What is it about J.J. Abrams that he keeps getting bad shows (and now bad movies like MI:3 and Cloverfield) on the air? Alias is a study on what not to do if you want to make a good TV show.

First of all, you need to avoid the J.J. "Plot Hole" Abrams way of not caring about whether the story makes any sense.

Then you need to instruct your actors to act, rather than pose for the camera. Even when she is in danger, Jennifer Garner keeps on looking like she is making a spread for Vogue. That's not acting, that modeling! Finally, you need to worry a lot less about the hype and a lot more about real quality, although these days, Hollywood seems intent on committing Hari Kiri by hiring bad writer-producers like J.J. Abrams again and again to watch them fail again and again.