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Praise be the gods of television, for my favorite season of the year is nearly upon us! Fall TV premiere season is like Thanksgiving for me. And since this year's crop of new shows is so weak, I'm heavily depending on the returning shows to keep me occupied this fall.

There are so many returning shows I really enjoy that when I sat down to make my list of my five favorites, I just couldn't do it. I made my list, but ended up rewriting it over and over and over again. I even had Lipstick Jungle on several incarnations of the list because I watched all seven episodes of its pilot season last winter and found it really relatable and charming. It also didn't sit well with me that I couldn't include such gems as Supernatural or Boston Legal or the deliciously naughty Dirty Sexy Money. What is a TV fan to do? In the end, I made my decision by assessing how sad I would be if I suddenly couldn't watch TV again for the rest of my life, and which shows I would miss the most. Here are my five.

5. Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies was one of the most inventive and stylish new shows from last season, and I'm so excited to have it back. Equal parts fairytale and procedural, this show is chock-a-block full of whimsy, humor and musical numbers. Pushing Daisies boasts colorful and fanciful sets, smartly written dialogue and an adorable golden retriever. Who could ask for more?


4. The Office/30 Rock

I admit that it's cheating to have both of these shows as one entry, but if I watch them back-to-back every week, then isn't it equivalent to a one-hour show? I can't wait to see whether or not Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) will get engaged. And on 30 Rock, will Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) continue to snack on Sabor de Soledad, the snack that Mexican women use to stop their periods before Cinco de Mayo? I must know, and I must watch.


3. How I Met Your Mother

Although the third season of How I Met Your Mother was definitely the weakest one to date, I'll forgive it its trespasses because they had to rush the storylines to accommodate the writers' strike. However, HIMYM did pull off one of the best episodes ever, “Slapsgiving,” and I'm so excited that Marshall (Jason Segel) still has two slaps left. How I Met Your Mother is such a satisfying show to watch because every character gets a chance to shine.


2. Chuck

There are so many aspects to Chuck that I appreciate. I love the spy movie gadgets and action sequences, the sendup of the big box store culture, and pretty much any time Zachary Levi is on the screen. I've always had a soft spot for nerds in my heart, being an aspiring nerd myself, and Chuck is the perfect nerd show.


1. Gossip Girl

As you can see, Monday nights are going to be really tough for me this fall. My top three returning shows, How I Met Your Mother, Chuck and Gossip Girl (the latter two both created by Josh Schwartz, incidentally) are all on at the same time. There's also Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which, even though it didn't make my list, is definitely something I enjoyed last year and am looking forward to this fall.

However, among all of these choices, I'll have to go with Gossip Girl as my favorite. I am definitely a fan of snark, teen dramas, and voyeurism into the lives of the rich and fabulous. Gossip Girl deftly combines all three elements and, as an added bonus, really pisses off the Parents Television Council, to boot.


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-Debbie Chang, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of CW)