Spin-offs, Sci-Fi Rule Small Screen for Fall

May 17, 2008 — -- The Hollywood writers strike may be long gone but you'll still be seeing its consequences this fall.

The major networks unveiled their plans for the fall 2008 season earlier this week and because they were without writers from November to February, all came to the table with a paltry offering of new shows.

But some series are already getting buzz and have the potential to break out as hits come September. Spin-offs look especially promising: "90210," spun-off "Beverly Hills, 90210," the to-be-named spin-off of "The Office," and "The Cleveland Show," spun-off "Family Guy."

Read on to check out what's new, what's returning and what's off-the-air this fall:

When the TV season ends next week, CBS will be officially dethroned as the No. 1 network by FOX. CBS wore the crown for five years as the most watched network, but with its series "CSI," "Survivor" and "Criminal Minds" declining this season, and without a new hit series for a few years, it has slipped in the ratings.

CBS needs a hit. Next season, it's returning to its tried-and-true formulas, with a bit of a twist, for four new dramas and a pair of sitcoms. Here are the contenders:

"The Worst Week" stars Kyle Bornheimer as a guy who tries and fails to impress his future in-laws.

"Project Gary," with Jay Mohr (from "Last Comic Standing"), is about a divorced guy who juggles dating, his ex-wife and kids.

"The Mentalist" stars Simon Baker ("The Guardian") as an intuitive who helps California investigators crack cases while tracking the killer who murdered his family.

"The Ex-List," with Elizabeth Reaser from "Grey's Anatomy," is about a woman who revisits all of her exes after being told by a psychic that she's destined to marry someone she has already met.

"Eleventh Hour" stars Rufus Sewell as an investigator of scientific oddities. It's produced by the Jerry Bruckheimer team also responsible for "CSI," "Cold Case" and "Without a Trace."

"Harper's Island," which will likely appear in mid-season, is a murder mystery set on an island near Seattle, where a group has assembled for a wedding.