LAST MAN STANDING

What if Tim "Tool Time" Taylor lost his show and swapped his three sons for four daughters? Tim Allen returns to his signature role as a caveman trapped in a modern-day world. The pilot has more than a few laughs and there's even a clever reference to Buzz Lightyear, but one can't help wishing Allen would commit to something more ambitious than "Home Improvement 2.0." ★★ 1/2

  • 7 p.m. starting Oct. 11, KSTP, Ch. 5

MAN UP!

Producers probably added an exclamation point to the title to trick us into thinking they have something important to say. It doesn't work. If you're going to hop on the train carrying man-boys struggling with their masculinity, you've got to do better than this unimaginative effort that's devoid of memorable laughs. Hard to believe this sitcom is getting a chance while "Men of a Certain Age" gets the ax. ★ 1/2

  • 7:30 p.m. starting Oct. 18, KSTP, Ch. 5

NEW GIRL

Hands down, TV's best new series, thanks to star Zooey Deschanel's impression of Betty Boop and creator Liz Meriwether's cockeyed view of the urban world. But Deschanel's three male roommates need more to do than look stunned they're in the same scene, let alone the same galaxy, with such a firecracker. ★★★★

  • 8 p.m., KMSP, Ch. 9

RINGER

Sarah Michelle Gellar plays estranged twins -- one's a stripper, one's a socialite -- who may or may not be at each other's throats. Turns out twice the Buffy doesn't equal twice the fun. The former "All My Children" star doesn't seem to embrace the silliness of the soapy premise. Maybe the appearance of a few vampires will break the trance. ★★

  • 8 p.m., WUCW, Ch. 23

UNFORGETTABLE

"Without a Trace" star Poppy Montgomery returns to fighting crime, but this time she's armed with the ability to remember every moment of every day. The show is based on the mental abilities of actress Marilu Henner, and Montgomery has even dyed her hair red in the "Taxi" star's honor. Now if only she could inject some of Henner's loosey-goosey personality into her otherwise forgettable character. ★★

  • 9 p.m., WCCO, Ch. 4

TUESDAY'S STAR: ZOOEY DESCHANEL

  • The show: "New Girl" (FOX)
  • The role: Jessica Day, a newly single sweetheart who constantly sings to herself. Out loud.
  • Where you've seen her: "(500) Days of Summer," "Our Idiot Brother."
  • Why we love her: The word "adorkable" was created in her honor.
  • On her new character: "I think she's someone who expresses her emotions all the time. She's very much herself, and almost too in touch with her emotions, which I think is a really great contrast with the other characters, who are less in touch with their emotions. A lot of the comedy comes out of that juxtaposition."
  • What you didn't know: On Oct. 25, She & Him, her vintage-pop group, will release a holiday album that includes such classics as "Silver Bells" and "Baby, It's Cold Outside."