Fox has been positioning "Prison Break" (8 p.m. tomorrow) as the second coming of "24," but that's wishful thinking. The premise, though bold, isn't as revolutionary as the "24" format, and the pilot is seriously lacking in thrills for an alleged thriller. (Fox will air the pilot and an additional episode tomorrow, but only the pilot was available for review.)

		'Prison Break' When: 8 p.m. tomorrow on Fox Starring: Wentworth Miller 'Rome' When: 9 tonight on HBO Starring: Kevin McKidd

Wentworth Miller, a 1990 graduate of Quaker Valley High School, stars as Michael Scofield, a structural engineer who robs a bank at gunpoint to get into the prison where his brother, Lincoln (Dominic Purcell, "John Doe"), is on death row for killing the brother of the vice-president of the United States. Then Michael plans to break them both out.

Lincoln claims he's been framed for that crime, and events in the pilot suggest he's telling the truth. So Michael comes to the rescue, sort of. You'd think there'd be easier ways to help a brother, but the "Prison Break" pilot makes no time for such considerations as it efficiently sets up the series' premise. (Lincoln's execution date has been speedily set, which wrecks the show's credibility, but at least in the far-fetched premise there's a reason time is not on Michael's side.)

Once inside, crafty Michael sets about investigating his escape options and bonding with fellow inmates when he's not watching others get shanked in a scene that cries out, "'Oz' fans, this one's for you!"

The series also includes the requisite soap opera plot about Lincoln's son, who hates his stepfather and gets caught by the cops with two pounds of marijuana.

Leonine Miller is well-cast, exuding intelligence and a knack for playing the system. Sometimes he makes Michael a little like a know-it-all kid who's too smart for his own good, and that fits the character.

Stacy Keach has a small role in the pilot as the prison warden and makes a strong impression in his initial scene, but then Michael plays him for a fool, diluting the warden's effectiveness as a heavy.

"Prison Break" has an interesting premise, but it's debatable how sustainable the concept is for a TV series. It might work in a one-shot movie, but as TV show? Only if future episodes are more intense and involving than the pallid pilot.

'Rome'

Where "Prison Break" dares (and fails) to tell a story in a way we've not seen before, HBO's latest period drama, "Rome" (9 tonight), on the surface looks like every other sword and sandal epic that's come along since "Gladiator."

But "Rome" is superior to most, especially ABC's dismal "Empire," which the network wisely burned off earlier this summer.

Somewhat similar to "Deadwood" -- both series demand you pay close attention and require extra effort to understand the dialogue -- in time "Rome" becomes easier to follow once you figure out the primary focus will be two soldiers, by-the-book Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and the more rough-and-tumble Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson).

Both are loyal to Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), who's become an outcast during his siege of Gaul and returns to Rome to vie with former friend Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham). These rivals are surrounded by the original old white men of history, an indistinguishable lot. At least Mark Antony (James Purefoy) is younger, making him easier to pick out.

The breakout character is Atia of Julii (Polly Walker), Caesar's manipulative, scheming niece. Walker steals every scene, brokering power plays behind the scenes.

"Rome" features the most nudity and sex of any prime-time HBO show since "Dream On," and it's also quite violent and bloody. An open-heart surgery scene in episode two is not quite as bad as watching Al Swearengen pass kidney stones on "Deadwood," but it is unpleasant.

It takes at least two episodes before "Rome" evolves into a cohesive story with appealingly flawed characters, particularly Lucius, who is initially jealous and cold toward his wife, Niobe (Indira Varma), when he returns to Rome after eight years away.

Rome wasn't built in a day, the saying goes, and that applies to this show, too. It's a slow build that requires some effort on the part of viewers, but after the first three episodes, I was hooked.