The new fall season is almost here. Starting next week, the cable and broadcast networks will be begin rolling out new episodes of all the shows that survived the writers-strike-afflicted 2007-2008 season, giving us the chance to get acquainted with some old friends -- and reacquaint ourselves with more than a few characters who we met only fleetingly last fall. Here, then, are the top ten returning shows that were most looking forward to seeing.
It's make-or-break time for NBC's superhero drama, which had opened strong in 2006 but (owing to the writers strike and an overambitious scope) ran into trouble last year. Will the "Villains" storyarc get the show its powers back? Creator Tim Kring has promised a tighter focus and the return of Kristen Bell, of which we wholeheartedly approve, but the promos we've seen seem to undo at least one of the major deaths from last year, and while we get why that would be a good idea, it's also kind of cheap.
We'll be honest, though. What we're really waiting to see is whether it can produce a couple of good storylines that weren't lifted almost beat-for-beat from 80's comics. Sometimes we think Chris Claremont should keep an intellectual properties lawyer on retainer.
Heroes (Mondays at 9PM EST) premieres September 22 with a three-hour event starting at 8PM EST on NBC.
TOP TEN RETURNING SHOWS FALL 2008
#1. "30 Rock" & "Terminator"
#2. "Dexter"
#3. "Gossip Girl"
#4. "Pushing Daisies"
#5. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
#6. "Heroes"
#7. "Dirty Sexy Money"
#8. "House"
#9. "Entourage" / "Californication"
#10. "The Shield"