Time to fall for TV -- again?

Contra Costa Times (MCT) - For years, Jacqueline Piona carried on a passionate love-affair with television, her heart steadfast and true

But then came the messy breakup.

Shortly after TV's script writers went on strike last fall, the Benicia, Calif., resident watched in horror as her favorite new series, "Pushing Daisies," completely vanished from sight. As for "24," her relied-upon adrenaline fix, well, Jack Bauer never showed up and didn't even bother to call.

Feeling jilted, Piona bolted for the library and buried herself in books.

"I'm a big reader, but not that big of one. I like my shows," she says. "But now I'm not sure if I care anymore."

She's not the only one. As broadcasters kick off the bulk of their fall season next week, they know they must get the strike-hobbled industry back on its feet and mend their relationship with the fans.

"We have to step back and root for the industry," says ABC entertainment chief Stephen McPherson. "It's important for all the networks to get the viewers back, get them excited about the programs, get them back into the characters and storylines and dynamics that they love."

It won't be easy. The labor strife not only played havoc with last season's programming, but hampered the development process to the point where only 17 new scripted shows _ half the usual count _ appear on the fall lineup. Moreover, many of them have yet to be delivered to critics, so advance buzz has been significantly curtailed.

And even before the strike, broadcast ratings were slipping as more viewers fled to cable, or alternative sources of consumption (DVRs, DVDs, online options), or something else entirely.

"I'll give television another chance," Piona says. "But they have to realize we have other things to do."

So is it time to kiss and make up with TV? Maybe, maybe not. But here are a few factors that might prompt us to keep working on the relationship:

_A less-frenzied fall

The reduced crop of new shows might actually be a good thing. Consider how, in past years, the networks have left us to drown in a flood of 30 or even more new fall offerings and how overwhelmed it made us feel.

Now it's much easier to hone in on the shows that catch our eyes and to distinguish the best from the rest. Something tells us Fox's rotten-to-the-core "Do Not Disturb" won't make the cut.

_Sci-fi thrills

Lovers of sci-fi and fantasy have plenty of reasons to get their geek on. For one, J.J. Abrams ("Lost") has blessed us with "Fringe," a creepy, freaky thriller that recalls "The X-Files." Meanwhile, prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer's intriguing "Eleventh Hour" (CBS) takes the crime procedural and infuses it with fantastical, futuristic science.

And then there's the returning shows, including, among others, "Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles" and "Heroes." The latter begins to atone for a lackluster second season with a turbo-charged two-hour premiere that might portend good things to come.

_Second chances

Several sophomore shows will feel new or practically new to many viewers because, thanks to the strike, they've been on ice since last December. The batch includes ABC's "Pushing Daisies," "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money," along with NBC's "Chuck" and Life."

If you missed them the first time around, now's the opportunity for a do-over. Our favorite among the bunch? We'll push "Daisies," a nothing-else-like-it show that blends romance, comedy, fantasy and mystery in one colorful package.

_Show us the funny

The bad news is that the sitcom genre continues to show very few signs of life as the major networks have produced only five new comedies this fall. The good news is that at least one of them _ CBS's "Worst Week" _ is a laugh riot.

The show is pegged to a lovable loser played by newcomer Kyle Bornheimer, who has the kind of endearing, Charlie Brown-like appeal, gift for slapstick and comic timing that could make him one of season's breakout stars. We're rooting hard for him.

_A galaxy of new stars

Several intriguing faces pop up on the tube this fall in recurring or guest roles. Laurence Fishburne, for example, plays a new forensics scientist on "CSI," where in the ninth episode he'll step in for the departing William Peterson.

Meanwhile, Christian Slater takes on his first television role in the NBC spy show "My Own Worst Enemy." Harvey Keitel is among the impressive cast of ABC's "Life On Mars," Angela Bassett joins "ER" for its final season and Jon Voight becomes a regular on "24" after appearing in the show's TV film in November.

Among the notable guest appearances: Jennifer Aniston and Oprah on "30 Rock," Katie Holmes on "Eli Stone" and Mary Tyler Moore on "Lipstick Jungle."

_Burning questions

In this post-strike season, viewers figure to be more interested in the returning shows than the new ones and they'll be eager to find out, among other things: Just who was it who shot Horatio Caine on "CSI: Miami"? Can Meredith and Derek really make it as a couple on "Grey's Anatomy"? How will that stunning five-year flash-forward impact the ladies of "Desperate Housewives"? Is Stella the mother on "How I Met Your Mother"? Will Jim pop the question to Pam on "The Office."

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_There's always cable

The paucity of fresh broadcast fare has apparently emboldened basic and premium pay cable outlets to bust out some new stuff in the fall, a period they've traditionally ceded to the networks. And cable, again, has some of the most distinctive shows going, including "Sons of Anarchy" and "True Blood," which launched on FX and HBO, respectively, earlier this month.

Arriving in the coming weeks will be "Dexter" and "Californication" (Showtime, Sept. 28), "Sanctuary" (Sci Fi, Oct. 3), "The Starter Wife" (USA, Oct. 10) and a series based on the Oscar-winning film, "Crash" (Starz, Oct. 17).

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Chuck Barney: cbarney@bayareanewsgroup.com

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© 2008, Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.).