In hopes of preparing viewers for the loss of prime-time’s most popular sci-fi television show, “Lost,” ABC introduced a new one last Tuesday, “V.”

The show is a remake of a 1983 series about an alien race that comes to earth masquerading as beautiful, charismatic human-like creatures. The Vs come to Earth with a promise to trade their technology with the humans in exchange for resources that they need. At the end of the hour, however, it is revealed that beneath their beautiful exteriors and philanthropic ideals lie scaly visages and ulterior motives.

The show aired at 8 p.m. and according to an ABC press release, it premiered at No. 1, beating out established competition like “NCIS,” “Biggest Loser” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” becoming the most watched new show of the season.

“V” is the type of show that has a lot of potential to delve into some very pertinent social issues. Terrorism, religion, mass media manipulation and family dynamics are all topics that the show tries to tackle while not banging the viewers over the head with heavy-handed themes.

The show presents us with two sides. First are the people who are convinced of the Visitors’ promises and are open to what is quickly becoming indoctrination. This group includes a Hitler Youth-like group of ambassadors. And secondly, there are the few who are skeptical of the newcomers’ agenda.

The Vs offer humans an easy fix to all of our social problems and are thus rewarded with blind devotion by many — a very dangerous weapon in the hands of the wrong people.

Bad-ass FBI agent, Erica Evans, played by “Lost” veteran, Elizabeth Mitchell, is the show’s central character. Mitchell’s performance as a skeptic is perhaps not as enthralling as it could be, but as an outnumbered underdog the viewers can easily identify with and root for her. She has to deal with her son’s growing obsession with the Vs and her own growing realization of the danger that the Visitors present.

In her corner is Father Jack Landry, a down-to-earth priest played by Joel Gretsch. Gretsch is no stranger to the world of science fiction — as a principal character in the USA series, “The 4400,” and Steven Spielberg’s critically acclaimed miniseries, “Taken,” he has just the right feel for a show of this nature.

In the end, it turns out that the Vs have been here for decades and have been engineering the global turmoil that we are facing today.

The show’s big reveal at the end of the hour may have been too much. Not only do Evans and Landry learn the truth about the reptilian Vs, but also two characters are revealed as Visitors.

The question remains: was it too early? The creators of the show could have done much more with the concept of identity that this series begs to tackle by holding off on exposing the true nature of these characters.

In the end, “V” is definitely worth checking out. We can only hope that it delivers on its promise to take on our current social issues and global disunity.