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If a television show wraps up its season with a perfectly crafted, emotionally moving finale, chances are I'm going to be doing cartwheels when the series finally returns with new episodes.  All of the shows listed below left me feeling extremely satisfied when they wrapped up their previous seasons.  Some of them left me crying, some left me with my jaw stuck to the floor, and others left me with a big smile on my face after the credits rolled.  All I hope for when I sit down to watch television is to be mentally and emotionally transported to another place.  There isn't a lot of programming that has that kind of hold over me, which makes it all the more special when I find a series that does.  The five shows below are the ones that are bound to shake up my world in one way or another when they return this fall.

5. The Amazing Race

The Amazing Race is the rare show that brings class and intelligence to the notoriously lowbrow reality genre.  It's also the only reality series that makes me have an emotional breakdown at least once a season, as I watch teammates bicker and bond while they compete to win $1 million.  There are few shows more thrilling anywhere on the tube, and the fact that TAR has been absent since January only heightens my anticipation.


4. Supernatural

Series creator Eric Kripke has promised us that Dean will get out of Hell, so there's no surprise there.  What will be surprising is seeing how and why Dean returns from the grave after the shocking events in the season 3 finale.  The relationship between the Winchester brothers may never be the same following Dean's death, but I'm still going to watch every episode and root for them to repair their bond.  I'll also root for them to kick some serious demon butt in the process.


3. Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies was one of the most delightful, hilarious, and downright beautiful shows to arrive in the 2007 fall season.  Unfortunately, the writers' strike cut Daisies down after a mere nine episodes.  I've been waiting months to see if creator Bryan Fuller can recapture the magic and tricky tonal balance of the first season, but somehow I don't think it'll be a problem.  After all, he seems to have the magic touch.


2. Gossip Girl

Alcohol.  Tobacco.  Heroin.  Crack.  None of these drugs are as addictive as Gossip Girl, which had an unforgettable first season full of sex, scandals, Kristen Bell voiceovers and wacky Chuck Bass outfits.  Part of me is afraid that GG will fall into a sophomore slump like its predecessor The O.C., but somehow I have faith that the Upper East Siders will easily recapture the zeitgeist.  I can't wait to see if this show can top last season's antics.


1. Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights is returning in October on a DirecTV channel that many people don't have access to, but I'm just happy it's returning at all.  The critically acclaimed, criminally overlooked gem of a drama had a second season that was shakier than its first, but it's still one of the most heartbreakingly realistic shows on television.  I care more about the struggling adults and relatable teens in Dillon, Texas than I do about any other characters on television.


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- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of NBC)