Nearly missed the start of the new season of 'My Name Is Earl' which is currently on E4, but luckily (if you read this in time) can been seen at 10 on E4 + 1. If you like it of course.

I really hate it when something I normally watch starts without me noticing so I thought it might warrant a thread.

Quite a few decent series coming back over the next few weeks might be worth while making a note of them, so we don't miss any. Obviously we don't all watch the same stuff but anything welcome.

CSI is back Tue 13th 9pm on 5

CSI New York starts on Saturday 10pm also 5 (for those who like a slight variation on the original)

Boston Legal back Fri 23rd 10pm Living (maybe not to everyone's taste, but I like it).

Lost & Heroes are both supposed to be back soon too. Also 24 (or has that started already ?)Would welcome some dates on those if anyone has any info.

Feel free to add anything worth mentioning starting soon.

Lost starts on Sunday 25th January. Can't wait

24 series 7 starts on the 12th Jan at 9pm...

And doesn't Heroes chapter 4 start soon as well??? (edit - just read your post again and I see you've asked this already )

Not sure if it's the first episode, but Dexter series 2 is on ITV this evening at 10:30. For those that missed it when it was on FX this is excellent viewing.

2 was the best season of dexter so far.

not sure i like csi after warwicks departure though.
and if grissom goes then that's it.

Heroes Series 4 starts 9th Feb

Also for the sci fi fans, terminator and battlestar galactica should be back soon as well.

the test cards coming back an all

Season 2 of Flight of the Conchords starts on HBO later this month. First episode is already online.

I was quite suprised when Series 3 ended because it was only about Episode 14 out of 25 according to the i button on Sky!!

Its actually Heroes volume 4. Its still Season 3. They've decided to do shorter volumes as people complained about the previous volumes being too long and drawn out.

I thought it was due to the writers strike (same as with Lost)? Nearly all US series are that long and I haven't heard anything about Heroes being any different.

Not quite the same genre but I believe that the new series of Q.I. starts tonight.

Anyone know when Fringe is back?

Why would the strike affect the latest run of Heroes?

The main criticism of Heroes season 1 was that it had dragged on too long by the time it got to its final third. So the plan for season 2 was to do 3 shorter volumes to keep it fresh. However, due to the writers strike they ended up doing one volume for season 2. They kept with the idea to do more than one volume for season 3. My point was that Heroe's 'volumes' aren't the same as its seasons.

Lost had already planned to cut down their final 3 seasons to 16 episodes per season before the strike happened. This was due to the writers' decision that they needed an end date to work towards and they also decided shorter seasons would be better as there would be less 'dragging out' and be much more gripping. It also had the added bonus that they could show the final 3 seaons all in one long run starting in January (as opposed to in september with a break for christmas like most other US shows where many viewers can lose interest). When the writers strike happened, Lost hadn't actually started that year's run yet, so while all the other shows were looking to see if they had to wrap up their shows pronto, Lost was waiting to see if they could start. If the strike had gone on much longer the last season of Lost probably would probably have had to be delayed a year. As it was, they ended up only losing three episodes to the strike (and they managed to claw back some time by demanding a 3 hour finale), and will add an extra episode to the final two seasons.

I actually hope that you're right FP. It's a sad fact of life that US shows are generally better than British ones but their length is so irritating and it does feel like it's dragging by the end.

Jeff and Notcarol make their debuts this afternoon with the return of Countdown. I forgot to set the Sky+......

Torchwood Series 3

I'm not sure if that was a question or a statement! http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchwood/ due mid-January apparently.

Also, a bit late now but the latest series of Hustle started on BBC1 last week - it should still be available on catch-up for anyone who missed it.

Was it any good (I've Sky+ed it)? Only got 2 of the original cast and one of them wasn't in the last series.....

Yes, if you liked the previous series (which I assume you did as you recorded it!). It's the usual semi-predictable, ludicrously unrealistic, glossy, light entertainment that it always has been and that's no bad thing. Glad to see Adrian Lester back (I guess he decided that Bonekickers wouldn't get another series! ) but it's a shame the other two "young guns" have left (fans of Dexter will know what Jaime Murray has been up to). Who knows, maybe they'll take up where the others left off...

It was a question but

Consisting of one five-part story 'Children of Earth'

Only five parts

Similar to Dr Who this year in that respect then.

Not similar

I have now read that it will be on BBC one in early summer
on Five consecutive nights

So in 2009 we get no Dr Who Series and One week of Torchwood

Similar in that I thought Dr Who was only showing 5 "specials" this year before the new Doc takes over next year.

Just a reminder CSI new season tonight on 5 at 9.

Battlestar Galactica returns to Sky One a week from today ...

'Not Going Out' is back at 9.30 Friday night.

Grand Designs, 9pm tonight, C4. (yes, i'm a sad old git!)

A new season of A Town Called Eureka has just started on Sky 1. Bound to be repeated sometime this week if you have missed it today (Tuesday).