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While it's always a shame to see the end of summer, we can console ourselves about the drawing in of the nights with the great new shows in the fall TV lineup. While brand new shows can often be hit and miss, here's a few time-tested greats that are guaranteed to please.

Desperate Housewives

In an effort to recapture the magic that first made Housewives popular, Executive Producer Marc Cherry (who wrote the first season's episodes) will return to take control of the show. Hopefully, his scripts will help drag Housewives back from last season's slump.

Prison Break

Following the enormous success of the first season, Wentworth Miller returns as Michael Schofield, this time pursued by FBI agent Buck Mahone (Invasion's William Fitchner). The question that will be answered this season is whether the show can survive outside the prison walls.

Smallville

Hot on the heels of Superman Returns, young Clark Kent is back -- and he's bringing new characters along for the ride. The new season will see the introduction of Jimmy Olsen, rumored to be Chloe Sullivan's new love interest. Also appearing is the comic book hero Green Arrow.

Lost

In a departure from the previous seasons, the third series will focus more heavily on the 'Others', revealing more about their history and organisation. Fans will expect the resolution of many questions raised in the first two seasons -- but, of course, if the third season is true to form then one answer will only spawn two more questions.

The O.C.

Reaching that difficult point faced by all teenage soap operas, this season The O.C. must tackle the problems raised by the character's moving on to college -- in Summer's case, as far as Rhode Island. Whether the show will be able to maintain its popularity will depend on the inventiveness of its writers and producers.

As always, we can only hope that these returning shows will continue to entertain us as they have in the past. At the same time, we must hope that the TV studios have a few ideas up their sleeves for new shows, or they'll start to lose those all-important advertising dollars.