So, the writers' strike is dunzo — but that doesn't mean we're getting our shows back right away. It generally will take between four and six weeks to get a comedy back on the air, while dramas will need six to eight. CBS became the first network to announce when its shows will return, and NBC followed soon after. Add that to the premieres and finales we already knew about, and we've got ourselves a calendar!
More than usual, this information is subject to change, especially for all the networks that haven't formally announced their dates yet. Furthermore, some of the shows currently marked as having finales might be returning later in the season — where possible, I've tried to note how many episodes are planned for them. I'll be updating this continuously as we get more info about biggies like Gossip Girl and Grey's.
Announced post-strike premieres and return dates, so far:
FEBRUARY 15
Finales: Las Vegas, Psych
FEBRUARY 17
Finales: American Gladiators, Cold Case (returns later this season), Brothers & Sisters (expected to return, date TBD)
Premieres: Knight Rider, Dexter (on CBS)
FEBRUARY 18
Premieres: My Dad is Better than Your Dad, Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious
Finales: Dance War, Prison Break
FEBRUARY 19
Finales: Nip/Tuck, Boston Legal (expected to return, date TBD)
FEBRUARY 20
Premieres: America's Next Top Model
Finales: Cashmere Mafia
Lots more — including return dates for The Office and How I Met Your Mother — so read more.
FEBRUARY 21
Finales: Supernatural (expected to return, date TBD)
FEBRUARY 22
Premieres: Amne$ia
Finales: 1 vs. 100, Monk
FEBRUARY 23
Returns: Saturday Night Live
FEBRUARY 26
Premieres: Quarterlife (special time)
Returns: Back to You (two episodes; more in April)
FEBRUARY 27
Returns: Men in Trees
MARCH 2
Returns: Aliens in America (first of eight episodes)
Premieres: Oprah's Big Give, Dirt, Quarterlife (regular time), Here Come the Newlyweds, Unhitched
MARCH 3
Returns: Everybody Hates Chris (first of 12 episodes)
Finales: Medium (expected to return, date TBA), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
MARCH 4
Premieres: The Real Housewives of NYC, New Amsterdam (sneak preview)
Finales: Millionaire Matchmaker
MARCH 5
Premieres: Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, High School Reunion
Finales: Project Runway, Reno 911!
MARCH 9
Finales: The Wire, Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, Breaking Bad
MARCH 10
Premieres: New Amsterdam (sneak previews on March 4 and 6), Canterbury's Law
Finales: Millionaire Matchmaker, Welcome to the Captain
MARCH 11
Premieres: Beauty & the Geek, Human Giant
MARCH 12
Premieres: Top Chef, South Park, Lewis Black's Root of All Evil
MARCH 13
Premieres: Lil' Bush
MARCH 14
Premieres: The Return of Jezebel James
MARCH 16
Premieres: John Adams (miniseries)
MARCH 17
Premieres: The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars
Returns: How I Met Your Mother (first of nine episodes), The Big Bang Theory (first of nine episodes), Two and a Half Men (first of nine episodes)
MARCH 18
Premieres: The Riches
MARCH 20
Finales: Lost (returns in April), Lipstick Jungle
MARCH 23
Returns: The Game (first of nine episodes)
Finales: The L Word
MARCH 24
Premieres: Greek
Returns: CSI: Miami (first of eight episodes)
MARCH 25
Returns: 'Til Death (one episode; more in April)
Finales: Jericho
MARCH 27
Finales: Make Me a Supermodel, The Celebrity Apprentice
MARCH 28
Premieres: Battlestar Galactica (specials)
Finales: In Treatment
MARCH 30
Premieres: The Tudors, Tracey Ullman's State of the Union
Returns: Cold Case (first of five episodes)
Finales: Quarterlife
MARCH 31
Finales: The New Adventures of Old Christine
APRIL 1
Premieres: Hell's Kitchen
APRIL 2
Returns: Criminal Minds (first of seven episodes), CSI: NY (first of seven episodes)
APRIL 3
Premieres: Step It Up and Dance
Returns: CSI (first of six episodes), Without a Trace (first of six episodes), My Name is Earl (first of eight or more episodes)
APRIL 4
Premieres: Battlestar Galactica (regular episodes)
Returns: Ghost Whisperer (first of six episodes), Numb3rs (first of six episodes)
APRIL 6
Premieres: Monk and Psych (on NBC)
APRIL 7
Returns: Samantha Who? (first of six episodes)
APRIL 8
Returns: NCIS (first of seven episodes), Boston Legal (first of six episodes)
APRIL 10
Returns: ER (first of six episodes), The Office (first of at least five episodes), 30 Rock (first of at least five episodes), Scrubs
APRIL 11
Returns: Moonlight (first of four episodes)
APRIL 13
Returns: Desperate Housewives (first of six episodes)
Finales: Dirt
APRIL 14
Returns: Rules of Engagement (first of six episodes), Bones (first of four or more episodes), One Tree Hill (first of six episodes)
APRIL 15
Returns: Law & Order: SVU (first of five or more episodes)
APRIL 16
Returns: Back to You, 'Til Death
APRIL 17
Returns: Smallville (first of six episodes)
APRIL 20
Returns: Brothers & Sisters (first of four episodes)
Finales: John Adams, Oprah's Big Give
APRIL 21
Returns: Gossip Girl (first of five episodes)
APRIL 23
Returns: Law & Order, Reaper (first of five episodes)
APRIL 24
Returns: Lost (first of five episodes), Supernatural (first of four episodes), Ugly Betty (first of five episodes), Grey's Anatomy (first of five episodes)
APRIL 28
Returns: House
APRIL 29
Finales: The Riches
MAY 1
Returns: Grey's Anatomy
JUNE 16
Premieres: Weeds, Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Matthew Williamson
Boysens
DAY Birger et Mikkelsen
hey buzz: omg why is the Cashmere mafia finale on February 20th?! why is it ending so early??
also, I don't see Grey's Anatomy or Gossip Girl on there, do you know when their coming back?
1For some reason it warms my heart to see a picture of a German calendar on BuzzSugar.
2skiwi — Cashmere only finished seven episodes before the strike, and ABC hasn't said yet whether it will go back into production for this season.
Also, ABC and the CW haven't announced their detailed schedules yet, so that's why there's nothing about Gossip Girl and Grey's.
3no 24?
4Blue-berry, "24" is slated to return Jan 2009, due to production schedules.
5Thanks, Buzz. This is very helpful as we look ahead to the "new" tv season.
6Thanks a lot, Buzz. Now I know I can start looking forward to more "Scrubs".
7The Return of Jezebel James is the only new show starting soon i want to see. i can't wait to watch BSG!!! i have so many shows to catch up on...ugly betty, private practice, pushing daisies... hmm. i guess that is it.
8Thanks, Buzz! This is really helpful. I can't wait for Psych this week!
9darn, i want them to let me know when gossip girl will be starting again
10I'm getting really annoyed with the networks not showing Cane any love. It's one of the best new shows this season, and CBS was stupid to not give it more publicity. Some people don't even know that it's a show! It has great writing and great acting, and it deserves a chance to finish up this season and give it another season. ANY word on Cane???
11*besides Cane being on hiatus. It needs another chance! It's amazing!
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