I’m freaking out, PopWatchers — and so are my two overburdened DVRs! As you know, we’re coming to the end of upfronts week, where all the networks announce their fall lineups, including which new series they’ve greenlit, and which old ones they’ve canceled. The hard part for me is that, in the wake of ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC’s presentations, it looks like most of my regular fare is returning (yay, Medium!), and there are quite a few freshman shows that look promising, too. Indeed, scads of my favorite actors — Merrin Dungey, Jonny Lee Miller, Mädchen Amick, to name a few — are going to be vying for my attention come September. Still, of all the stars returning to TV this coming fall, I’m probably most excited about Six Feet Under alumna Lauren Ambrose (pictured), who’s been keeping a pretty low profile since her series awesomely brilliant final episode back in 2005. The way Ambrose made Claire both maddening and sympathetic, and the way she brought out the humor in the show’s dark, complex scripts, always made me wonder why she wasn’t a much bigger star. Now that she’s pairing up with Parker Posey and Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino on The Return of Jezebel James, maybe she’ll get her chance. It’s just too bad I’m gonna have to wait till midseason to see it!
Anyhow, after the jump, check out my partial list of the actors headlining the big four’s new fall and midseason slates — if you want to see clips, ABC, NBC, and CBS, and have streaming video — and then weigh in on which star’s return is the most welcome — and why.
ABC: Big Shots (Michael Vartan, Dylan McDermott, Christopher Titus, Joshua Malina); Cashmere Mafia (Lucy Liu, Frances O’Connor); Dirty Sexy Money (Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland, Jill Clayburgh, William Baldwin); Eli Stone (Jonny Lee Miller, Victor Garber, Natasha Henstridge, Loretta Devine); Private Practice (Merrin Dungey, Taye Diggs, Tim Daly, Amy Brenneman); Pushing Daisies (Lee Pace, Chi McBride, Swoosie Kurtz, Kristin Chenoweth); Women’s Murder Club (Angie Harmon); Carpoolers (Jerry O’Connell, Faith Ford); Miss/Guided (Judy Greer); Sam I Am (Christina Applegate, Jean Smart, Jennifer Esposito).
NBC: Lipstick Jungle (Brooke Shields, Kim Raver); Bionic Woman (Michelle Ryan, Miguel Ferrer); Life (Damian Lewis, Adam Arkin, Sarah Shahi, Robin Weigert); Chuck (Zachary Levi, Sarah Lancaster)
CBS: The Big Bang Theory (Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco); Cane (Jimmy Smits, Nestor Carbonell, Hector Elizondo, Rita Moreno); Viva Laughlin (Lloyd Owen, D.B. Woodside, Mädchen Amick)
FOX: Back to You (Patricia Heaton, Kelsey Grammer, Fred Willard); K-Ville (Anthony Anderson, Cole Hauser, Tawny Cypress); The Return of Jezebel James (Parker Posey, Lauren Ambrose, Scott Cohen); Canterbury’s Law (Julianna Margulies, Linus Roache); The Rules for Starting Over (Craig Bierko, Rashida Jones); The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Lena Headey, Richard T. Jones)
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I hate to be that person, but I just thought you would want to know that you spelled excites without the c. That isn’t a pun I’m not getting is it?
*Excites*
Aymzer, you’ve got it all wrong. Be PROUD to be that person.
And I am patiently waiting on the day that ALF makes his big return to the small screen.
Thanks for the catch, guys! All fixed.
OMG! I almost creamed my pants when I saw Lauren Ambrose is returning to television and actually shot off a load when I saw it was with Ms. Parker Posey! Considered me tuned in!!!!
I am going to go with Joshua Molina, wasn’t he the sweet nerd on Sports Night? Loved him. Peter Krause too, but he probably get more attention thatn Joshua, so I am going to stick with him.
I would watch Taye Diggs stack soup cans. I am not a Grey’s watcher but will watch the spin-off for him.
aymzer, Joshua Malina was also on West Wing for several seasons. So he managed to keep his name out there…
I love Tim Daly and Taye Diggs, and after Grey’s pathetic finale, I may be spending a lot more time watching these guys on Private Practice than whiny Patrick Dempsey on Grey’s.
Taye Diggs is OK, but if I was going to watch someone stack soup cans it would definitely be Michael Vartan! Can’t wait to see him on TV again – hope his new show doesn’t get cancelled after two episodes…
I’m all for beautiful women gracing my TV screen, and am happy that Parker Posey, Lauren Ambrose, Mädchen Amick, and others will get the chance. That said, I think I’m most happy to see scene stealer extraordinaire Fred Willard with a regular gig, dude is one-of-a-kind hilarious.
As many of my favorites have bitten the dust,damn you cw, I am going to need certification of programming longevity before investing myself into any new series next fall.
Michael Vartan, definitely!!
Michael Vartan!!
Michael Vartan for me!!! Have missed him!!
Kaley Cuoco for me. I love her in 8 Simples Rules, and will love her in The Big Bang Theory. The clips from the Big Bang Theory look very funny. It is going to be a great show.
Michael Vartan, Missed seeing him weekly on my screen.
Michael Vartan- he was sooo undervalued on Alias, he deserves his chance to show what he can do! I can’t wait!
Only one person Michael Vartan always has been and always will be. There is no one else out there either on the TV or the screen that does it for me.
My #1 pick–Jean Smart, who shines in every show she’s on. For looks, Jimmy Smits. For the joy of a beautiful voice enunciating clearly(yeah, that dates me, but wait ’til you’re 50), Kelsey Grammer
Frasier Crane….uh, I mean, Kelsey Grammar.
I’m so excited to hear that Lucy Lu and Darren Starr are coming back to t.v! Darren Starr has had a handful of duds since SATC went off the air but I think Cashmire Mafia is going to stick. Lucy Lu – love her!
Jean Smart—she’s fantastic!
Thrilled to see Victor Garber back on weekly tv. I’m hoping that this show is a better vehicle for him than the short-lived Justice and that they don’t dye his hair!
I’m going with another “Six Feet Under” cast member…i love me some Peter Krause!
As Brandon Tartikoff famously said about “Partners In Crime” 23 years ago, “I’ve got Lynda Carter and Loni Anderson! How can it miss?!?” 13 episodes later, it went bye-bye…
If I had told you 2 months ago that Nathan Filion – the brooding, hunky star of “Firefly” and “Serenity” – was returning to TV as a husband on the hunt for his beautiful, kidnapped wife and is forced to dredge up his criminal, on-the-run-from-the-law past in the attempt to track her, you’d have said “I can’t wait!”
If I told you it also featured 2 terrific movie actors – Dylan Baker and Taryn Manning – and, in a supporting role, “Law and Order”’s Richard Brooks, you’d say “Awesome! I Know I’LL watch!”
Well, “Drive” only made it to 4 episodes…
Madchen Amick is my main TV squeeze. I’m not sure how many people know her by name and not just by face, but I hope that will chance sometime soon!
I’m so glad to see Jennifer Esposito back on TV. Can’t wait!
I’m so glad to see Jennifer Esposito back on TV. Can’t wait!
I loved Six Feet Under..another fantastic HBO series..the entire cast was great,but my very favorite was the remarkably talented Frances Conroy..would love to see her on another award winning(probably on HBO) series