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.
First thing's first: we'd watch Peter Krause do his laundry. In Sports Night, Six Feet Under, and this, Krause has proved time and again that he can be a scoundrel in one scene and the heir to Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey in the next -- and always with wit and style to burn. But beyond Krause's central performance, this devilish soap walks a fine line between being a throwback to the days of Dynasty and also a spin on twisted family dramas like SFU -- and we can't help but admire the well-heeled weirdness of the mashing-up.
Of all the returning shows that got cut short by last year's writers strike, DSM -- with its big cast, intertwining plotlines, and slightly disappointing ratings -- might have gotten cut the shortest. Here's hoping that with a full year to unspool its story -- not to mention new cast member Lucy Liu, who, we're not gonna lie, we would also watch doing laundry, assuming it was dirty sexy laundry -- Dirty Sexy Money manages to get comfy in ABC's lineup.
Dirty Sexy Money (Wednesdays at 10 PM EST) premieres Wednesday, October 1, at 10 PM EST on ABC.
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"