When is your favorite show coming back? Check out the list below

If the Hollywood writers' strike isn't officially over by the time you read this, the odds are it will be history soon.

A tentative deal was announced early Saturday, and reports indicate that a settlement between the Writers Guild of America, which went on strike Nov. 5, and the producers who run the movie studios and TV networks, is a done deal. Most observers expect that the writers will return to work in the next couple of weeks - probably before Feb. 24, the date of the Academy Awards. They could return to work as early as Monday, if all goes well during the meetings scheduled Saturday on both coasts for writers to hear details of the pact.

So the question is: What's next for TV, which was completely shut down by the strike? What shows will go back into production, and which ones will return with new episodes this spring?

The following information about when various programs may resume has been collected from a variety of sources at TV networks and studios. (Note: New episodes of TV that are set to air in the next few weeks were shot last fall. Once programs resume production, it'll be April before we see fresh programming on the air).

The decisions about when shows will start shooting again and when they may air new episodes are still being made. So keep in mind that much of this information is subject to change. I'll update this list as new information comes in.

Broadcast networks

ABC

• Scripted shows arriving soon: "Men in Trees" returns with 11 new episodes Feb. 27. As is the case at other networks, various ABC series have a few new episodes shot last fall in the can, and they'll air in the next few weeks, among them are "Brothers & Sisters" (which airs new episodes Sunday and Feb. 17) and "Boston Legal" (new episodes Tuesday and Feb. 19).
• Shows that will probably go back into production: "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty," "Brothers and Sisters," "Samantha Who?" and "Desperate Housewives" would likely go back into production when the strike ends. Some episodes would probably air this season. New ABC shows "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money" could resume shooting and return this season also, though there's a good chance they will come back in the fall. "Pushing Daisies" will return in the fall. "Lost," which started airing eight new episodes Jan. 31, will resume production as well. It's not known when those new episodes would air.

CBS

• Scripted shows arriving soon: "Jericho" returns with seven episodes Tuesday. A cleaned-up version of Showtime's "Dexter" debuts Feb. 17.
• Shows that will probably go back into production: "The Big Bang Theory," all three "CSIs," "How I Met Your Mother," "NCIS," "Criminal Minds" and "Two and a Half Men" are all likely to return with new episodes this season. "Cold Case," "Without a Trace," "Numbers" and "Ghost Whisperer" may also resume production. Some episodes may air this season.

CW

• Scripted shows arriving soon: Episodes of "Everybody Hates Chris," "Aliens in America" and "One Tree Hill" that were shot last fall will air in the next few months. "Supernatural" and "Smallville" are airing new episodes now. Three new "Reaper" episodes and more "Smallville" episodes will air Thursdays in March.
• Shows that will probably go back into production: "Gossip Girl" should resume production and will probably air episodes this season. "Supernatural," "Smallville" and "One Tree Hill" may also start shooting soon after the strike ends. When those new episodes would air is not certain. As is the case with other network shows that have not gotten full-season orders, the fate of "Reaper" is up in the air.

Fox

• Scripted shows arriving soon: "Unhitched" debuts March 2, "New Amsterdam" debuts March 4, "The Return of Jezebel James" debuts March 14 and "Canterbury's Law" arrives April 14. New episodes of "Back to You" begin Feb. 26, "ƒ|'Til Death" returns March 14 and new episodes of "Bones" start airing April 14.
• Shows that will probably go back into production: "24," which filmed eight episodes of its seventh season before the strike halted shooting, will resume production of the next 16 episodes of the season. But don't look for Jack Bauer in 2008; Season 7 probably won't air until January 2009. Nothing has been decided regarding "House" or "Prison Break."

NBC

• Scripted shows arriving soon: "quarterlife" debuts Feb. 26. Episodes of "Monk" and "Psych" that have already aired on USA debut on NBC in April. New episodes of "Las Vegas," "Scrubs," "Medium" and "Law & Order" will air over the next few months.
• Shows that will probably go back into production: "Law & Order," "Law & Order: SVU," "ER," "30 Rock," "The Office" and "My Name Is Earl." The new shows "Life" and "Chuck" will probably return in the fall. Nothing has been decided about "Heroes" and "Friday Night Lights."

Cable networks

ABC Family

• "Greek" returns March 24.

AMC

• "Breaking Bad" is airing new episodes.
• "Mad Men's" writers are at work on the second season of the show (the studio that makes the show, Lionsgate, struck a side deal with the WGA), and the series is expected to return this summer.

FX

• "Nip/Tuck" is airing new episodes.
• Season 2 of "Dirt" begins March 2.
• Seven episodes of "The Riches" will begin airing after "Dirt" completes its seven-episode run.
• The final season of "The Shield," which has already been shot, will air at the start of the summer or after the Summer Olympics.
• New seasons of "Rescue Me" and "Damages" have been commissioned, but the return dates for those shows depend on when they complete production on new episodes.
• "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is also expected to return.

HBO

• "In Treatment" and "The Wire" are airing new episodes.
• "John Adams," a new miniseries, begins March 16.
• No dates have been set for the following HBO shows: "12 Miles of Bad Road," a new series from Linda Bloodworth-Thomason; "Big Love"; "Curb Your Enthusiasm"; "Entourage"; "Flight of the Conchords"; "Tell Me You Love Me"; and "True Blood," a new vampire series from "Six Feet Under" creator Alan Ball.

Lifetime

• "Army Wives" has been renewed for a second season. No return date has been set.

Sci Fi

• "Battlestar Galactica" returns April 4 with the first 10 episodes of its 20-episode final season. Once the strike ends, Sci Fi hopes to begin shooting the last set of episodes as soon as possible.
• "Doctor Who's" fourth season will begin airing in April.
• The "Doctor Who" spinoff "The Sarah Jane Adventures" will debut in April.
• "Eureka" will return, but no date has been set.
• "Stargate Atlantis" is airing Season 4 episodes. Production begins Feb. 19 on Season 5, but no return date has been set.
• A new series, "Sanctuary" (which began as an online show), goes into production in March and will debut in the summer or fall.

Showtime

• "The L Word" is airing episodes.
• "The Tudors" begins its second season March 30.
• Tracey Ullman's "State of the Union," a new five-episode comedy series, will debut March 30 after the second-season premiere of "The Tudors."
• A second season of "This American Life," a TV version of the long-running radio show, will air in May.
• A new comedy series from England's ITV, "Secret Diary of a Call Girl," will air in late spring or early summer.
• "Californication" has been renewed for a second season and should be back in the summer.
• "Dexter" has been renewed for a third season. No return date has been set, but if the strike ends soon, it's likely to return in September or October.
• "Brotherhood" has been renewed for a third season. No return date has been set, but if the strike ends soon, it's likely to return in September or October.
• The writers for "Weeds" (who are covered by the WGA's side deal with Lionsgate) have begun working on the show's fourth season, but no return date has been set.

TBS

• "My Boys" is expected to be back this summer.

TNT

• "The Closer" and "Saving Grace" are expected to be back this summer.

USA Network

• A new show starring Mary McCormack, "In Plain Sight," premieres April 24. The first season of the show has been filmed.
• A second season of "Burn Notice" has been commissioned, but new episodes have not been filmed. If the strike ends in the next couple of weeks, it should be back in the summer.
• "Psych" and "Monk" are airing new episodes. If the strike ends in the next couple of weeks, they should be back in the summer.
• A second season of "The Starter Wife" has been commissioned. If the strike ends in the next week or two, it should be back in the summer.
• "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," which moved to USA last fall, is back on NBC. The show is expected to go back into production and shoot new episodes for USA when the

A.J. Cook portrays the go-between on 'Criminal Minds'

By Jeffrey Dransfeldt
Saturday, January 12, 2008

A.J. Cook relishes the power of a gun.

"I remember when I first got to wear a gun, I was just over the moon 'cause that's all I've ever wanted," she said. "You just feel badass when you have a gun on your hip."

Cook plays Jennifer "J.J." Jareau, the press liaison on the CBS drama "Criminal Minds." She sees her character's use of a deadly weapon as a sign of additional responsibility in the third season of the show. Strapping on a bulletproof vest and storming a house or a building is all part of the fun for Cook, who sees J.J. as a go-between for the team and the public.

"She deals a lot with the victims now, which I really love because I think our show tends to focus a lot on the craziness of these serial killers and how psycho they are, and we tend to forget the victims who have been left behind," Cook said. "I think J.J. has kind of brought a little light to that so it's not so much about these crazy people and the blood and the gore. It's more about these people who have been left behind, which is kind of interesting."

"Criminal Minds" focuses on an elite group of FBI profilers who have the difficult task of analyzing the minds of the world's most dangerous criminals and figuring them out before they can commit another crime.

The show has evolved over time, most noticeably this season with the introduction of David Rossi, a founding member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, played by Joe Mantegna. Mantegna replaced Mandy Patinkin, who starred as Jason Gideon and left the show after the second season, reportedly citing "creative differences."

"It was rough the beginning of the year, just with Mandy's sudden departure and all of us left standing here going What the hell? What's going on?' " Cook said.

"As far as a transition can go, it's been a really smooth transition. We were really lucky to get Joe Mantegna. He's just the nicest man you'll ever meet in your life, and he's so grounded and just a normal man."

Cook, who has had the chance to talk to Patinkin and understands his decision, said, "He's been nothing but wonderful to me, and I hope he's happy. All we can do is shake it off and move forward. That's what we've done, and it's gone pretty smoothly."

J.J., in growing as a character, has been shaped by events in her past.

In the second season, after she and Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) separated on the night of his abduction, she walked into a dark barn and was attacked by ferocious dogs that she shot and killed.

J.J. showed off her marksmanship in a recent episode by firing a shot into the forehead of a rogue cop and defused a standoff inside the BAU.

"She's evolved so much. She went from being in a couple scenes here and there to being a crucial part of the team, and she's almost the heart of the team," Cook said. "She's not a profiler, so she doesn't think like them, but she's around them enough to understand what they're talking about."

Cook, 29, a native of Oshawa, Ontario, played Lindsay Walker on Fox's "Tru Calling" (2003-04) after a career of roles in programs varying from "Elvis Meets Nixon" (1997) to "Dead Like Me" (2003). She has been on "Criminal Minds" since the series began in 2005.

Cook said she has long been interested in the psychology of criminals and has gained experience by sitting down and talking with actual working profilers.

"I've always been interested why people are the way they are - just everyday people - so to be able to dive into this darker side of it, why these crazy people are crazy, has been really interesting," she said.

The ongoing writers' strike has left Cook with free time and the chance to do things her typically busy schedule prevents, including doing research on a script that she's been wanting to write for a while.

"I've been a good little housewife - decorating the house, put up the tree, did a little Martha Stewart making crafts - just doing stuff I don't normally get to do," Cook said.

"I've been doing a lot of reading and writing. It's funny; you just seem to be busier when you're not working somehow - I don't know how that works."

Cook, whose creativity extends to dancing, began the physical activity when she was 4 years olda and appreciated the attention it received in the Patrick Swayze movie "Dirty Dancing."

But will fans of "Criminal Minds" ever get to see J.J. show off some moves on the dance floor?

"Oh God, I hope not," she said, laughing. "Oh wow, wouldn't that be funny. We keep joking that we'll do Criminal Minds the Musical' just 'cause everyone is so musically inclined.

"Thomas Gibson and Kirsten Vangsness have wonderful voices," Cook said. "Paget Brewster has been in a band.

"I highly doubt that will ever happen, but we like to turn it into a musical when the camera's not rolling," Cook said.