Fall TV Preview: The 12 Best Returning Shows
This week marks the start of the fall television season, getting us here at Screening Room very excited for the return of some of our favorite shows. I don’t know about you, but my days are about to be packed as I plan to spend every spare moment in front of the TV.
With the already skimpy summer schedule coming to a close, we could not be more ready for our lives to be consumed by lots of quality television programming once again.
Editor-in-Chief Andrew Johnson and I have composed a list of our 12 most anticipated returns to get you as excited for these series as we are:
12. The Office
Are we really getting ready for Season 8? I’m on record as contending that The Office should have wound things down the minute Steve Carrell announced he was leaving, but that doesn’t mean I’m not intrigued to see the Michael Scott-less dynamic at Dunder Mifflin. The introduction of James Spader as a regular might not fill the gaping void left by Carrell, but it should keep us entertained at least in the short-term. — Andrew Johnson
11. Desperate Housewives
It’s hard to believe that this will be the eighth and final season of Desperate Housewives, but all good things must come to and end. The show has had its ups and downs, as any long-running show would have, but I think this one will end on an upswing. Susan (Teri Hatcher) is back on the lane and the girls have found a way to set aside their issues, so it seems like they will all be back together for their last hurrah. — Sonya Lilienstein
10. Chuck
I’m more morbidly excited than anything else about the fifth and final season of Chuck. Consistently and unspectacularly entertaining, it will be interesting to see how this show works without the Chuck-Sarah tension that made it so very good at the very beginning. Will Morgan (Joshua Gomez) as the Intersect work, or is this going to be a sad and forgettable farewell tour? – AJ
9. Gossip Girl
I find that it’s the guilty pleasure shows that I really look forward to each week, and GG is definitely one of them. Chuck, Nate and Serena (Blake Lively) begin the season partying in Los Angeles, while Blair (Leighton Meester) is left in the Big Apple to plan her big royal wedding (with Chuck’s bun in her oven perhaps?). Jenny (Taylor Momsen) and Vanessa (Jessica Szohr) won’t be joining us for this season, but their absence was barely noticed in Season 4 so I don’t think it will be an issue. – SL
8. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
While still excellent, Sunny has slipped a bit the last few years. That’s understandable for a show that — with Rescue Me off the air — is now the longest-tenured veteran in FX’s lineup. It’s still one of the funniest shows on television, of course, but given that Mac (Rob McElhenney) has gained 50 pounds just for the sake of comedy, I think it’s fair to expect a bit of a revival. — AJ
7. Dexter
Although Seasons 3 and 4 were more than a little disappointing, the fact that Season 5 was picking up brings me hope that season six will continue in the upward trend. Apparently, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) is going to explore his spirituality in this upcoming season, which is sure to prove interesting. Although I admit to missing the emotionless killing machine that Dexter once was, I still love watching his humanity seep through the cracks. – SL
6. The Walking Dead
The first two episodes of The Walking Dead‘s first season were truly terrific — and proof that the horror genre that works so well on the big screen could translate into a television serial. And then things went awry. The last four episodes were dull, at times, and certainly disappointing. Then showrunner Frank Darabont fired the entire writing staff after the first season wrapped, before ultimately departing the show himself this summer while the second season was filming. I think we’re all curious to see if the behind-the-scenes drama will affect the quality of Season 2, but, more than that, I think we’re excited just to see where they take things now, in a 13-episode, split-season. The source material, Robert Kirkman’s comic book series, is excellent, so there’s plenty of reason to believe Dead can find the form it showed in its first two episodes. — AJ
5. Community
Many are skeptical about the return of Community, probably because it’s not clear how they can keep it from going stale. I, on the other hand, am just excited for this show to be back. It is one of the few shows that I can just sit back and enjoy without thinking about the deeper meaning, or about potential upcoming plot twists. It’s just a feel-good show that’s genuinely a pleasure to watch, and I trust that this season will follow suit. — SL
4. Parks and Recreation
Parks and Rec is such televised chicken soup for the soul that it’s easy to forget that there were a few cliffhangers at the end of Season 3. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) was approached about running for office and chose not to tell the folks who approached her about her budding relationship with Ben (Adam Scott). Something’s going to give, and showrunner Michael Schur is on record as saying we’ll find out just what does in the first few episodes. Once the cliffhanger is resolved, we’ll be left with Ron Swanson’s philosophy and Tom Haverford’s business plans. It’s a tough life we lead here at Screening Room, but someone’s got to do it. — AJ
3. The Vampire Diaries
My ultimate guilty pleasure show also happens to be one that I look forward to most. A perfect intermediate between True Blood and Twilight, The Vampire Diaries has just the right amounts of girly romance and badass blood and guts. When we left off last season, Stefan (Paul Wesley) was sacrificing his peaceful ways and running off with Klaus to do what he does best — save Elena (Nina Dobrev) — Damon (Ian Somerhalder) was saved from the brink of death after confessing his love for Elena, and Jeremy just happened to stumble upon his presumed dead vampire ex-girlfriends in his basement. So many cliffhangers, I can’t wait! — SL
2. Boardwalk Empire
Boardwalk Empire was a big hit for HBO in Season 1, but it’s also fair to say our introduction to Prohibition-era Atlantic City was uneven. The character development was good enough, though, to make you feel like the pace is about to pick up to breakneck speed. Taking center stage is the apparent showdown between Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) and protege-turned-rival Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt), but we should also see more of Chalky White (Michael Kenneth Williams) and the transformation of Al Capone (Stephen Graham) into the gangster we know from our history books. If you’re like us, you’re probably more excited about seeing more of Chalky and Capone than the central conflict in Atlantic City. Either way, it should all be pretty entertaining. — AJ
1. How I Met Your Mother
This show has gathered such a following, it’s no wonder I’m so excited for its return. The ending of Season 6 has left us all begging for more HIMYM. Power couple Marshall and Lily (Jason Segel and Alyson Hannigan) are finally pregnant, and Barney’s (Neil Patrick Harris) impending wedding is in sight. Ted (Josh Radnor) and Robin’s (Cobie Smulders) stories aren’t quite as exciting at the moment, but I trust that they will pick up this season. – SL
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