It’s finally here: a series premiering on network TV over the summer that is worth watching.

From executive producer Steven Spielberg and showrunner Brian K. Vaughan (Lost) comes Under the Dome, a series based the 2009 Stephen King novel that is the story of a small New England town named Chester’s Mill that is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome. The town’s residents need to survive the deteriorating post-apocalyptic conditions while searching for answers to what this barrier is, where it came from, and how to make it go away.

Under the Dome stars Mike Vogel (Bates Motel), Rachelle Lefevre, Dean Norris (Breaking Bad), Natalie Martinez, Britt Robertson (The Secret Circle), Alexander Koch, Colin Ford, Nicholas Strong, Jolene Purdy, and Aisha Hinds. And for you Lost fans, you’ll spot Frank Lapidus himself, Jeff Fahey, too.

Though CBS is touting it as a “mini-series event,” Vaughn and his creative team envision the story expanding to multiple seasons if ratings allow for it.

Is the dome an act of terror or an act of God? The mystery unravels starting Monday night at 10PM on CBS. Jump after the break to watch a new extended trailer hyping Under the Dome. And don’t forget to take in the touching key art posted above of a boy separated from his dog.

Update (6/25): You wouldn’t think we were in network TV off-season if you looked at the big numbers CBS’ Under the Dome took in last night. Check it: 13.1 million viewers tuned into the buzzy Stephen King adaptation and it scored a solid 3.2/9 rating in the 18-49 demo. It’s the most watched summer debut on network TV since NBC premiered The Singing Bee in 2007 and CBS’ most watched summer series premiere since Big Brother in 2000. In the coveted 18-49 demo, it ranks as CBS’ highest rated summer debut since some show called Fire Me…Please circa 2005. And get this: Under the Dome goes head-to-head with some of last season’s most popular dramas that premiered in the fall and midseason; it ties Fox’s The Following as the second-highest-rated drama premiere of the 2012-13 season behind NBC’s Revolution. I predict a ratings climb next week; but even if the numbers were to remain steady here, it won’t be long before the Eye announces a second season. As it stands, the Dome is a bonafide hit.