Premise

Entering the life of Gillian Apple (Harley Jane Kozak), a divorced mother raising two kids on her own, is an incorrigible Genie (John Ales) who has been waiting 2,000 years for a master. As is typical on TV sitcoms, Gillian does not appreciate the advantages associated with having an unlimited supply of wishes granted

Familiar Faces

None

Our Take

Friday is an interesting night in that CBS has cloned the ABC TGIF schedule utilizing two ABC shows as the foundation. However, Genie will benefit from the strong, original ABC TGIF schedule as well as the fact that its competition (The Gregory Hines Show) is a new program

Expect to Hear

“Sorry, but in today's houses the Genie is usually just the garage door opener”

- Gillian Apple

Premise

Steve Beauchamp (Jorden Brower) has the normal problems of a teenager. However, Steve has one major advantage: his deceased friend Marty (Mike Damus) has been sent to earth as a guardian angel

Familiar Faces

Maureen McCormick (The Brady Bunch), Paul Winfield

Our Take

Although Teen Angel does face past teen success Step by Step, Teen Angel will benefit from being on the original TGIF network

Expect to Hear

“I will not let you down...or if I do let you down, I'll have a good excuse”

- Marty

Premise

After crash landing on earth and growing attached to the Parker family, alien Meego (played by Perfect Stranger's Bronson Pinchot without his trademark accent) decides to stay as the children's nanny

Familiar Faces

Bronson Pinchot (Perfect Strangers), Jonathan Lipnicki (the movie Jerry Maguire), Michelle Trachtenberg, Ed Begley, Jr.

Our Take

Although Meego does air opposite a proven TGIF winner (Boy Meets World), it does have a good lead-in as well as well known actors as the children

Expect to Hear

Maggie: "Dad, aren't you going to interview him...for all we know, this guy could be the man in the moon?"

Meego: "I am not the man in the moon. He's a small, angry man with 12 eyes"

Premise

The Gregory Hines Show is about a widowed father working in publishing with a son supportive of him finding a new relationship

Familiar Faces

Gregory Hines

Our Take

As the only non-fantasy newcomer to the ABC and CBS TGIF schedules, The Gregory Hines Show may have trouble appealing to younger teens

Expect to Hear

“Dad, you know how we talked about you going out and all...Well, I'm still okay with it, but if you're not, I can maybe freak out a little, you know, so you can pretend to stay home on account of me”

- Matty (Ben Stevenson's 12 year old son when he notices his father fearing a date)

Premise

Independence Day/Stargate producers Ronald Emmerich and Dean Devlin have created this new sci-fi show about a pilot who was abducted by aliens 40 years ago. Returning to earth with strange abilities and a mysterious mission, the visitor (Adam McArthur played by John Corbett) is on the run both from the air force and his previous captors

Familiar Faces

John Corbett (Northern Exposure)

Our Take

FOX has yet to find a successful companion show for their 9pm genre entry (even back when they had the strength of The X-Files at 9pm). Furthermore, between ABC and CBS, the Visitor will have to contend with a number of popular sitcoms

Expect to Hear

Agent Wilcox: "I knew you would be showing up here"

Colonel Vye: "Why seeing you is as pleasant as having a prostate exam"

Premise

From producer Dick Wolf (Law and Order) comes Players, the story of three criminals that have been recruited to work for the FBI as part of their sentences

Familiar Faces

Ice-T, Costas Mandylor (Picket Fences)

Our Take

8pm Friday night dramas have always been a hard sell. Additionally, both ABC and CBS have proven sitcoms at 8pm

Expect to Hear

“Armed and Dangerous - It means aim for the head”

- Charlie O'Bannon (after the police begin looking for them as suspects in a crime)