A Few Newcomers Catch Our Eye, While Old Favorites Get Back In The Groove

ALL TIMES EASTERN

It doesn’t get quite the hype of the fall premieres, but some heavy hitters save their debuts for midseason. Perennials like Law & Order bow alongside promising hopefuls such as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Here’s a guide to some of what you can expect to see on broadcast networks in the coming weeks and months.

NEW THIS SEASON

Cashmere Mafia
ABC, Jan. 6, then Wednesdays beginning Jan. 9
What’s It All About? Four ambitious, sexy women who have been best friends since business school — Mia, Zoe, Juliet and Caitlin — try to have it all. They aren’t just powerful and intelligent as singular executive sensations in today’s corporate battlezones; they’ve bonded into a formidable unit – a “Cashmere Mafia” — to support and counsel each other through good times and bad. Lucy Liu, Frances O’Connor, Miranda Otto and Bonnie Somerville star.

Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann
ABC, Mondays 8pm beginning Jan. 7
What’s It All About? The judges from Dancing With the Stars take their turn in the hot seat. It’s up to Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba to assemble their own amateur dance groups to compete against each other. A member of each group will be voted off at the end of each episode. Former Stars hoofer Drew Lachey hosts.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
FOX, two-night premiere Jan. 13 at 8pm and Jan. 14 at 9pm, then airs Mondays at 9pm
What’s It All About? Say what you will about those death-dealing Terminators, but they certainly are a committed lot. This sci-fi action show is billed as a reinvention of the blockbuster movie series, in which machines that have taken over the world use time travel to try to eliminate the future leader of the human resistance. Lena Headey (300) takes over the eponymous role originated by Linda Hamilton, trying to protect her 15-year-old son (Thomas Dekker) from robots that presumably don’t look much like the governor of California.

The Moment Of Truth
FOX, Wednesdays 9pm beginning Jan. 23
What’s It All About? In this game show, it’s not about what you know, but what you’re willing to share. Contestants are hooked up to a lie detector and asked 21 questions that get more personal and more delicate along the way. Those who answer all of them honestly get a shot at a $500,000 prize.

Lipstick Jungle
NBC, Thursdays at 10pm beginning Feb. 7
What’s It All About? Sex and the City scribe Candace Bushnell isn’t finished telling us about the travails of glamorous people in New York. She executive produces this new dramedy, based on her novel, that follows three successful women — a movie exec (Brooke Shields), a fashion magazine editor (Kim Raver) and a designer (Lindsay Price) — as they work to stay atop the business world while finding happiness in their personal lives.

New Amsterdam
FOX, sneak preview of first two episodes March 4 and 6 and 9pm, then Mondays at 9pm beginning March 10
What’s It All About? To say New York homicide detective John Amsterdam (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) has been around the block would be an understatement. Turns out he’s immortal, and won’t begin aging until he finds his one true love. The pilot is directed by Oscar nominee Lasse Hallström. Well-drawn characters and beautiful shots of the city past and present are the plus in this slow-paced, supernatural romance.

Unhitched
FOX, Sundays 9:30pm beginning March 2
What’s It All About? Four recently divorced friends — played by Craig Bierko, Johnny Sneed, Shaun Majumder and Rashida Jones — find it rough being thirtysomethings back on Boston’s singles scene. As we told you back in September, if you watch the scene when one cast member is sexually assaulted by an orangutan and don’t immediately change the channel, then you’re likely to remain stuck on Unhitched. Executive produced by Bobby and Peter Farrelly.

The Return Of Jezebel James
FOX, sneak preview March 12 at 9:30pm, then Fridays at 8:30pm beginning March 14
What’s It All About? Children’s book editor Sarah Thomkins (Parker Posey) realizes that her biological clock is ticking and wants to have a baby. After learning that she can’t conceive, she tracks down her estranged and irresponsible sister Coco (Lauren Ambrose) to be a surrogate mother. Despite the talents of Posey, Ambrose and longtime Gilmore Girls writer/director/executive producer Amy Sherman, Jezebel is an uninspired flop.

American Gladiators
NBC, two-hour premiere Jan. 6 at 9pm, then Mondays at 8pm
What’s It All About? Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali host this update of the athletic showcase, in which amateurs test their skills against physical behemoths. With his family life increasingly becoming tabloid fodder, a hit show could help get Hulkamania back on track.

RETURNING FAVORITES

The L Word (5th season)
Showtime, Sundays beginning Jan. 6
Where We Left Off: Bette sought Tina’s advice on wooing Jodi back; Tasha found she had to return to Iraq; Shane’s relationship with single mom Paige became serious; Phyllis pursued a divorce; and Jenny faced getting fired from her own movie.
What’s In Store? Shane derails plans to move in with Paige, then suffers the consequences; Jenny returns from vacation with a billionaire movie financier in tow; Phyillis has doubts about her romance with Joyce; Tina’s obvious affection for Bette affects her dating prospects.

The Wire (5th and final season)
HBO, Sundays beginning Jan. 6
Where We Left Off: New kingpin Marlo made even more of an impact as the cops tried to nail him, Herc finally got his stripes, Prez became a teacher, and Omar got in over his head when he went toe to toe with Marlo. It became apparent that McNulty and his crew were sitting on a powder keg.
What’s In Store? As McNulty and the detail continue staking out Marlo’s crew, recently promoted Sergeant Carver is welcomed by a cauldron of discontent from officers coping with unpaid overtime. Though he wants to keep his campaign promise to lower crime, Mayor Carcetti is strapped by his commitment to schools, and faces some tough choices. Col. Daniels is forced to reallocate his resources, retaining Freamon and Sydnor for the Clay Davis probe. Meanwhile, city editor Augustus “Gus” Haynes and the staff of a local newspaper are reeling from corporate cutbacks, losing key personnel from both the metro and international divisions.

American Idol (7th season)
FOX, Tuesday and Wednesdays beginning Jan. 15 and 16 at 8pm
Where We Left Off: Jordin Sparks took home last season’s crown, though the campaign is probably remembered best for the oddball hairstyles of Sanjaya Malakar.
What’s In Store? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. More horrid early tryouts, followed by the inevitable scandal involving a finalist’s past and a nation on the edge of its seat.

The Apprentice (7th season)
NBC, Thursdays at 9pm beginning Jan. 3
Where We Left Off: Ratings limbo. The reality competition’s heyday seemed long gone, but The Donald won’t go quietly.
What’s In Store? Celebrities! Well, the kind willing to take weekly tongue-lashings on national TV, anyway. Gene Simmons, Stephen Baldwin (what, Daniel was busy?), Marilu Henner and Vincent “Big Pussy” Pastore are among the 14 C- to D-listers who will vie to raise money for their favorite charities. But the biggest splash may come from someone who is a celebrity because of The Apprentice. Yes, Omarosa is back. Can’t wait to see her go toe-to-toe with the likes of former boxing champ Lennox Lewis.

The Biggest Loser (5th season)
NBC, Tuesdays at 8pm beginning Jan. 1
Where We Left Off: The fourth season lasted into December, which makes this one of the quickest turnarounds we’ve ever seen. Couldn’t have anything to do with that pesky writers’ strike, could it?
What’s In Store? For the first time, the contestants will compete in teams of two instead of individually. The pairings include a mother and son, husband and wife, brothers, best friends, and even a divorced couple.

Jericho (2nd season)
CBS, Tuesdays at 10pm beginning Feb. 12
Where We Left Off: Canceled, actually. But thanks to a devoted, vocal fan base, viewers will get to see the continuing adventures of a group of nuclear attack survivors holed up in a small Kansas town. The mayor has been killed in the continuing war with New Bern, and his son Jake (Skeet Ulrich) is looked upon as the new leader.
What’s In Store? In a short but sweet seven-episode arc, Jake wants to avenge the death of his father, and a new foe is introduced in Major Beck (Esai Morales). Also, producers promise that the mystery behind the nuclear attack will be revealed.

Law & Order (18th season)
NBC, two-hour premiere Jan. 2 at 9pm, then Wednesdays at 10pm
Where We Left Off: Fred Thompson has quit trying cases ripped from the headlines to make some headlines of his own in the 2008 presidential election. His departure paves the way for Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) to take over as district attorney.
What’s In Store? The revolving cast door brings in Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under) as a cop, and Linus Roache (Kidnapped) as the new lead prosecutor.

Lost (4th season)
ABC, Thursdays at 9pm beginning Jan. 31
Where We Left Off: Charlie drowned trying to help his fellow survivors, and Jack made contact with the freighter. Also, a flash-forward showed Jack and Kate in the future, off the island, talking about the funeral of an unidentified person, with Jack saying “We have to go back.”
What’s In Store? A bevy of guest stars make their way to the island, including Jeremy Davies (Saving Private Ryan), Jeff Fahey (The Lawnmower Man), Lance Reddick (The Wire) and Ken Leung (X-Men: The Last Stand).

Medium (4th season)
NBC, Mondays at 10pm beginning Jan. 7
Where We Left Off: Allison’s powers have been publicly exposed, and Joe has lost his job.
What’s In Store? Look for Oscar winner Anjelica Houston to pop up in a six-episode arc as a private investigator who works with Allison on a case involving a missing boy.

The New Adventures Of Old Christine (3rd season)
CBS, Mondays at 9:30pm beginning Feb. 4
Where We Left Off: Mr. Harris (Blair Underwood) had taken a job at another school, paving the way for him and Christine to date.
What’s In Store? Christine runs into unexpected problems in her relationship with Mr. Harris.

One Tree Hill (5th season)
CW, returns Jan. 8 8pm, then Tuesdays at 9pm, beginning Jan. 15
Where We Left Off: Lots of pomp and circumstance, with the main characters graduating high school.
What’s In Store? Oh, not much, just a jump ahead to four years in the future, after the gang has graduated college! Flashbacks will be included for the time viewers missed, and occasionally will be the focus of an entire episode. It’s a drastic move, but at least the actors (Chad Michael Murray, Sophia Bush) can now play characters closer to their own age.

1 vs. 100
NBC, Fridays 8pm beginning Jan. 4
Where We Left Off: Neither the 1 nor the 100 had yet won the $1 million prize.
What’s In Store? That all changes in the first episode, which features a battle of the sexes theme. Bob Saget returns as host, and mob regulars this time out will include Oscar the Grouch and Playboy Playmates the Dahm Triplets.

America’s Next Top Model (Cycle 10)
CW, Wednesdays beginning Feb. 20
Where We Left Off: 21-year-old Saleisha Stowers from L.A. was last cycle’s winner
What’s In Store? A new crop of aspiring models vying for the title, and international supermodel Paulina Porizkova stepping in as a new judge.

Beauty And The Geek (Fifth Edition)
CW, Tuesdays beginning March 11
Where We Left Off: Jasmine and David won $250,000 on live television. For the first time, the show’s winner was decided by America’s votes.
What’s In Store? More nerds and hotties compete for a large cash prize!

Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious
CW, Mondays beginning Feb. 18
Where We Left Off: Asia Nitollano was the winner
What’s In Store? This time the search is on for whole new girl group, made up of three members, which will be a pop/R&B group along the lines of the Pussycat Dolls themselves.