Most of us remember Raven-Symone as little Olivia from 'The Cosby Show,' so the premiere of her new show 'State of Georgia' (Wednesdays, 8:30PM on ABC Family) was quite a departure for the now-grown actress. Playing Georgia, an aspiring actress, Raven-Symone's character went into seductress mode to convince a casting directer she had the requisite sex-appeal to win a role.

Back in casting director Trent Pierce's apartment for a romantic dinner, Georgia does such a convincing job at playing the part that he tries to kiss her, but she deflects his advances. "I see a woman I want to kiss, and I kiss her," he said. "Not this woman," replied Georgia.

Pierce was obviously confused, and asked what was happening. "This was me answering a very, very simple question," said Georgia. "In what world would Trent Pierce buy me as a seductress? This one." Pierce wound up declaring he needed to brush his teeth and do sit-ups at the same time, possibly because a reference to a cold shower would have been too much for ABC Family.

There are a lot of new and returning shows on this week and, let's face it, they're not all winners. But how do you know? You see a billboard, see a preview, read what TV people like us tell you to watch, but sometimes you need something more concrete.

Enter our handy-dandy mathematical equations for this week's summer premieres!



OK, you're probably thinking that math and TV don't mix, but you're sorely mistaken. One show you love (+) another show you love (+) actors you adore = awesome. A show you kind of like (-) the parts you like = pass. Simple as that.

Here, we've done the math on four shows premiering this week -- 'Weeds,' 'The Big C,' 'Melissa & Joey' and 'State of Georgia' -- so put away your calculator and set your DVRs. Or not.

On her new show, 'State of Georgia,' Raven-Symone plays a woman from Georgia who moves to New York City to become a star. Of course, Raven-Symone has been a star since she was four-years-old, when she played Olivia on 'The Cosby Show.' Thursday on 'Good Morning America' (weekdays, 7AM on ABC), Raven-Symone talked about the new show and some show-business advice she got from Bill Cosby.

Raven-Symone was thankful to have had Cosby, a legendary comedian and television icon, as a mentor from an early age. "He told me that this is a business, and you have to stay professional," she said. "No matter how much glitz and glamour or money that you can collect, it's all about, can people respect your business ethic."

She'll also be joined by a couple of TV veterans on 'State of Georgia': Loretta Devine ('Boston Public,' 'Grey's Anatomy') and Majandra Delfino ('Roswell'). A TV staple for most of her life, it's hard to believe that Raven-Symone is still only 25-years-old.

It's doubtful a mysterious stranger is blackmailing you and framing you for your best friend's murder, but isn't it strange that somehow it feels like the 'Pretty Little Liars' girls could be your real-life BFFs?

The same goes for the title character on 'The Nine Lives of Chloe King.' So you're not the most powerful member of a feline-like ancient race with nine lives -- you get the same butterflies when a cute guy flirts with you at your after-school job.

ABC Family has always done a good job at creating shows around likable teenage girls who you can identify with even if your life is nothing like theirs. In honor of tonight's 'PLL' return (8PM ET) and 'Nine Lives' premiere (9PM), I've rounded up five of ABC Family's most relatable characters -- ones I'd totally hang out with if I could (and they weren't fictional).

By Breia Brissey
Tonight's TV Land Awards will bring together the cast of 'The Cosby Show' for the first time in years.

When TV Squad caught up with Raven-Symoné a few weeks ago at the ABC Family upfronts, the now-25-year-old former 'Cosby Show' star said she was excited for the cast to receive the TV Land Impact Award.

"I loved working with Bill Cosby. And it's such an honor to end up on TV Land," Symoné said. "I mean, it's weird because I'm only 25 and on TV Land! But when I was little, I was only allowed to watch TV Land and the cooking network, so it's really cool."

Two decades after she started on the iconic series, the actress formerly known as little Olivia Kendall has a new show of her own. She'll return to TV with ABC Family's 'State of Georgia' (formerly known as 'The Great State of Georgia') in June.