The aliens are coming! The aliens are coming!

That's right, not one, not two, but three new shows this fall — one on ABC, one on NBC and one on CBS — have the world facing an alien invasion of some sort. Although, by the end of their first hours, we don't know exactly what sort of invasion it is or exactly what the aliens look like.

That's all still to come.

INVASION (Wednesday, 9 p.m., Ch. 4) seems like the most straightforward of the bunch . . . but appearances can be deceiving. In the midst of a hurricane that's hitting Florida, weird lights fall from the sky and some of the victims of the storm are strangely uninjured and yet somehow changed.

The narrative centers on a fractured/blended family, with a pair of ex-spouses who have remarried, their mutual kids, their new kids and a brother-in-law thrown in for good measure. (The cast includes William Fichtner, Eddie Cibrian, Lisa Sheridan, Kari Matchett and Tyler Labine.)

But while it looks a lot like this might turn into "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," creator/executive producer Shawn Cassidy says it won't (and that he's "never seen" that movie). "We have a title called 'Invasion,' which trumpets a lot of expectations, primarily rooted in science-fiction films," he said. "Everybody keeps saying, 'Well, the aliens land.' And I have to say — I don't think anybody on the show said aliens landed.' "

Hmmmm. . . .

"I think that's a possibility, and I won't rule it out. I will also say that the world that we're exploring is much bigger than maybe people will initially assume."

Hmmmm. . . .

Like "Lost," the first few episodes take place in the first few days after the hurricane. And questions of who's good and who's bad, well, "the audience, if we do our job right, may not be quite sure."

"Invasion" is nearly as intriguing as "Lost" was when it started. Which is a very good sign.

SURFACE (Monday, 7 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5) is sort of the opposite of "Invasion" — something is coming out of the water instead of falling into it.

Or maybe somethings. One is big enough to chomp on a nuclear submarine. Another drags a scuba diver to his death. And then there's the youngster who takes an egg home, puts it in his aquarium and unleashes something in the house.

Apparently, it might be three versions of the same species.

"People always want to know — is the species good or bad?" said executive producer Josh Pate. "My answer is always — is a tiger good or bad?"

And we don't know if they're from outer space. "I can't answer that," said executive producer Jonas Pate. "You'll have to watch the show."