Returning TV shows adopt new focuses, characters
Freshman shows from last season are being remodeled this fall, and some longserving veterans are getting a tuneup. Here's a rundown of changes on the way:
"Chuck" (returns Sept. 29, NBC): What if the spy secrets that had been downloaded into Chuck's brain became outdated? That issue will be addressed as if it were reality in Season 2.
"CSI" (Oct. 9, CBS): Laurence Fishburne is the new lead on the show, replacing William Petersen, who's leaving after Episode 10.
"Desperate Housewives" (Sept. 28, ABC): Creator Marc Cherry wants to get back to where it's just "the problems of some ordinary women and they were small and relatable."
"Dexter" (Sept. 28, Showtime): Jimmy Smits joins the drama as Miami District Attorney Miguel Prado.
"Dirty Sexy Money" (Oct. 1, ABC): Lucy Liu joins the cast as a crafty woman who works her way into the Darlings' inner circle.
"Eli Stone" (Oct. 14, ABC): Last season lawyer Eli Stone was having mysterious visions. Is he alive or dead?
"Heroes" (Sept. 22, NBC): Hiro and Ando meet a speedy new character, and Sylar seems creepy again.
"Life" (Sept. 29, NBC): Donal Logue has joined the cast as the new boss of detective Charlie Crews. "Life" will air Mondays and Fridays for two weeks after it returns, then just Fridays.
"Private Practice" (Oct. 1, ABC): The show will focus on medical issues and ethical dilemmas.
"Pushing Daisies" (Oct. 1, ABC): ABC wanted this fantasy to be more grounded in Season 2, while creator Bryan Fuller didn't want to change the "DNA of the show" much, he told USA Today.
"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (Monday, Fox): Executive producer Josh Friedman said: "Sometimes the show got overly complicated, and ... I think that maybe we lost some people."
