Beginning this week, TV networks will be trotting out new shows focused on women, from retro vehicles such as “Pan Am” and “The Playboy Club” to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s prime-time return in “Ringer.” Even “Charlie’s Angels,” the show that inspired the phrase “jiggle TV,” is back.

 

ABC

• “Revenge”: Premieres 10 p.m. Sept. 21. Will air 10 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays.

The plot: A beautiful young woman (Emily Van Camp) becomes part of the scene in a posh Long Island summer town, looking to take revenge on townsfolk who framed her father for a horrific crime years earlier.

The buzz: A young cast and a posh setting make this seem a little like “Gossip Girl” meets “Desperate Housewives.”

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• “Charlie’s Angels”: Premieres 8 p.m. Sept. 22. Will air 8 to 9 p.m. Thursdays.

The plot: You know the plot – three lovely female detectives fight crime while continuing to be lovely in various action-packed ways.

The buzz: The movies with Drew Barrymore were popular, but are we really ready for another small-screen version some 35 years after the original? And with Derek Jeter’s ex Minka Kelly instead of Farrah Fawcett?

• “Pan Am”: Premieres 10 p.m. Sept. 25. Will air 10 to 11 p.m. Sundays.

The plot: Good-looking stewardesses and pilots – circa 1963 – find love, sex and glamour way up high in the sky.

The buzz: Seems to be trying to capture the mid-20th-century style that works so well on “Mad Men.” Stars Christina Ricci.

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• “Suburgatory”: Premieres 8:30 p.m. Sept. 28. Will air 8:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays.

The plot: Sitcom featuring a single father (Jeremy Sisto of “Law & Order”) who moves his teenage daughter out to the suburbs thinking it’ll be better for her, but she finds the life to be horrifying.

The buzz: Could be funny, especially from the teenager’s point of view. Could also be heavy on stereotypes and a little too close to home to be funny.

• “Last Man Standing”: Premieres 8 p.m. Oct. 11. Will air 8 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays.

The plot: Manly man tries to stay manly while living with his wife and three daughters.

The buzz: Tim Allen’s star power may be able to carry the show, and we know his manly-man routine and comic grunting have gotten him big ratings before.

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• “Man Up”: Premieres 8:30 p.m. Oct. 18. Will air 8:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays.

The plot: From the ABC press release: “follows the struggles of three modern male arch types as they search for their identities and try to prove that ‘real men’ really can use hazelnut creamer.”

The buzz: How can it miss? Did you read that plot summary? ABC is also promoting the show as being something like “The Hangover” films.

• “Once Upon a Time”: Premieres 8 p.m. Oct. 23. Will air 8 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

The plot: Woman working as a bail bonds person reconnects with the son she gave up years ago, and discovers that the New England town he lives in – Storybrooke – is overrun with fairy-tale characters who’ve come to life.

The buzz: Audiences seem to love the supernatural, but can Snow White and Prince Charming make it in prime time? Stars Jennifer Morrison of “House.”

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CBS

• “2 Broke Girls”: Premieres 9:30 p.m. Sept. 19. Will air 8:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays.

The plot: Two diner waitresses try to save their tip money to start their own cupcake business – serving up plenty of laughs along the way (CBS hopes).

The buzz: There’s a long tradition of funny waitresses on TV, and who doesn’t love a diner? Original “Saturday Night Live” cast member Garrett Morris plays Earl, a hip, 70-something cashier.

• “Unforgettable”: Premieres 10 p.m. Sept. 20. Will air 10 to 11 p.m. Tuesdays.

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The plot: Drama about a New York City police detective who is good at solving crimes because she is – wait for it, wait for it – physically incapable of forgetting anything.

The buzz: For most of us, it might be hard to like a character with a perfect memory.

• “Person of Interest”: Premieres 9 p.m. Sept. 22. Will air 9 to 10 p.m. Thursdays.

The plot: A former CIA agent teams with a mysterious billionaire to stop crime using “their own brand of vigilante justice.”

The buzz: Another one of those plot lines that just might be crazy enough to work. And if Jim Caviezel can play Jesus (“The Passion of the Christ”), he can probably do this.

• “A Gifted Man”: Premieres 8 p.m. Sept. 23. Will air 8 to 9 p.m. Fridays.

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The plot: Drama about a surgeon whose life changes when he begins getting life lessons from his deceased ex-wife.

The buzz: “ER” meets “Ghost” perhaps? Stars Patrick Wilson and Jennifer Ehle, who have both starred on Broadway.

• “How to Be a Gentleman”: Premieres 8:30 p.m. Sept. 29. Will air 8:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays.

The plot: Sitcom about an etiquette columnist who tries to make his work and life edgier by hiring a man who bullied him in high school to help him become a “modern man.”

The buzz: Sounds like “The Odd Couple,” but not as funny. Kevin Dillon of “Entourage” plays the former bully.
 

THE CW

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• “Ringer”: Premieres 9 p.m. Tuesday.  Will air 9 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays.

The plot: A recovering addict witnesses a contract killing, goes on the run, and then takes on the identity of her wealthy twin sister when the twin disappears.

The buzz: If Sarah Michelle Gellar can gain half the following she had for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” this show will do fine. Then again, this plot makes Buffy seem like “Masterpiece Theatre.”

• “H8R”: Premieres 8 p.m. Wednesday.  Will air 8 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays.

The plot: Pronounced “hater,” this show challenges celebrities to come face to face with their biggest haters – people who don’t like them – and try to win them over.

The buzz: Mario Lopez hosts. People love anything about the lives of celebrities, so this will probably draw an audience.

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• “The Secret Circle”: Premieres 9 p.m. Thursday.  Will air 9 to 10 p.m. Thursdays.

The plot: A teenager’s mother dies, and the teen moves to a small town where many of her new friends are descended from witches.

The buzz: Witchcraft is big with the CW’s target demo, and that’s all that matters, really.

• “Hart of Dixie”: Premieres 9 p.m. Sept. 26. Will air 9 to 10 p.m. Mondays.

The plot: Drama about a proud New Yorker (Rachel Bilson of “The O.C.”) who has just graduated from medical school, but the only job she can find is in a small Alabama town.

The buzz: It’s hard to beat “Northern Exposure” for shows about doctors in fish-out-of-water settings.

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FOX

“New Girl”: Premieres 9 p.m. Sept. 20. Will air 9 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays.

The plot: Sitcom about a quirky girl who, after a break-up with her boyfriend, moves in with three single guys.

The buzz: Sort of like “Three’s Company” in reverse, plus one. Stars Zooey Deschanel.

• “The X Factor”: Premieres 8 p.m. Sept. 21.  Will air 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; program length will vary.

The plot:
New music competition show where celebrity judges try to find the next “global superstar” singer or group, age 12 or older.

The buzz:
Simon Cowell lands on this show after leaving “American Idol.” And this basically is “American Idol,” although the contestants can be younger and part of a group.

• “Terra Nova”:
Premieres 8 p.m. Sept. 26. Will air 8 to 9 p.m. Mondays.

The plot:
Drama follows a family that journeys back to prehistoric times in an attempt to save the human race.

The buzz:
A family drama and lots of cool special effects.

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• “Allen Gregory”: Premieres 8:30 p.m. Oct. 30. Will air 8:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

The plot:
Animated comedy about a 7-year-old celebrity forced to attend school with regular kids.

The buzz:
Writer/actor Jonah Hill (“Superbad,” “Get Him to the Greek”) created the series, and will voice the lead character.

• “I Hate My Teenage Daughter”: Premieres 9:30 p.m. Nov. 23. Will air 9:30 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays.

The plot:
Two single moms and lifelong friends worry that their daughters are spoiled and are turning out like the girls they hated in high school.

The buzz:
What can be funnier than hating your own children?

NBC

• “Up All Night”: Premieres 10 p.m. Wednesday.  Will air 8 p.m. Wednesdays.

The plot:
A couple tries to deal with the trials of being new parents. The man stays at home, while the woman is determined to keep her career and her cool.

The buzz:
Stars gifted comic character actor Will Arnett and TV vet Christina Applegate. Produced by Lorne Michaels.

• “Free Agents: Premieres 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.  Will air 8:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays.

The plot:
A newly divorced man and a female co-worker trying to cope with her fiance’s death share an “ill-fated night of passion,” then have to deal with it.

The buzz:
Stars the very funny Hank Azaria, he of the many “Simpsons” voices. Based on a British series of the same name.

• “The Playboy Club”: Premieres 10 p.m. Sept. 19. Will air 10 to 11 p.m. Mondays.

The plot:
Drama takes place at Chicago’s legendary Playboy Club in the early 1960s, using the place as a setting for power plays and high drama.

The buzz:
Seems to be playing on the “Mad Men” sense of style, just as the new “Pan Am” is.

• “Whitney”: Premieres 9:30 p.m. Sept. 22. Will air 9:30 to 10 p.m. Thursdays.

The plot:
Sitcom about a “happily unmarried” couple dealing with the mixed pressures they feel from family and friends.

The buzz:
Stars Whitney Cummings, who made her name on “Chelsea Lately” with Chelsea Handler.

• “Prime Suspect”: Premieres 10 p.m. Sept. 22. Will air 10 to 11 p.m. Thursdays.

The plot:
Woman who works as a police detective is transferred to a new squad where her mostly male co-workers instantly dislike her.

The buzz:
Tough-as-nails woman in a man’s world sounds a bit cliched. Stars Maria Bello and Aidan Quinn.

• “Grimm”:
Premieres 9 p.m. Oct. 21. Will air 9 to 10 p.m. Fridays.

The plot:
A police detective in the other Portland finds he is descended from “an elite line of criminal profilers known as Grimms, charged with keeping balance between humanity and the mythological creatures of the world.”

The buzz:
Inspired by Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and begging the question: Who comes up with these shows?


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