I Want My New TV!

The Writers Guild strike is over! But don’t rejoice yet. It’s going to be a while before we see new episodes of our favorite shows back on the air.

TV Guide rounded up a list of big series and gave estimates of what their loyal fans can expect and when. So, here’s the run down for some of the shows we’re dying to see return for new episodes before the season is over:

“Supernatural” aired it’s last pre-strike episode on Feb. 21, “Jus In Bello,” with stellar ratings for its CW schedule and timeslot and the repeat, “Nightshifter,” that was the lead-in for the new episode. They are filming four more episodes now that the strike is over, which will begin airing April 24. New episodes of “Smallville” will air March 13, 20, and 27, and they should be filming five more to begin airing on April 17. The Fox hit “24” won’t be returning until January 2009 for its seventh season. “Battlestar Galactica” will be back on April 4 with the first half of its 20-episode season, which will be its last. Fox’s hi-tech crime drama, “Bones” will be back on April 14, airing on Mondays with six episodes remaining. The doctor is in when “House” returns on his new night, Monday, April 28 with an expected four new episodes. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” should have five new episodes to air for the season, starting April 15. “Medium” should have as many as seven new episodes shooting to air befre the season is out, scheduled to air beginning April 24.

In case you’re wondering, here’s the deal with some other shows: “Bionic Woman” was not expected to be coming back at the time of the report. Neither was “Journeyman,” “Las Vegas,” and “Life Is Wild.” I don’t expect that anyone will be sorely disappointed about any of those either. There will be no new episodes of “Chuck” until fall, nor will there be any new “Heroes” until the start of the fall season. Like “Heroes,” “Prison Break” has wrapped for the season, and there are no new episodes to be expected, but the show had not yet been renewed for next year at the time of the report either, so that’s anyone’s guess. “Jericho” is another that has no new episodes for this season. “Lost,” which suffered severe strike disorientation, as if it wasn’t suffering enough already, is expected to have five new episodes, which will air starting April 24. And no one knows what’s going on with “The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” though some were saying the show was just getting good; I, however, was not impressed by the first wo episodes, and have my doubts.

This turns out to be much more optimistic and on the ball than some had predicted, including myself. The fact that so many shows have mobilized to put a proper end to the season is encouraging, but will they be able to pick up viewers again, compete with overcrowded network schedules that accounted for a long haul strike, and overcome the disillusionment of television audiences across the nation? Only time will tell, but I, for one, am eagerly awaiting my favorite shows and their comebacks.