John's stuck in the middle when it comes to dealing with Cameron and Riley.
• Heroes (Mon 9/22, 9 PM, NBC [A one-hour "countdown"/recap precedes the premiere at 8 PM]). "The Second Coming" 3x01. Nathan's shooter is revealed. Elsewhere, Sylar plans to visit Claire; Hiro and Ando guard a dangerous family secret and fret over the bleak future involving a dubious woman (Brea Grant); and Suresh makes an important breakthrough. (followed by) "The Butterfly Effect" 3x02. Angela confronts Peter; Sylar attacks the Company's main facility; Claire has a revelation about her powers; a group of dangerous criminals escape during a battle with Elle; Hiro and Ando follow Daphne to Paris; Matt seeks help from a guide (Ntare Mwine); Suresh is pleased with the recent developments in his life.
• Eureka (Tue 9/23, 9 PM, SCI FI). "From Fear to Eternity" 3x08. A scientific find produces sinister results and trust issues; Zoe's life is imperiled, and Eva Thorne knows the source of the predicament.
• Fringe (Tue 9/23, 9 PM, FOX). "The Ghost Network" 1x03. During the investigation of the bizarre deaths of a bus full of commuters, Olivia, Peter and Dr. Bishop reach out to a troubled man with prognosticative powers of Pattern-related catastrophes who might be able to help them prevent another tragedy.
• Knight Rider (Wed 9/24, 8 PM, NBC). "A Knight in Shining Armor" 1x01. A high-octane, tire-spinning drama about intrigue involving a tricked-out car and its driver. In the opener, Mike (Justin Bruening) and KITT gear up to deliver a package---but their parcel turns out to be a man with top-secret codes inscribed in his DNA. Mike's travels turn perilous upon the encroachment of enemies, including an enigmatic lady (Paula Garcés) who has detailed knowledge of a past Mike can't remember. Val Kilmer provides the voice of KITT.
• Smallville (Thu 9/25, 8 PM, CW). "Plastique" 8x02. It's Clark's first day at the Daily Planet with Lois, and the pair are immediately thrown together on a story when a bus explodes outside the office. Clark rescues Bette (guest star Jessica Parker Kennedy), a young girl who bonds with Chloe over their shared meteor abilities, but Bette is hiding a big secret. Paramedic Davis Bloom (Sam Witwer) arrives in Metropolis and is drawn to Chloe.
• Supernatural (Thu 9/25, 9 PM, CW). "Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester" 4x02. The spirits of Meg and Agent Henricksen appear and accuse Sam and Dean of failing them, as the brothers attempt to help a man haunted by the angry ghosts of children he was unable to save.
• Stargate Atlantis (Fri 9/26, 10 PM, SCI FI). "First Contact" 5x10. Doctor Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) visits Atlantis and enlists Doctor McKay's help to find a hidden lab on the station. Meanwhile, the Daedalus hosts a Wraith delegation for talks concerning Doctor Keller's research.
• Primeval (Sat 9/27, 9 PM, BBC). "Episode 8" 2x02. Bizarre shaped giant worms, some of which are large enough to consume a human are moving around in a strange fog. It couldn't come at a worse time, as Nick is trying to adjust to the Lester's new PR, who suspiciously looks identical to Claudia Brown.
• True Blood (Sun 9/28, 9 PM, HBO). "Escape From Dragon House" 1x04. Another murder throws the citizens of Bon Temps for a loop, and once again the prime suspect is Jason, who's also coping with the extremely uncomfortable consequences of Lafayette's assistance; Sookie convinces Bill to take her to a vampire bar in Shreveport, where she hopes to learn more about her hometown's killings and get her brother off the hook.