29 new shows are headed for your TV

Will it work? After being somewhat surprised by the relative success of "Hell's Kitchen," I wouldn't bet against "Kitchen Nightmares."

Debuts: Wednesday, Sept. 19

GOSSIP GIRL (Wednesdays, 8 p.m., CW/Ch. 30) is another teen soap opera from the creator of "The O.C." — but this is very different in tone. There's not much in the way of humor; it's all soapy drama here.

It's about a bunch of (mostly) rich teens who attend a ritzy prep school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. They're not just gossips, they're rather vicious gossips.

This is the plugged-in, online generation — rumors fly from cell phone to cell phone, and the never-seen "Girl" (voiced by Kristin Bell of "Veronica Mars" in voiceover narration) is must-read material for everyone.

Party girl Serena (Blake Lively of "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants") comes back to town after a year away, and she's got a secret. Her former best friend, Blair (Leighton Meester of "Entourage"), isn't happy to see her because she wants the spotlight all to herself. And they've both got a history with Blair's boyfriend, Nate (Chace Crawford of "The Covenant").

At the other end of the social spectrum are Dan (Penn Badgley of "John Tucker Must Die") and Jenny (Taylor Momsen), who are of more modest means. But it turns out their ex-rock-star father (Matthew Settle) has a history with Serena's social-climbing mother (Kelly Rutherford of "Melrose Place").

This is sort of a teenage "Dynasty" — everybody is rich, wears fabulous clothes, goes to fabulous places and is unhappy.

What's to like? "Girl" is pretty good soap opera — it could end up being the "Beverly Hills, 90210" for the 21st century.

What's not to like? This is the kind of show that preteens are going to want to watch because it will make them feel like they're in with the teens and twentysomethings it's aimed at — and there's a whole lot of teenage drinking, drugs, sex and other bad behavior. The show walks a fine line — and often crosses it — between portraying these things and glamorizing them.

Will it work? It should appeal to the young viewers The CW chases after — particularly young female viewers.

Debuts: Wednesday, Sept. 19

DIRTY SEXY MONEY (Wednesdays, 9 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4) is sort of "Dynasty" for the new millennium. And I say that completely as a compliment.

This is a very funny soap opera about rich, beautiful, powerful people — the Darling family of New York City — who are, nonetheless, sort of idiots in the way that only the super-rich can be because they're so out of touch with reality.