Soon new battles will wage in primetime: ABC’s hit thriller "Lost" against Fox’s new crime drama "Lie to Me" on Wednesday. NBC’s comedy favorite "The Office" vs. Fox’s reality hit "Hell’s Kitchen" on Thursday. And Fox’s sci-fi drama "Dollhouse" competing with CBS’ Canadian import "Flashpoint" on Friday, to name a few.
　　Below are some of the most intriguing new time-period face-offs on the midseason schedule, along with predictions on which show will emerge as more popular with viewers.
　　These are not the easy calls (you can probably figure out who will win the Wednesday duel between "American Idol" and "Knight Rider"), but the potential squeakers that could tilt the odds on a series’ chance of survival and its networks’ overall performance.
　　Some may wonder: In today’s time-shifted, multi-channel universe, does it still matter if Drama A airs in the same time period as Reality Show B?
　　Yup -- arguably more than ever. Most viewers still watch TV shows live. But more importantly, with the ratings standard for what makes a hit broadcast series dropping, how well a show stacks up against competitors is often considered a fairer measurement of success than whether a show draws a huge audience.