TV-wise, 2008 was mostly a write-off. The Writers' Strike saw to it that production stopped through the end of '07 and television didn't really recover, offering mostly lackluster seasons last year. House was no longer as good as it had been during seasons 1-3, various basic cable shows had either gone MIA or had their seasons awkwardly cut in half and buggered sideways. But now with mid-season shows on the horizon, things are looking up. Here's a rundown of returning shows we're looking forward to.
Scrubs
Entering its final season on new network ABC, creator Bill Lawrence is looking to take the show back to basics with a more grounded approach as we bid farewell to the staff of Sacred Heart. Having not enjoyed the show as much since the third season ended we couldn't be more glad.
Scrubs airs from Tuesday 6th Jan on ABC
Nip/Tuck
The first half of season five ended with Sean being stabbed north of ten times by psycho stalker Colleen, Julia getting amnesia after being shot in the head by (schizophrenic?) Eden and Christian... I can't really remember what Christian did last season, but his son, Matt, had just started a relationship with his biological sister. What do we expect this season from Nip/Tuck? Not much. Which is to say more of the same.
Nip/Tuck returns on Tuesday 6th Jan on FX
Damages
Damages, aka my reason for living, returns after a fifteen month hiatus. Last season was rife with twists, turns, character studies and a handful of well executed deaths. With all the key players from the first season returning and the additions of William Hurt and Tim Olyphant to the cast, we look to be in for another year of machinations, legal hijinx and Glenn Close.
Damages returns on Wednesday 7th Jan on FX
24
This show's been gone from my screen for 18 months now, not counting the lackluster TV movie prequel to the new season. But it's finally returning. Granted Granny Hayes and High Chief Tom Lennox are missing from the cast (I mock them because I love them), but to even this out Tony Almeida's returning. As a villain. With no hair. And also: this season's taking place in Washington and not LA. It'll be interesting to see how this alters the show's dynamic.
24 returns on Sunday 11th Jan on FOX, before settling into it's normal timeslot on Monday 12th Jan
Battlestar Gallactica
They've found Earth and we still don't know who the fifth Cylon is. This series finally comes to a close this year with its last ten episodes and I honestly have no idea how it's gonna end.
Battlestar Gallactica returns on Friday 16th Jan on Sci Fi
Flight of the Conchords
After a year and a half hiatus, Flight of the Conchords finally returns, continuing on from season one's cruel ending for the New Zealand band. Season two kicks off by returning the show to the status quo, with the same comedy that made season one so great. So far, so good. With this being the final season of the Conchords, I can only hope they manage to maintain the quality of season one, and avoid becoming a One Hit Wonder.
Flight of the Conchords returns on Sunday January 18th on HBO
Lost
Moving islands, ghosts, time travel and smoke monsters... The definitely-not-sci-fi fifth season of Lost returns after a wait which made most fanatics wish they could send themselves into the future just to avoid the hiatus. With the Oceanic Six facing dangers both from external forces and each other as Jack and Ben begin the process of returning to the island, and the people left behind facing big problems of their own, S5 promises to be as exciting and unpredictable as ever.
Lost returns with a three-hour premiere event on Wednesday 21st January on ABC
Dollhouse
Here's the thing... There's no bigger fan of Buffy and Angel than me. They're the sole reason I love TV so much. Joss Whedon is great. Tim Minear is great. Eliza Dushku turned in some great performances as rogue slayer Faith Lehane. Yet the buzz for this show is dreadful. Nonetheless, fingers crossed. It's been relegated to the Friday night death slot so it may not be long for this Earth regardless of the quality.
Dollhouse premieres Friday 13th Feb on FOX -- oh, and that's the exact same date Angel was axed in 2004
Reaper
After somehow surviving rumors of cancellation (maybe someone sold their soul to Ray Wise's hilarious Satan, who knows), Reaper is returning this March. Last season ended with Sam having two very interesting cases of daddy issues -- one father who's the Devil, and another who survived being buried alive. By a crazy angel no less. Hopefully the show will avoid falling into a predictable Demon of the Week formula like it did during its early days (surely one of TV's Seven Deadly Sins) and continue to delve deeper into its increasingly intriguing mythology.
Reaper returns Tuesday 17th March on CW
Scrubs
Entering its final season on new network ABC, creator Bill Lawrence is looking to take the show back to basics with a more grounded approach as we bid farewell to the staff of Sacred Heart. Having not enjoyed the show as much since the third season ended we couldn't be more glad.
Scrubs airs from Tuesday 6th Jan on ABC
Nip/Tuck
The first half of season five ended with Sean being stabbed north of ten times by psycho stalker Colleen, Julia getting amnesia after being shot in the head by (schizophrenic?) Eden and Christian... I can't really remember what Christian did last season, but his son, Matt, had just started a relationship with his biological sister. What do we expect this season from Nip/Tuck? Not much. Which is to say more of the same.
Nip/Tuck returns on Tuesday 6th Jan on FX
Damages
Damages, aka my reason for living, returns after a fifteen month hiatus. Last season was rife with twists, turns, character studies and a handful of well executed deaths. With all the key players from the first season returning and the additions of William Hurt and Tim Olyphant to the cast, we look to be in for another year of machinations, legal hijinx and Glenn Close.
Damages returns on Wednesday 7th Jan on FX
24
This show's been gone from my screen for 18 months now, not counting the lackluster TV movie prequel to the new season. But it's finally returning. Granted Granny Hayes and High Chief Tom Lennox are missing from the cast (I mock them because I love them), but to even this out Tony Almeida's returning. As a villain. With no hair. And also: this season's taking place in Washington and not LA. It'll be interesting to see how this alters the show's dynamic.
24 returns on Sunday 11th Jan on FOX, before settling into it's normal timeslot on Monday 12th Jan
Battlestar Gallactica
They've found Earth and we still don't know who the fifth Cylon is. This series finally comes to a close this year with its last ten episodes and I honestly have no idea how it's gonna end.
Battlestar Gallactica returns on Friday 16th Jan on Sci Fi
Flight of the Conchords
After a year and a half hiatus, Flight of the Conchords finally returns, continuing on from season one's cruel ending for the New Zealand band. Season two kicks off by returning the show to the status quo, with the same comedy that made season one so great. So far, so good. With this being the final season of the Conchords, I can only hope they manage to maintain the quality of season one, and avoid becoming a One Hit Wonder.
Flight of the Conchords returns on Sunday January 18th on HBO
Lost
Moving islands, ghosts, time travel and smoke monsters... The definitely-not-sci-fi fifth season of Lost returns after a wait which made most fanatics wish they could send themselves into the future just to avoid the hiatus. With the Oceanic Six facing dangers both from external forces and each other as Jack and Ben begin the process of returning to the island, and the people left behind facing big problems of their own, S5 promises to be as exciting and unpredictable as ever.
Lost returns with a three-hour premiere event on Wednesday 21st January on ABC
Dollhouse
Here's the thing... There's no bigger fan of Buffy and Angel than me. They're the sole reason I love TV so much. Joss Whedon is great. Tim Minear is great. Eliza Dushku turned in some great performances as rogue slayer Faith Lehane. Yet the buzz for this show is dreadful. Nonetheless, fingers crossed. It's been relegated to the Friday night death slot so it may not be long for this Earth regardless of the quality.
Dollhouse premieres Friday 13th Feb on FOX -- oh, and that's the exact same date Angel was axed in 2004
Reaper
After somehow surviving rumors of cancellation (maybe someone sold their soul to Ray Wise's hilarious Satan, who knows), Reaper is returning this March. Last season ended with Sam having two very interesting cases of daddy issues -- one father who's the Devil, and another who survived being buried alive. By a crazy angel no less. Hopefully the show will avoid falling into a predictable Demon of the Week formula like it did during its early days (surely one of TV's Seven Deadly Sins) and continue to delve deeper into its increasingly intriguing mythology.
Reaper returns Tuesday 17th March on CW
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