NEW YORK ? She has more metal in her mouth than that James Bond villain, Jaws. She has a thing for wearing ponchos, not so great a fashion statement on the streets of New York.

But does Betty Suarez live up to the name of the new ABC comedy about her ? ?Ugly Betty??

Maybe not, unless ?ugly? is a buzzword for dedicated, smart but a little out of step.

?I don?t understand,? her loving dad tells her. ?You?re sharp, you?re prepared ? someone should have begged you to work for them the day you graduated Queens College.?

All true. But the twist with ?Ugly Betty? (premiering at 9 p.m. Bermuda time on Thursday) is that Betty wants to make her mark in Manhattan?s fashion-publishing world. And in that catty, cut-throat atmosphere, her brand of can-do is a clear fashion don?t.

Against all odds, Betty proves her mettle to Mode magazine?s new editor, a handsome bachelor but a publishing neophyte whose main skill up to now has been bedding women, not dressing them. He comes to see how desperately he needs Betty?s help to survive in this jungle.

?Ugly Betty? is funny and charming, not to mention lacerating (and eye-popping) in how it characterises the rag trade. And as Betty, America Ferrera is adorable and a fine young comedian.

Based on ?Yo Soy Betty La Fea?, the hit Colombian telenovela, ?Ugly Betty? might initially appear implausible: How could a young woman filled with great ideas for a fashion magazine have so little idea how to dress herself stylishly? And if she were to suddenly get hip, could the ?ugly? appellation be in jeopardy?

But that?s not really the point of the series. Instead, ?Ugly Betty? is a satire on the political dirty tricks endemic to any high-stakes business.

Botox babe Wilhelmina Slater (performed to the hilarious hilt by Vanessa Williams) is beside herself that publishing magnate Bradford Meade gave the editor?s job to his son, Daniel (Eric Mabius), not her, after the sudden death of Mode?s long-time couture queen, Fey Sommers. Now Wilhelmina is mounting a drive to sabotage Daniel and claim the job she sees as rightfully hers.

Daniel, it seems, has as many enemies as Betty. So it?s them against the fashion world. How will they prevail while sticking to the high road Betty would never veer from?

The delight of ?Ugly Betty? is, Betty can win without being ugly.

?Brothers and Sisters? (Sunday, 11 p.m.; ABC). This is the drama for which ABC has such high hopes it uprooted ?Grey?s Anatomy? to free the post-?Desperate Housewives? time slot. So viewers are pretty sure to stick around to sample ?Brothers and Sisters? the first time. Will they come back? Maybe so. A smart melodrama about family writ large, this show boasts a large, impressive cast including Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths, Balthazar Getty, Matthew Rhys and Dave Annable as the five Walker siblings. Sally Field and Tom Skerritt are their parents, whose perfect marriage comforts and sometimes bemuses the kids. But who is this mysterious friend of Dad?s, played by Patricia Wettig? And what financial shenanigans are going on with the respected family business he runs? It?s never safe to assume anything about a family, and that goes double for the complicated Walker family.

?Runaway? (Monday, 10 p.m.; the CW). Who killed the woman Paul Rader was having an affair with? Why was he framed for the murder? And how can he clear his name after jumping bail with his wife and three children, before the feds catch up with him ? and before the unknown bad guys who threatened his kids carry out their threat? Clearly Rader, once a high-profile lawyer, has his hands full finding justice while he keeps his family safe. Donnie Wahlberg is the flawed hero and Leslie Hope his wife in a thriller in which biggest drawback is its intensity.

?Heroes? (Monday, 10 p.m.; NBC). What if human potential were supersized in certain people who happened to be born with tiny variations in their genetic code? Across the country and the globe, sundry individuals are beginning to realise to their shock that they?re different from normal humans. What will they do with their newfound powers? What will happen when these folks cross paths and join forces? A large ensemble, a mind-expanding story and numerous mysteries power this meditative thrill ride.