Top 10: Fall TV Preview - Girl's Life

Girls' Life, Oct-Nov, 2002

You'll keep those peepers glued to the tube with this fall's new-show lineup. From sci-fi stuff to lots of laughs to reality shows with a twist, it's couch potato heaven.

AMERICAN DREAMS

This squeaky clean family drama takes you back in time--to the '60s and early '70s. Relive the days of hairspray and bad fashion as you follow 15-year-old Meg Pryer and her BFF Roxanne, who obsess over watching and landing coveted spots on TV's American Bandstand (think TRL with dancing).

DO OVER

Our prediction for TV's next hottie? Penn Badgley, who stars as Joel, 14, in this comedy series. A 34-year-old Joel gets into a freak accident that blasts him back to 1981. He's a grown guy trapped in his own teen bod! Hmmm, can he alter his future?

DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION

If you have digital cable or satellite, check out The N network for tweens. Degrassi is a drama about a class of junior high students who face everyday teen-scene issues-the presures of drugs, bullying, dating and fitting in.

EIGHT SIMPLE RULES

A totally clueless, overprotective dad is left to care for his son and two teen girls--a ditzy blonde and grunge girl (Daria ripoff?) when Mom goes to work full-time. It's a fun family comedy based on the book Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU

Amanda Bynes shines as Holly, 16, who moves in with big sis Valerie (Jennie Garth) after their dad moves away for business. Holly gets herself in crazy sitches, while her uptight sis keeps her grounded.

SEPTUPLETS

You can't stand sharing a room with your sis, and your bratty bro stinks up the bathroom? Try having six sibs, all your age. Follow the fictional Wilde Seven at their upscale, family-run beach resort.

TLC'S OPERATION JUNKYARD

Goodbye, tNBC. NBC's new Saturday morning lineup is now a three-hour block of new Discovery Kids programs, combining science, nature and this reality game show. Have you seen Junkyard Wars? Same concept. Take two teams of four kids, and give them six hours to transform whatever they can scrounge up from a dirty junkyard into a masterpiece, like a totally raw scooter or dog-washing gadget. If the device operates, the team advances to the next trash-picking round. Gnarly!

THAT'S SO RAVEN

Meet Raven Baxter, a normal 14-year-old girl. Well, OK, she has psychic abilities. The downside to the gift of foresight? When Raven sees bad things coming her way, she and her two friends have to try to stop her predictions from coming true, which usually gets them into heaps of trouble.

BIRDS OF PREY

It's a cool spin on Batman, but it's all about the girls. Oracle (AKA Batgirl, who's confined to a wheelchair after falling prey to the evil Joker), Huntress (daughter of Batman and Cat-woman) and new girl Dinah battle evil in New Gotham with techno gadgets and sci-fi sleuthing.

ENDURANCE

Finally, Survivor for kids. Twenty kids are grouped in teams to test their smarts and skills against outlandish challenges. One team is eliminated each week until the champion is crowned!