As each fall semester commences, we must come to the realization that the freedom of summer has passed yet again, and we must focus on the hardships of homework, midterms and Friday mornings. However, we can take solace in knowing that the fall TV season is upon us.
The networks have an impressive offering of returning hits and promising new shows to satisfy the palate of fans of all genres.
FOX made an early push this season premiering four shows, two new this season, in August. However, NBC and ABC have strong slates of upcoming shows and CBS notoriously draws the largest average audiences.
Also new to the scene this year is the CW network. The product of the merger between the WB and UPN networks, the CW mostly airs a schedule of returning WB and UPN shows with a few new series mixed in for good measure. Here's a breakdown of the week's best TV viewing opportunities.
Mondays
NBC is making a push for Monday night dominance with two new dramas this fall.
"Heroes" (8 p.m., premiering Sept. 25), an ensemble drama surrounding ordinary people with extraordinary powers, looks to cash in on the recent success of blockbuster superhero movies. However, the most incredible facet of the show may not be the characters' powers, but the pleasantly diverse cast.
NBC is banking on another hit from creator Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing," "Sports Night") with the back-lot drama "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (9 p.m., Sept. 18). Between Sorkin's traditionally fantastic dialogue and a stellar cast that includes Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford and Amanda Peet, the show already has critics clamoring for more.
CBS couples one of last year's surprise hits, "How I Met Your Mother" (7:30 p.m.) with "The Class," (7 p.m.) a "Friends"-like sitcom, both premiering Sept. 19.
ABC will bring back looking-for-love drama "What About Brian" (9 p.m., Oct. 9) after an unimpressive five-episode run last spring.
FOX returned the self-explanatory "Prison Break" (7 p.m.) and premiered "Vanished" (8 p.m.), a missing-person drama, on Aug. 21 to a respectably sized audience.
Best picks: "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (NBC), "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS)
Tuesdays
CBS premieres an "Ocean's 11"-esque heist drama entitled "Smith" (9 p.m., Sept. 19) with the hopes of stealing away some of the "Boston Legal" (9 p.m. on ABC, Sept. 19) solid fan base. "Smith" stars Ray Liotta ("Field of Dreams," "Good Fellas") whose character tries to pull off one last heist before retiring from the crime scene.
ABC looks to veteran "Late Show with David Letterman" writers Rob Burnett and Jon "Ed" Beckerman for a boost this fall with the premiere of "The Knights of Prosperity" (8 p.m., Oct. 17). The show stars "Grounded for Life's" Donal Logue as the ringleader of a group trying to rob Mick Jagger, who makes an appearance in the show's pilot episode. Unsurprisingly, the show was formerly titled "Let's Rob Mick Jagger."
NBC complements their acquisition of "Sunday Night Football" with the high school football drama "Friday Night Lights" (7 p.m., Oct. 3). The series is created by Peter Berg, the director of 2004's "Friday Night Lights" feature film.
Tuesday is arguably the new CW's strongest night, returning both "Gilmore Girls" (7 p.m., Sept. 26) and "Veronica Mars" (8 p.m., Oct. 3). Both shows draw a large young female audience and promise to keep the demographic so embraced by the WB.
FOX premiered the FBI drama "Standoff" (7 p.m.) to a large audience on Sept. 5 following the third season premiere of the popular hospital drama "House" (7 p.m.).
Best picks: "Smith" (CBS), "The Knights of Prosperity" (ABC)
Wednesday
NBC may have an obsession with TV shows about how TV shows are created. In addition to "Studio 60," the peacock network is hedging bets on Tina Fey's ("Saturday Night Live," "Mean Girls") behind-the-scenes show "30 Rock" (7:30 p.m., Oct. 11).
"Twenty Good Years" (7 p.m., Oct. 4) follows Jeffery Tambor ("Arrested Development") and John Lithgow ("3rd Rock from the Sun") as they live out each day of their last 20 years as if it is their last. Their combined comic genius should salvage the show despite early mixed reviews.
Highly anticipated, ABC returns with the cult hit "Lost" Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. for a six-episode mini-season before a 13-week hiatus. The strange scheduling is a product of the fans' complaints of repeats during last season's run.
"The Nine" (9 p.m., Oct. 4) a new ensemble drama follows the aftereffects of being held hostage during a bank robbery on nine individuals. The show should find a natural audiences following "Lost" because both shows rely heavily on flashback sequences to intensify the plot.
"Jericho" premieres on CBS at 7 p.m. on Sept. 20. The show follows a small Kansas town in a post-nuclear holocaust world that has led producer Jon Turteltaub to describe the hour-long drama as "24" meets "Little House on the Prairie."
FOX premiered the Jerry Bruckheimer ("Pirates of the Caribbean") produced law-drama "Justice" (8 p.m.) on Aug. 30.
Best picks: "Twenty Good Years" (NBC), "30 Rock" (NBC), "Lost" (ABC)
Thursdays
ABC has moved "Grey's Anatomy" (8 p.m., Sept. 21) from Sundays to Thursdays this season in an attempt to win the ratings battle of the coveted night. With viewers salivating over Dr. McDreamy and the drama coupled with his name, "Grey's Anatomy" should have no problem garnering the ratings this season.
The network has paired "Grey's" with newcomer "Ugly Betty" (7 p.m., Sept. 28), an adaptation of the Spanish language smash-hit by the same name. "Betty," unlike most adaptations of British shows, has been praised highly by most critics.
Rounding off ABC's Thursday is a new J.J. Abrams ("Lost," "Alias," "Felicity") drama, "Six Degrees" (9 p.m., Sept. 21). The show follows six New Yorkers who lead surprisingly intertwined lives. Given Abrams' track record, the show should warrant the audience it's slated to draw.
FOX thought they had a winning formula with the marriage sitcom "'Til Death" (7 p.m., Sept. 7) starring "Everybody Loves Raymond" co-star Brad Garrett, followed by the bachelor comedy "Happy Hour" (7:30 p.m., Sept. 7). However, critics have almost unanimously dismissed both shows.
NBC hopes they have created a new "Must See TV Thursday" as veteran shows "My Name is Earl" (7 p.m., Sept. 21) and "The Office" (7:30 p.m., Sept. 21) settle into their second and third season, respectively.
CBS premieres the "House"-like legal drama "Shark" (9 p.m., Sept. 21) following the ratings monster "CSI" (8 p.m., Sept. 21).
The CW adopts the WB's complete Thursday schedule continuing the teen Superman drama "Smallville" (7 p.m., Sept. 28) followed by the moderately successful sci-fi show "Supernatural" (8 p.m., Sept. 28).
Best bets: "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty," and "Six Degrees" (ABC), "My Name is Earl" and "The Office" (NBC).
Friday and Saturday
Networks traditionally avoid programming Friday and Saturday nights with quality programming based on the assumption that people, especially students, have better things to do. ABC is testing out the opposite theory with the lost love drama "Men in Trees" (8 p.m., Sept. 15). The show stars Anne Heche as a relationship coach who, ironically, has quite a few romantic issues of her own. She escapes to a male-dominated Alaskan town, a move that results in more than a few laughs.
Sunday
The CW moved the Chris Rock-helmed UPN hit "Everybody Hates Chris" (6 p.m., Oct. 1) to an awful time slot on Sundays where the show will have to go up against the final two minutes of every 3:15 p.m. NFL game. Unfortunately, it appears to only be a matter of time before "Chris" becomes another casualty of a bad time slot.
ABC is premiering the family drama "Brothers & Sisters" (9 p.m., Sept. 24) in place of the moved "Grey's Anatomy." The satirical drama "Desperate Housewives" (8 p.m., Sept. 24) returns for a third season before "Brothers."
FOX brought back their animated Sunday lineup of "The Simpsons" (7 p.m.), "American Dad" (7:30 p.m.) and "Family Guy" (8 p.m.) on Sept. 10.
As evidenced by the wide array of Fall TV shows, viewers looking for their boob tube fix will have no problem finding a show to capture their interest and subsequently put off more scholastic endeavors.