September 22 is a busy night when it comes to new Fall 2011 television shows. Three crime dramas premiere on ABC, CBS, and NBC — at 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm ET, respectively — and NBC also adds a new comedy to its popular Thursday-night sitcom block.

The first of the three crime newcomers is Charlie’s Angels on ABC at 8pm. An update of the classic 1976–1981 show, the reimagination stars Minka Kelly (Parenthood), Annie Ilonzeh (General Hospital), and Rachael Taylor (Grey’s Anatomy) as the latest trio of attractive bad guy catchers guided by intermediary Bosley (Ramon Rodriguez, The Wire). My hopes are not up, sadly, since one Charlie’s Angels was enough, and that includes the unnecessary movies starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu.

However, I am very much looking forward to the second new crime drama of the night, Person of Interest on CBS at 9pm. Not only does the series have three fantastic stars in Jim Caviezel (The Prisoner), Michael Emerson (Lost), and Taraji P. Henson (Boston Legal), but the premise isn’t too shabby or derivative, either. Caviezel and Emerson play a pair of uniquely talented men who use their distinct resources to prevent crimes before they occur, and Henson portrays a New York Police Department detective who works the same beat they do.

I’m also excited to check out the last new Thursday crime drama, Prime Suspect on NBC at 10pm. If the Americanized version is even half as good as the Helen Mirren-led British original, it will rock. Maria Bello (ER) tops the cast as tough New York homicide detective Jane Timoney. When she’s not busy hunting down crooks, Jane spends much of her time getting into it with her coworkers, including her boss Lieutenant Kevin Sweeney (Aidan Quinn, Weeds).

The remaining September 22 scripted series premiere is the sitcom Whitney on NBC at 9:30pm. Whitney Cummings (Chelsea Lately) stars as the title character, who spends too much time obsessing about her three-year relationship with Alex (Chris D’Elia, Glory Daze) and not getting married prematurely. My cable TV provider had the pilot episode on demand before the premiere for whatever reason, so I checked it out earlier today. The comedy doesn’t work for me, primarily because the characters, plotlines, and jokes are all too tired, annoying, and uninteresting. Others may feel differently, of course.

Two new series starring popular actresses help their respective network kick off the Fall 2011 season properly tonight, September 20. First up is the Fox sitcom New Girl at 9pm ET, and the CBS crime drama Unforgettable follows at 10pm.

Zooey Deschanel (Tin Man), younger sister of Bones star Emily Deschanel, headlines the comedy as Jess Day. After Jess learns her no-good boyfriend has been stepping out on her, she moves in with three other dudes to get on with her life. Max Greenfield (Raising the Bar), Jake Johnson (FlashForward), and Lamorne Morris (The Middle) play her trio of roommates.

Over on the CBS drama, former Without a Trace star Poppy Montgomery portrays lead character Carrie Wells. The seasoned police detective happens to possess nearly perfect recall of past events, an awesome trait she uses to help solve difficult homicide cases. If only it would help her figure out who murdered her sister, though.

Sneak peeks at the two new shows in the videos below. Based on preliminary information, I think I’ll be watching both this fall.

Fans of actress Kirsten Vangsness and her colorful Criminal Minds character Penelope Garcia are in lotsa luck this week. The perky fictional FBI tech whiz will begin doing double series-regular duty after Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior — the highly anticipated Criminal Minds spin-off starring Oscar winner Forest Whitaker — launches tonight, February 16, at 10pm ET, following a fresh installment of the original show.

Starring alongside Whitaker as members of his character Sam Cooper’s ace Behavioral Analysis Unit team are Janeane Garofalo (24) as brash newest member Beth Griffith, Beau Garrett (Entourage) as particularly perceptive Gina LaSalle, Michael Kelly (The Sopranos) as reformed crook John “Prophet” Sims, Matt Ryan (The Tudors) as former British soldier Mick Rawson, and — of course — Vangsness as geeky Garcia.

The first official episode, “Two of a Kind,” finds the so-called Red Cell team heading to Cleveland, Ohio, when numerous children are kidnapped. Emmy-winning West Wing veteran Richard Schiff also guests as FBI director and bossman Jack Fickler.

Sneak a peek at what’s in store during the premiere of Suspect Behavior in the preview clip below. Here’s hoping the series turns out to be much more interesting than “The Fight,” the tepid Season Five episode of Criminal Minds from last April that marked the first appearance of Whitaker and Cooper in the dangerous, creep-infested BAU universe.

If you’ve been missing Tom Selleck, the popular star of the popular Jesse Stone TV movie series, then I’ve got great news for you. The actor returns to broadcast television tonight, September 24, at 10pm ET in the promising new CBS crime drama Blue Bloods.

Brought to us by writers of the long-running HBO crime series The Sopranos, which was also all about family, Selleck’s latest show revolves around the Reagans, a New York City-based clan dedicated to fighting crime and seeking justice in various capacities and throughout several generations. Selleck plays Frank, the police commissioner in New York and the current head of the Reagan family. His father Henry (Len Cariou, Damages) preceded him as commissioner.

Frank’s oldest son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg, Boomtown) is a family man, military veteran, and experienced New York Police Department detective, while his youngest son Jamie (Will Estes, American Dreams) is a rookie cop and recent graduate of Harvard Law School. Meanwhile, Frank’s only daughter, Erin (Bridget Moynahan, Six Degrees), is an Assistant District Attorney in New York and a single parent.

The pilot episode introduces the many Reagan family members as Danny does what it takes to find a missing girl and Jamie begins his new job after completing police academy training. Sneak a peek at the series below before tuning in to the full premiere. Based on what I’ve seen so far, I think Blue Bloods is going to be near the top of my fall Must See list, Friday-night death slot or not.

Two new comedies lead the television premieres for Thursday, September 23. Based on the fad Twitter column with the more explicit name and undoubtedly the most discussed new sitcom of the fall, Bleep My Dad Says kicks things off at 8:30pm ET on CBS.

The series stars Star Trek icon William Shatner as the abrasive, foulmouthed title father Ed Goodson, whose two adult sons are the people who have to put up with his frequent, tell-it-like-it-is rants most often. The eldest son Vince (Will Sasso, MADtv) is married to overbearing Bonnie (Nicole Sullivan, Rita Rocks), and the youngest son Henry (Jonathan Sadowski, House) is an unpaid writer who moves in with his dad when he can no longer afford his own place.

International workplace sitcom Outsourced debuts on NBC in the 9:30pm time slot of the network’s popular Thursday-night comedy block. The fish-out-of-water series stars Ben Rappaport as a white-collar manager forced to move to India, where his company has relocated, in order to stay employed. While abroad, he gets to know his new Indian call center team members, who are not so different from office workers everywhere. I’ve seen the pilot, which left me neither impressed nor depressed, so I’ll give the show a few more episodes to win me over.

The lone new hourlong series of the night is ABC’s 20-something-year-old drama My Generation. Set primarily in Austin, Texas, and thereabouts, the ensemble series follows a group of nine friends through the eyes of a documentary filmmaker, ten years after they graduated from high school. As expected, time is kinder to some of the old classmates than others.

Sneak peeks at all three new September 23 shows follow, and a list of returning series is after the videos.

Returning Shows on September 23

Medical drama Grey’s Anatomy launches its seventh season at 9pm on ABC with the premiere “With You I’m Born Again,” followed by spinoff Private Practice, which kicks off its fourth season at 10pm with “Take Two.”

Smart Emmy-winning sitcom The Big Bang Theory settles into its new Thursday-night time slot at 8pm for its fourth season, after relocating from its original home in CBS’ hit Monday-night comedy lineup. The network has wisely chosen the series to serve as the lead-in for a new hourlong comedy block on a new night, which begins with Big Bang‘s season premiere “The Robotic Manipulation.” Crime procedurals CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and The Mentalist follow at 9pm and 10pm with their respective eleventh and third season premieres “Shock Waves” and “Red Sky at Night.”

Fox’s female-led crime duo Bones and Fringe begin their sixth and third seasons at 8pm and 9pm. Bones‘ premiere is called “The Mastodon in the Room,” and Fringe‘s is simply “Olivia.” Can’t wait to see how she’s doing on the other side and this side.

Parks & Recreation fans are out of luck for now. Although NBC’s popular Thursday-night comedy block returns for the second season of Community, the fifth season of 30 Rock, and the seventh season of The Office at 8pm, 8:30pm, and 9pm, newcomer Outsourced is currently filling in for the Amy Poehler sitcom until it rejoins the lineup later.

Monday, September 20, is a busy night for broadcast television. Although it doesn’t premiere until 10pm ET, CBS newcomer Hawaii Five-0, a reboot of the classic 1968–1980 crime procedural of the same name, is possibly the most anticipated new show of the night and the fall.

The series stars much-loved Australian actor Alex O’Loughlin (Moonlight) in the Jack Lord lead role of Steve McGarrett, a detective who takes the Governor of Hawaii up on an offer to hunt down big-time criminals after he travels to Oahu to investigate his father’s suspicious murder. O’Loughlin’s fellow regular cast members include Scott Caan (Entourage) as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams, Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) as unfairly disgraced former detective Chin Ho Kelly, and Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) as rookie cop Kono Kalakaua, who happens to be Kelly’s cousin.

Rookie CBS sitcom Mike & Molly joins the network’s hit comedy lineup at 9:30pm, right before Hawaii Five-0. The comedy stars immensely likable Melissa McCarthy (Samantha Who?, Gilmore Girls) and Billy Gardell (My Name Is Earl; Yes, Dear) as the two title characters, who don’t let weight issues get in the way of their budding romance. Awww! Thank The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men executive producer Chuck Lorre, among others, for the newcomer.

Finally, over on Fox, new drama Lone Star features relatively unknown James Wolk as daring Texas-based conman Bob Allen aka Robert, who marries two different women in two different cities in order to swindle lots of people out of lots of money. Hey, it’s a recession! The series premieres at 9pm. David Keith (The Class), Eloise Mumford (Crash), Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights), and Jon Voight (24) also star.

Preview each new series in the following sneak peeks and continue below the videos to see which returning series launch new seasons on September 20.

Returning Shows on September 20

Reality series Dancing with the Stars launches its eleventh season on ABC with a two-hour premiere at 8pm, followed by the third-season opener of fabulous crime drama Castle at 10pm. I’m so glad folks have realized how good Castle is at last.

Proven senior CBS sitcoms How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, and Two and Half Men begin their sixth, fifth, and eighth seasons, respectively, at 8pm, 8:30pm, and 9pm. In case you’re wondering, The Big Bang Theory moves to Thursdays at 8pm this fall for its fourth season.

Medical drama House opens its seventh (Wow!) season on Fox at 8pm.

Fans of CBS import Flashpoint should be thrilled to learn the tactical procedural returns to the U.S. primetime schedule tonight, June 4, at 9pm ET with the Season Three premiere “One Wrong Move.” Now that title definitely sounds intense.

The plot concerns the Strategic Response Unit, or SRU, team’s attempts to thwart environmental terrorists’ plans to set off numerous bombs around “the city,” which I assume means Toronto. I don’t remember exactly since I stopped watching the show midway through the first season for no real reason other than I lost track of it. The episodes I did manage to catch — with the exception of the snooze-inducing series premiere — were certainly entertaining enough, although just not Must See for me.

In any case, the episode description for “One Wrong Move” teases that one member of SRU will sacrifice “his” life — Translation: it won’t be the lone female unit member, Jules Callaghan, played by series regular Amy Jo Johnson — and will not survive. So, it seems viewers are going to have to say goodbye to a character they’ve possibly come to enjoy.

Get a brief preview of “One Wrong Move” in the following video. The episode looks like it’s really going to pack a punch. I just might have to watch myself.

Veteran actor Tom Selleck (Las Vegas, Friends, Magnum, P.I.) returns to the tube on May 9 as the gruff but lovable title character in CBS’ Jesse Stone small-town cop series. The latest installment, Jesse Stone: No Remorse, is the sixth entry.

Joining Selleck in reprising their previous roles are Picket Fences alumna Kathy Baker as Deputy Rose Gammon and former Grosse Pointe cast member Kohl Sudduth as Deputy Luther “Suitcase” Simpson.

While Paradise Police Chief Stone busies himself investigating a possible connection between a series of Boston murders and a mob bigwig, Rose and Suitcase try to contain a series of crimes occurring in Paradise.

Take a quick look at the new movie in the following promo clip and tune in at 9pm ET to see the entire thing. Even if you’ve never watched a Jesse Stone movie before, they’re pretty much guaranteed-to-please entertainment.

Cold Case fans are in for a sorta treat tonight, May 2. The long-running procedural closes its current seventh season at 10pm ET with the finale “Shattered,” which is preceded by the specially scheduled episode “Almost Paradise” at 9pm.

That’s the (very) good news. The (very) bad news is that the two installments may end up being the last new episodes of Cold Case that fans will ever see. Already I’m sad.

As regular viewers of the series may already know, Cold Case duked it out with fellow CBS crime procedural Without a Trace last year to score another season. Cold Case won that battle and survived when the FBI missing persons procedural was canceled at the end of its own seventh season.

Unfortunately, the show faces the same exact problem again this season, namely the high costs associated with it after airing so long. More likely than not, CBS will cancel it to save money and make room for newer shows. That’s just how it goes in TV Land.

So, before the official word comes down — if it does — make sure to enjoy the last two fresh episodes of Season Seven. “Almost Paradise” and “Shattered” are the two parts of a double episode that focuses on the 1989 hit-and-run murder of a teenage girl and Jeffries’ unrelenting attempts to solve the cold case.

An extra bonus for longtime fans is the return and abduction (Uh-oh!) of Lily’s problematic little sister Christina, who is portrayed by TNT Dark Blue regular and former Supernatural player Nicki Aycox, of course. Good times.

Check out the promo for Cold Case‘s “Shattered” finale below before tuning in to the action.

CBS’ rookie Jenna Elfman sitcom Accidentally on Purpose ends its first season tonight, April 20, at 8:30pm ET with the second half of the two-part finale “Speed.”

The first half featured Elfman’s pregnant character Billie pretending to go into labor, all to save her much younger baby daddy Zack from receiving a deserved speeding ticket.

When the action resumes, Billie will predictably (this is a sitcom after all) experience legitimate labor pains. That’s not as wonderful as it could be, however, because Zack ends up heading to the slammer around the same time when the law catches on to the previous charade. Whoops!

The big question is will we be seeing more of Accidentally on Purpose during a second season? The simple answer is nobody seems to know for sure at this point, and if they do, they’re not saying yet.

CBS has three comedies in a limbo state right now, all of which call(ed) Wednesday night home: Accidentally on Purpose, which was demoted from its original slot in CBS’ mostly successful two-hour Monday-night comedy block; Gary Unmarried, which wrapped its sophomore season about a month ago; and Emmy-winning The New Adventures of Old Christine, presently at the end of its fifth season.

Since CBS’ Wednesday comedy lineup is just an hour long as of now, three sitcoms clearly won’t fit. Whether or not each show scores a renewal will depend on how much money CBS wants to spend and what CBS plans to do about the network’s less popular second block of primetime comedy. Keep it? Extend it? Ditch it? Move it? Alter it?

Whatever happens, Old Christine is obviously the cream of the current crop. So, the Julia Louis-Dreyfus series should get top pickup priority over its two mediocre but perfectly watchable companions.

The promo for Accidentally on Purpose‘s finale “Speed 2″ follows, along with a video recap of the first season for those who haven’t been watching or who need a refresher. It looks like chaos in the delivery room is the main theme of tonight’s episode. A fresh half-hour of The New Adventures of Old Christine, guest starring returning Will & Grace Emmy winner Eric McCormack, precedes at 8pm.