"Cashmere Mafia"
Thursday 10pm, ABC
If this new lady-centric drama feels a bit like "Sex and the City," that’s because it is. The show is produced by "Sex"’s Darren Star and follows four highly successful Manhattan women as they try to navigate both love and life. Lucy Liu ("Ally McBeal," Charlie’s Angels) plays the upgrade of Carrie Bradshaw, one step away from being the head of a major publishing group and dealing with a competitive fiancée. Frances O’Connor ( A.I.) plays an investment banker whose role as wife and mother might be taking too much of a toll. Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) plays a hotelier whose marriage becomes a lot more open than she’d probably like. And Bonnie Somerville ("NYPD Blue") is a young marketing executive who realizes she might be a little bit gay. Don’t expect "Sex"’s dizzy heights; this show looks a lot more grounded. But the fashion is still pretty fabulous.
"American Gladiators"
Sunday 9pm, NBC
Yes! This is what I told them to do! Since NBC is basically recycling hits from the ’70s and ’80s ("Bionic Woman"; look for "Knight Rider" this spring) it might as well embrace the cheese factor, and boy has it with this new project. "Gladiators" resurrects the syndicated guilty pleasure of my youth in which wannabe actors of both sexes would compete against modern "gladiators" (read: steroid monkeys) in a series of hilarious competitions. There was the padded joust, the tennis-ball cannons…ah, that takes me back. This new "legit" version is hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali. I am a bit worried that NBC is taking the show a little too seriously, which would ruin its charm. But I see that one of the female gladiators is named "Hellga," and my fears are mostly allayed. Bonus: At least one of the male gladiators has a gay porn past. See if you can guess which one; I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
"Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann"
Monday 8pm, ABC
I’m slightly perplexed by this new talent show. It seems like the folks behind "Dancing with the Stars" have decided to blatantly rip off both "American Idol" and its high-stepping cousin, "So You Think You Can Dance," by having "DWTS" judges Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba seek out the best young singing and dancing talent in America, and having them compete against one another. I guess it’s not that complicated, but why not just stick to dancing? Is America really clambering for its next great singer/dancer? In any event, if the dancers are even half as talented as the crew from "…You Can Dance," this should be fun, and a good reprieve for viewers waiting for the next season of "Dancing."
