When it comes to fighting and gaining the upper hand, women are much more sophisticated than men.

When two women don't get along, they don't punch, kick or shoot bullets. Well, not all the time.

Instead, they undermine, spread rumours, give back-handed compliments or devise ways to steal each other's husbands.

Comedy-drama series GCB, which follows in the footsteps of legendary series like Dynasty and Desperate Housewives, starts a new run on Oct 1.

In this latest incarnation of the "bitchy women" show, a former queen bee and high school "mean girl" Amanda Vaughn (played by Leslie Bibb) moves back to her hometown in Dallas, Texas, after her marriage ends in scandal.

This also means she has to face her former high school foes - Cricket, Sharon and current top dog, Carlene.

Amanda was cruel to them back then, and boy, do they want revenge now.

Even though they now appear to be dignified church-going women, get ready for the catfight.

The show is based on the book "Good Christian B*****s" but unsurprisingly, the title didn't sit well with religious and women's groups - hence the acronym.

Nonetheless, the show's a great how-to guide for being mean:

Insult with compliments

Otherwise known as the complisult. No one finds fault with you for praising someone, even if you "inadvertently" let slip an embarrassing fact about them at the same time.

For example, in the first episode, Amanda praises Carlene in church for giving her a job at Boobylicious, a notorious local Hooters- like bar.

By doing that, she also lets out the secret that the upstanding Carlene is actually the bar's owner - in front of the entire congregation.

Discredit the enemy

Feel free to gossip and spread rumours about people you don't like. The principle - if you can call it that - here is if your opponent looks bad, you look better.

During a morning run with the girls, Cricket lets slip that Amanda is an alcoholic. This causes everyone to decline going to a luncheon held to welcome Amanda back to society.

Build them up, let them down

It pays to build up your enemy's expectations before you pour ice-cold water over everything.

Back in school, Amanda once offered Carlene a ride to the first pep rally of the season. But when they were in the parking lot, Amanda called Carlene a "wild, nasty pig" and got some waiting friends to throw mud on her.

Now, 18 years later, Carlene drives Amanda almost 130km out of town to eat at an excellent pork restaurant.

Carlene abandons her nemesis there, leaving Amanda no option but to ride in a truckful of pigs back to town. There's something poetic there.

When it comes to underhanded moves like this, I'm glad I'm a guy.

GCB premieres on Oct 1, Monday to Friday, at 8.35pm on Star World, StarHub Channel 501 and 555. It is also available on mio TV Channel 301.

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