They investigate something weird, someone gets hurt, the crazy old man is the only one to fix them and they never really find out the cause.
I think I'd best describe it as the love child of a threeway between X-Files, Lost and House.
Don't you dare include x-files in the comparison to Fringe!
X-Files is 20x this show will ever be.
I can't watch Walter without seeing the crazy Denethor burning Faramir in Lord of the Rings.
I've never seen 24 before but doesn't he have 24 hours to save the world, every episode?