Episode 1482: The Comeback Season?

It struck me that this TV season has largely been about comebacks. Not so much in the sense of faded TV stars trying to rekindle their careers, but rather TV executives obviously banking on familiar names from various hit shows of the last decade or so to propel this year's new shows to success. In a way, it's not surprising that actors and actresses from old shows are popping up again now. I mean, they have to work, don't they? What is surprising is the sheer number of shows that seem to be counting on this tactic paying off, which by and large, it actually hasn't. Off the top of my head, considering only those shows that I'm actually watching and excluding stuff that's premiering mid-season: 666 Park Avenue - Robert Buckley (Lipstick Jungle, One Tree Hill), Terry O'Quinn (Lost, Hawaii Five-0), Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty). Animal Practice - Joanna García-Swisher (Privileged, Gossip Girl, Royal Pains). Arrow - Stephen Amell (Hung), Katie Cassidy (Melrose Place, Gossip Girl). Beauty & The Beast - Kristin Kreuk (Smallville). Chicago Fire - Taylor Kinney (The Vampire Diaries), Jesse Spencer (House). Elementary - Lucy Liu (Ally McBeal, Dirty Sexy Money). Last Resort - Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse, Being Human), Autumn Reeser (The O.C.), Scott Speedman (Felicity). Nashville - Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights, American Horror Story), Hayden Panettiere (Heroes). Partners - Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill), David Krumholtz (Numb3rs), Michael Urie (Ugly Betty). Revolution - Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost, V). The Mindy Project - Mindy Kaling (The Office). The Mob Doctor - Jordana Spiro (My Boys). Vegas - Jason O'Mara (Terra Nova).