IT’S a week of spectacular premieres on Studio 23, when the network commences new seasons and new episodes of three of its most acclaimed series "Smallville", "Gilmore Girls", and "24".

Studio 23 ensures that fans can catch these new episodes by airing them very close together: "Smallville" Season 5 begins on Tuesday, March 14, at 8:20 p.m. followed by "Gilmore Girls" Season 5 on the same evening at 9:10 p.m. The fourth season of "24" - now to be broadcast in English - begins the next evening, Wednesday, March 15 at 9:10 p.m.

Clark Kent (Tom Welling) makes his inexorable march towards manhood - and Supermanhood - in the fifth season of "Smallville" on Tuesday. Now a college freshman, Clark’s secret has also been revealed to one other person: his best friend Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack). But with his biological father Jor-El having extricated a promise from Clark that may come back to haunt the boy, it’s only the start of a spectacular new storyline that finally makes its way back to the classic Superman mythology.

A beloved character dies, Clark and Lana (Kristin Kreuk) finally hook up, and a parade of top-flight guest stars make their way into the narrative in this critically-acclaimed season, aired now by Studio 23 only a few months after its mega-successful US bow. Among the stars set to make their appearance in upcoming episodes of "Smallville" are Buffy and Angel’s James Marsters in a recurring role as Professor Milton Fine, the alter ego for DC Comics villain Brainiac; original TV The Dukes of Hazzard star Tom Wopat, now reunited with his former co-star John Schneider, who plays Jonathan Kent; and Star Wars’ Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher.

Womanhood, meanwhile, is the watchword for ongoing fifth season of "Gilmore Girls" Tuesdays at 9:10 p.m. Fans have so much to look out for with "Gilmore Girls" as it moves from its usual berth on Saturdays and the show gets one of its most dramatic face-offs ever. Rory (Alexis Bledel) decides to invite her boyfriend Logan (Matt Czuchry) to her regular dinners with her grandparents. With Rory’s last boyfriend-grandparent dinner an unmitigated disaster, how will this new one turn out? Especially with Rory’s mom Lorelai (Lauren Graham) begging to attend?

And saving the best for last, Studio 23 scores a slam dunk with the season 4 premiere of "24" on Wednesday at 8:20 p.m. Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Best Actor Kiefer Sutherland returns for Day 4 in Jack Bauer’s series of Very Long Days. CTU is now headed by Erin Driscoll (Alberta Watson), who made firing Jack one of her first priorities upon taking over. But as Jack heads for CTU to represent the Department of Defense in a meeting with Driscoll, Jack catches wind of a wide-ranging viral threat emanating from a series of Middle Eastern terrorist cells. And then the Secretary of Defense (William Devane) and his daughter Audrey Raines (Kim Raver), with whom Jack had been carrying on a clandestine affair, get kidnapped.

Featured in this vivid, roller-coaster season - acclaimed by most critics as the show’s best since its premiere season - are Oscar nominee Shoreh Aghdashloo as Dina Araz, Nestor Serrano as Navi Araz, and Jonathan Ahdout as Behrooz Araz. The three actors play members of middle-class immigrant family that play crucial roles in the upcoming terrorist threat. (Press release)