Fans of J.J. Abrams should definitely check out Alcatraz, the new show from one of the sci-fi gods of today. Alcatraz premieres Monday, January 16, on FOX. Having seen the first episode, I can tell you that the pilot of this show is strikingly similar to the pilot of Fringe in terms of quality and tone. It is a little uneven, like Fringe's pilot was, but it's still got the potential to turn into a truly great sci-fi series.

J.J. Abrams, in this new video released by FOX, sits down to chat with Ari Margolis (the wizard behind Fringe's great online marketing). In the video, Abrams discusses his fascination with the titular island, and gives a bit of a rundown on what the series will comprise of from week to week. Each new episode will feature on another inmate who disappeared fifty years ago and has suddenly reappeared in the present. Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) and Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia, LOST) are responsible for tracking down these escaped criminals who have suddenly appeared from the past.

Abrams promises a show that works on both a serial and stand-alone level, much as early episodes of Fringe did. In fact, I remember a lot of this talk popping up back when Fringe premiered. As I said before, that means there's a good chance that this show might evolve into something great.

You can check out the video below. Alcatraz premieres Monday, January 16, on FOX.