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Michelle Ryan
A big star in her native England for the long-running soap “EastEnders,” Ryan is now trying to conquer North America with the new take on the classic ‘70s series “Bionic Woman.” (Watch a ‘Bionic Woman’ preview.) As Jaime Sommers, the woman who has her life turned upside down after she’s critically injured in a car accident, Ryan must make us believe the bionic babe is still  human than machine, even with all her robotic parts.
 
 
  Lee Pace
After first getting notice in the much-loved but quickly cancelled “Wonderfalls,” Lee Pace reunites with executive producer Bryan Fuller in “Pushing Daisies” as Ned, the lead character in this modern-day fairy tale. (Watch a ‘Pushing Daisies’ preview.) He plays a pie-maker who can mysteriously bring people back to life with just a touch of his hand, but he also wields the irreversible power of death if he touches the person one  time.
 
 
  Zachary Levi
Levi makes geek look chic as the leader of the “Nerd Herd” at the Buy  electronics store in the action-comedy “Chuck.” (Watch a ‘Chuck’ preview.) Chuck’s life consists of video games, his best friend Morgan, and flirting with cute female customers. All that is turned upside down when he accidentally gets top-level government secrets imprinted into his brain and must face the consequences.
 
 
  Leighton Meester
Meester is bringing bitchy back as Blair Waldorf, one half of the Serena/Blair duo in “Gossip Girl.” (Watch a ‘Gossip Girl’ preview.) Meester has popped up before in “24”, “Veronica Mars,” and “7th Heaven,” but this is her chance to shine in a leading role. Blair is willing to do anything to get what she wants, and that includes stepping all over her “friends” in the process.
 
 
  Adhir Kalyan
Kalyan will definitely open some eyes in his role of Raja on the CW comedy “Aliens in America.” Raja travels to the United States as an exchange student, and ultimately wins over the entire family with his sincerity and smarts. The multilingual Kalyan’s hilarious performance as a Pakistani Muslim stranded in suburban Wisconsin will win you over, too.
 
 
  Aubrey Dollar
After appearing in “Point Pleasant” and “Guiding Light,” Dollar now has the chance to shine in the primetime lineup as crime reporter Cindy Thomas on “Women’s Murder Club.” (Watch a ‘Women’s Murder Club’ preview.) She’s one of four friends who team up to solve crimes: a cop, a TV reporter, a district attorney, and a medical examiner. The show is based on the hugely popular series of books by James Patterson.
 
 
  Anna Friel
Fresh from England, Friel has been busy on this side of the Atlantic with parts in the TV movie “Perfect Strangers” and the feature “The Jury.” (Watch a ‘Pushing Daisies’ preview.) But it’s her role as Charlotte “Chuck” Charles that should make her a well-known presence here. Chuck is the childhood love of Ned, brought back to life by his magical touch and kept alive when he decides he can’t send her back to her coffin for good.
 
 
  Chace Crawford
This Texas native gets his big break playing the guy in the Serena-Blair love triangle on “Gossip Girl”. (Watch a ‘Gossip Girl’ preview.) He stars as Nate Archibald, a privileged lacrosse player and Blair’s boyfriend. What Blair doesn’t know is that Nate and Serena had a fling before Serena disappeared to boarding school for a year. Crawford fits right in at the CW, a network with a history of ridiculously good-looking casts.
 
 
  Paula Newsome
A versatile performer who has appeared on Broadway and guest-starred on multiple TV series, Newsome is now firmly in the spotlight as one of the four female crime-fighters on the ABC drama “Women’s Murder Club.” (Watch a ‘Women’s Murder Club’ preview.)She plays Claire Washburn, a medical examiner who teams up with her friends to solve tough cases that have the police stumped.
 
 
  Bret Harrison
Although he starred on the Fox summer sitcom “The Loop,” Harrison’s role of Sam in “Reaper” should make him a household name. (Watch a ‘Reaper’ preview.) Slacker Sam finds out on his 21st birthday that his parents have sold his soul to the Devil, and Harrison’s a natural at playing the comedy of the situation. His facial expressions alone are worth tuning in for.
 
 
  Dan Byrd
Byrd plays 16-year-old Justin Tolchuk, an earnest but friendless Wisconsin teenager in “Aliens in America.” He has only his mother as a confidante, but soon imports a friend in the form of Raja, a Pakistani Muslim welcomed by his parents into their home as an exchange student. Although Raja might make fitting in even  impossible for Justin, they can at least be misfits together.