Threshold, the alien invasion sci-fi thriller that debuted on CBS this past September, is making a move to Tuesday nights starting November 22. A clever "What-If" show about how aliens look to infect humans with their DNA and eventually overtake Earth, Threshold appears to have unlimited possibilities when it comes to storylines. The trick, as ever for new TV shows, is to get people to watch. We talked to executive producer and writer Brannon Braga about how he became involved in the show, plus some of the new storylines we can expect to see in upcoming episodes, and how the show looks to solidify its core audience.

With Brannon as one of the creative heads, along with a writing staff that includes Star Trek veterans Mike Sussman and Andre Bormanis, plus Brent Spiner ("Data") in front of the camera, it's an easy fit for viewers looking for something new, yet familiar. But it also happens to be an intriguing show with some excellent writing, along with a core acting ensemble that is pretty hard to beat: Carla Gugino, known to parents and children everywhere from her "Spy Kids" fame, heads up the Threshold team and plays Dr. Molly Anne Caffrey. She's supported by Spiner, veteran actor Charles S. Dutton, the Station Agent himself Peter Dinklage, Brian Van Holt ("Black Hawk Down") and Robert Patrick Benedict (Felicity) to round out the main cast.

Braga, of course, segued from executive producer on Star Trek: Enterprise over to the same position on Threshold soon after the demise of the series earlier this year. But he had no prior relationship with his new show's producers, David Goyer and David Heyman. "I didn't know either of them," he admits. "Paramount and CBS came to me with this project and it really wasn't until I met and sat down with David Goyer and we just clicked creatively. I said to David that it was a cool concept and that I would like to work with him. Eventually Heyman came back (he was in London working on 'Harry Potter' at the time) and I worked with him as well. So I didn't really have a relationship with either of them. But now I do."

Movie buffs will note that Threshold Command, the center where the team convenes to strategize, is reminiscent of the set of the cold-war classic "Dr. Strangelove," directed by Stanley Kubrick. "Yes it does. And it's a huge set. Huge," points out Braga.

In the opening credits, the head of the Threshold team, Molly (Gugino) says she has a "plan" and that plan is Threshold. To the uninitiated, what exactly is that "plan"? "The 'plan,'" reveals Braga, "refers to a plan that she wrote three years ago; a sort of What if...? She's an analyst who works for the government and looks at things like: What if a nuclear war struck St. Louis, or New York? What if the Bird Flu hit? What are the contingency plans we would have if aliens invaded Earth? It may seem absurd, but in fact in real life a plan like this has been written and that's what she's done, never thinking it might actually be used. [Molly's] plan outlined every single Red Team member that she chose. She got all the people she wanted."

But is this "plan" rock solid, and does she have all the resources? "It's interesting that you mention that," says Braga. "The 'plan' is an incredible plan: She's got every imaginable problem outlined. But there are going to be times when she needs to modify the plan. There's a case coming up in the next couple of episodes where Fenway, Brent Spiner's character, is getting very overwhelmed with the amount of genetic research he has to do. So they bring in another Red Team member, who is a genetic engineer, played by Catherine Bell from JAG. Her character is named Daphne. So there are going to be times when yes, the team is expanded. Threshold is just going to get bigger and bigger as the threat grows larger. More people are going to have to be brought in, more resources, more money, more troops, etc."

A current theme, in real life, is one of a lack of qualifications for a very important job. Is that something that might be incorporated into the storyline, given Molly's remit? Will she be subjected to intense scrutiny where her qualifications are questioned?

"You're asking all the right questions. There is a storyline that actually began two episodes ago where she is forced to kill her mentor, and boss, National Security Advisor Angela Hatten (Diane Venora) because she's become infected, along with several senators and several aides, and she has to shoot down her plane because she has no choice. In the premiere of this episode [which will air on the show's new day, Tuesday, starting November 22], we're introducing a new National Security Advisor, a guy named Ed Whitaker [Maurice Godin]. This guy — unlike the last one who was a real mentor to Molly — he's rewriting her plan, questioning her plan and qualifications. And this guy is going to end up going head-to-head with Molly. I don't want to give away too much, but let's just say Molly is going to find herself no longer involved with Threshold. I won't say how it happens, but there is going to be a real shocking development coming up where she finds herself completely losing control of her own operation. So there are those that think she is totally unqualified. To quote this Whitaker character, he tells Molly: 'You've written a brilliant plan, but it's not perfect.' He begins to question her and there's going to be some major stuff going down as a result."

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