The American South is full of lore and stories. The nature of the United States is such that every region is unique, and that means every region has its own legends and history to draw from. Over the years, television has tapped into that rich culture of the South with some of the best shows of all time. This is dedicated to those shows and those stories, the TV shows of the American South.

Atlanta

The city of Atlanta has been called "the capital of the South," so it only makes sense that the show named for the town, Atlanta, starring (and created by) Donald Glover, should feature on this list. The show won a slew of awards for its storytelling in the modern South of a music manager (Glover) helping his client, played by Brian Tyree Henry, navigate the music industry, and America, for that matter.

Matlock

There isn't a more classic Southern show than Matlock. We're talking about the original here, of course, the one set in Atlanta starring Andy Griffith as Ben Matlock. It's a stone-cold classic show (and frequent butt of jokes, especially on The Simpsons), and no list about shows about the South would be complete without it. The modern remake is great too, but alas, it is set in New York City.

Friday Night Lights

High school football is a huge part of modern Southern culture, and Friday Night Lights tells that story better than anything else. Over five seasons, following a small town high school football team led by Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chadler), which is based on a book (and a movie that followed) by Buzz Bissinger, the show did a deep dive into the culture and brought it to life in inspiring fashion.

Treme

New Orleans is the most unique city in America. It's truly like no other place on this continent. Treme brings the city to life like no other show ever has. Like creator David Simon's other famous HBO show, The Wire, the city is the main character here. The people who live in the city are what make it New Orleans, and in Treme, we see every aspect of life in the Crescent City.

A Different World

While the show that A Different World was spun off from, The Cosby Show, was set in New York City, A Different World follows Huxtable's daughter Denise (Lisa Bonet) as she goes off to college at the fictional Hillman College in Virginia. Bonet left after just one season, but the show still went on to become an iconic Black sitcom.

Bad Monkey

There's an old saying that the further south you go in Florida, the more north you get, but author Carl Hiaasen, who wrote the book that Bad Monkey is based on, has the great ability to show the Southern side of all of Florida. The show, which you can watch with an Apple TV+ subscription, is just a wonderful and hilarious look into life in the Sunshine State that you don't see on the tourism ads.

Dallas

There's nothing like the drama of a rich Southern oil family to get people excited, right? Dallas captivated audiences for 14 seasons and included one of the most celebrated cliff-hangers of all time with "Who Shot J.R.?"

Eastbound & Down

Danny McBride has really figured out how to tap into the humorous side of Southern culture. With shows like The Righteous Gemstones, Vice Principals, and perhaps his best example, the over-the-top-but-wonderful Eastbound & Down. The show, which is available with an HBO Max subscription, is one of the funniest shows about the South ever, even if it strayed in the later seasons. That first season will always be pure comedy gold.

Designing Women

In the 1980s, no sitcom defined Southern charm than Designing Women. Yet another movie set in the great city of Atlanta, the show about the all-female team of a design firm had one of the best casts of any sitcom from the era. A cast that included Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Jean Smart, and Annie Potts. In the later seasons, Jan Hooks got in on the fun as well.

The Walking Dead

Though The Walking Dead is a story that could happen anywhere, almost all of it takes place in the South. The show starts in Atlanta (including an early mission to the CDC in the capital of Georgia), and ends with the crew mostly living outside of Washington, DC, in the Virginia suburbs.

Nashville

Well, as the name says, Nashville is set, of course, in the capital of Country Music. In recent years, starting around when this show debuted in 2012, Nashville, TN, has become the place to live in the South. Everyone from recent college graduates to big stars is flocking to the city with one of the richest music histories in the United States.

The Golden Girls

You might not think of Miami as the South, and to be fair, it doesn't have a ton in cultural common with say, Birmingham, but it's right there on the map, as far south as you can get in the continental U.S., so Golden Girls counts here! The show, which has lived on for decades in syndication, is famous for its zingers and, in the end, its heartfelt message of friendship. It really needs no introduction, does it?

The Waltons

Even if you've never seen The Waltons, a show about a Depression-era family living in the Virginia Appalachian Mountains, you probably know how each episode ended with the tight-knit family saying good night to each other. It oozes Southern sensibilities.

The Dukes Of Hazzard

One of the most popular and most controversial shows on this list has to be The Dukes of Hazzard. Beloved for its daredevil driving scenes and the humorous relationship between cops and bandits, the show was a staple of '70s and '80s TV. In more recent decades, the show has been criticized for its use of the Confederate flag painted on top of the General Lee (which is still a really cool car, regardless).

Tyler Perry's House of Payne

Tyler Perry is a proud resident of Atlanta, and he's invested heavily in developing what has become one of the movie-making capitals of the world. It makes perfect sense that the first sitcom he ever created, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, would be set in the city. The show, which balances silly moments with serious themes, has had a remarkable run on TBS first, and later on BET. It's gone well over 300 episodes, making it one of the most successful sitcoms with a predominantly Black cast.

The Righteous Gemstones

From the demented (and wonderful) mind of Danny McBride, The Righteous Gemstones is simply brilliant. The show, which aired on HBO for four seasons, has a fantastic cast, including McBride, alongside John Goodman, Adam DeVine, Edi Patterson, and some sublime supporting work from Walton Goggins.

The Andy Griffith Show

There may be no show on this list that espouses the gentile way of life in a small, southern town like The Andy Griffith Show. The name of the fictional town in North Caroline, Mayberry, has even become a noun to describe wholesome small towns all across the United States. The legendary show aired a total of 249 episodes over eight seasons on CBS. It also helped launch the career of Ron Howard, of course.

Army Wives

While not strictly a show about life in the South, Army Wives is set on a naval base in Charleston, SC. The popular Lifetime show didn't have the broadest appeal, to be sure, but it had a dedicated fanbase for the seven seasons it was on.

Dexter

Like some others on this list, we'll admit that Dexter doesn't always feel like a "Southern show" since it is set in Miami, but Florida, even South Florida, should definitely count here, right? How much really needs to be said about the now-iconic Showtime show about a serial killer hunting serial killers? At least we can acknowledge that Jon Lithgow plays one of the most ruthless villains in TV history.

Justified

There aren't a ton of shows set in Kentucky, but Justified would probably be the best, even if there were others. This is a show that has shown incredible legs over the years, remaining as popular–if not more popular–than it was when it first aired on FX.

NCIS: New Orleans

NCIS has had a whole lot of spinoffs. NCIS: New Orleans was the second in the franchise when it was spun off in 2014. Though it was surprisingly canceled after it's seventh season on CBS, it still ended up a very successful show in the popular franchise.

CSI: Miami

One of the most popular TV franchises of the early 21st Century is, without a doubt, the CSI group of shows on CBS. The original, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (set in Las Vegas), first hit the airwaves in 2000, and just two years later, David Caruso returned to TV as Horatio Cane in CSI: Miami. For many, including myself, Miami was just as good as its parent show, and ratings showed that. The show aired for 10 seasons and more than 200 episodes.

True Blood

Anne Rice may be the most famous teller of vampire stories to hail from Louisiana, but Charlaine Harris, who wrote the books upon which HBO's True Blood was based, is a close second these days. True Blood is set in the fictional town of Bon Temps, LA, but it is anything but "good times" for the residents, as this neo-gothic classic show highlights again and again.

In The Heat Of The Night

Based loosely on the book and the 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier of the same name, In The Heat Of The Night followed a small town police chief (Carroll O'Connor) and his top detective, Virgil Tibbs (Howard Rollins). The show, which aired first on NBC before moving to CBS, was set in Sparta, Mississippi, and it was unafraid to tackle complex subjects like racism and police corruption.

One Tree Hill

For nine seasons, One Tree Hill transported fans to Wilmington, North Carolina, in the CW TV show. One of the more popular shows among many Millennials, the show still has its die-hard fans today, more than a decade after ending its nine-season run.

Reba

Reba McEntire first entered our hearts as an actor in the cult classic Tremors. She's wonderful in it, and after another decade of parts here and there in movies and TV, the country music legend landed her own sitcom, appropriately called simply Reba. The hard-working McEntire was born and raised in Oklahoma, but the show was set in Houston. In fact, it's weirdly one of the few shows ever set in the Texas metropolis.

Fresh Off The Boat

ABC's Fresh Off The Boat is a unique take on the Southern show, as it features an immigrant family from Taiwan working to make the American Dream happen for them in Orlando, Florida. Constance Wu gave her breakout performance on the show as the hard-charging daughter, Jessica.

Ozark

I get it, some people might push back on Missouri being in the South. I'm from the Show Me State, so I understand. That said, southern MO, especially in the area around Lake of the Ozarks, definitely has more Southern influence than Midwest, so I just have to include the brilliant Netflix original, Ozark.

I Dream Of Jeannie

"The South" might not be the first thing you think of when you think of I Dream of Jeannie, but it was set in Florida. Tony Nelson, Larry Hagman's character who lives with Jeannie (Barbara Eden), is an astronaut, if you remember, living where so many other NASA pilots lived, Cocoa Beach, FL.

True Detective

When I talk about True Detective, I'm usually talking about that brilliant first season. Other seasons of the anthology show have been set in California and Alaska (two states that are definitely not The South), but the first season was set in that most southern of states, Louisiana. The third season was also set in the South, in the hills of Arkansas.

Hart of Dixie

Any show called Hart of Dixie can't be left off this list. It's also one of the few TV shows set in Alabama, so we just had to squeeze in the popular show from The CW, starring Rachel Bilson as a fish-out-of-water New York doctor living in small-town Alabama.

Saving Grace

One place that doesn't feature in a lot of TV shows or movies is Oklahoma City. Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter, bucks that trend. The TNT show, which aired for three seasons in the late '00s. The show often featured famous spots in the town, and, honestly, it's one of my favorite Holly Hunter roles. The show is underappreciated for that alone, never mind the rest of the excellent cast.

Cop shows have been part of television since the medium's earliest days. From Dragnet in the 1950s all the way through into the first half of the 21st century police shows, and the detectives that make them great, have long been favorites, even if many have been forgotten. Here is a great list of those shows and the detectives who made them so memorable.

The Wire

There are a lot of detectives on The Wire. A few, like Kima Greggs (Sonja Sohn) and Lester Freamon (Clarke Peters), get promoted during the show's run. Others, like the great Bunk Moreland (Wendall Pierce) and Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), have their own ups and downs. All of them are, of course, incredibly realistic in their strengths and their flaws and are a major reason The Wire is one of the best shows in TV history.

Law & Order

Over the shows many years, there have been quite a few detectives in Law & Order. Too many to name here except to highlight the dean of Law & Order investigators, Lenny Briscoe, who was played for 12 seasons by Jerry Orbach. His main partner, Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) teamed up with Brisco for nine of those seasons.

Cagney & Lacey

It's pretty easy to guess who the main detectives are in the '80s hit Cagney & Lacey. Career-minded Christine Cagney, played by Sharon Gless for most of the show's run, and her partner, family woman Mary Beth Lacey (Tyne Daly), were the two detectives for all seven seasons. Female detectives were rare on TV, and two partnered together was unheard of, which is part of what made the show stand out.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

The original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was a little different than most of its predecessors in the police procedural genre, in that most of the main investigators weren't actually cops, but a separate branch of law enforcement tasked with crime scene science. There was a detective they worked with though, Paul Guilfoyle's character Captain Jim Brass.

Hawaii Five-0

There have been two versions of Hawaii Five-0, the original that debuted in 1968 and the reboot that began in 2010. The original featured Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett as the lead detective along with his partner Danny "Danno" Williams played by James MacArthur. In the reboot, McGarrett was played by Alex O'Loughlin and Danny, rarely "Danno," by Scott Caan.

Dragnet

Originally Dragnet goes all the way back to radio. It was a revolutionary show at the time, in the early days of commercial television, and completely the vision of its star, Jack Webb, who played Sergeant Joe Friday on radio and in the first and second versions of the show in the '50s and '60s. Friday had a few partners in the original series, but for most of the run, his partner was Frank Smith played by Ben Alexander. In the late '60s reboot, Friday's partner was Bill Gannon, played by Harry Morgan of MASH fame.

Without A Trace

Without A Trace was really more about the team than it was about any one investigator as the FBI agents worked to track down kidnapping victims. The team was led by Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia) and his team that included Samantha "Sam" Spade (Poppy Montgomery), Viv Johnson (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Danny Alvarez, (Enrique Murciano), and Martin Fitzgerald (Eric Close)

NYPD Blue

When it debuted in 1993, NYPD Blue was one of the edgiest and grittiest shows ever seen on network TV. It was led by David Caruso, who played Detective John Kelly, and his partner Andy Sipowicz, played by Dennis Franz. Caruso left after Season 2 and Jimmy Smits stepped in as Detective Bobby Simone. Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Dana Delaney also played detectives at different times during the show's run.

Law & Order: SVU

Law & Order: SVU was the second show in the Law & Order franchise, which has seen countless actors show up in and over its many seasons, like its sister show, it has had quite a few detectives. From day one, however, Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) was a mainstay of the unit. Other detectives have included Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), Fin Tutuola (Ice-T), and John Munch (Richard Belzer), among others.

Homicide: Life on the Street

Richard Belzer's character Detective John Munch famously showed up in a whole slew of shows, including as a regular on Law & Order: SVU. The character's origin story comes from Homicide: Life on the Street. Some of the other main detectives on the show included Frank Pembleton, played by the late, great Andre Braugher, and Beau Felton, played by Daniel Baldwin.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The late Andre Braugher made his name as a detective in Homicide: Life On The Streets. His work on that show is part of what makes his role as a captain on Brooklyn None-Nine so funny. He's not one of the main detectives though. Those roles are filled by Andy Sandberg as Jake Peralta, and Stephanie Beatriz as Rosa Diaz.

Blue Bloods

Donny Wahlberg has been in show business since he was a teenager in New Kids on the Block. And despite being a big part of the cast of Band of Brothers, the role he'll most likely be remembered best for in the end is Detective Danny Reagan on Blue Bloods. Danny had a couple of partners over the years. His first was Detective Jackie Curatola, played by Jennifer Esposito and his second was Maria Biaz played by Marisa Ramirez.

NCIS

NCIS isn't really a typical police show, as it's about the investigative unit within the US Navy. Still, there are investigators who operate just like detectives, led by Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and his team including Senior Field Agent Anthony DiNozzo (Micheal Weatherly) and Senior Field Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) among others throughout the show's long run.

Hill Street Blues

When it debuted in 1978, Hill Street Blues was an instant hit. It won a slew of Emmys over the years and is generally considered one of the best cop shows of all time. It wasn't just about the detectives, though a few detectives were important to the story, including and most importantly Detective Mick Belker, played by Bruce Weitz.

True Detective

Since each season of True Detective is a stand-alone story, there have been multiple detectives, each unique to their season. In Season 1 it was Detective Rustin "Rust" Cohle, played by Matthew McConaughey, and Detective Martin "Marty" Hart, played by Woody Harrelson. Season 2 saw Colin Farrell as Detective Ray Velcoro and Rachel McAdams as Detective Ani Bezzerides. In Season 3, the two detectives were Wayne Hays and Roland West, played by Mahershala Ali and Steven Dorff, respectively. Season 4 saw Jodie Foster take over in the lead detective role.

CSI: Miami

Unlike its sister show CSI, CSI: Miami and its forensic unit are led by a detective. David Caruso played Horatio Caine, the lieutenant in charge. Rex Linn plays Detective Frank Tripp, who is one of the homicide detectives who works with the unit often.

The Shield

In The Shield, the lead detective, Vic Mackey, is played by Michael Chiklis. He leads a crew of sketchy cops and detectives in the gritty show. Detective Shane Vendrell, played by the great Walter Goggins is another key detective on the show.

Bones

Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) and Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) are FBI forensic investigators on Bones. Together they investigate... well... bones and human remains. It's definitely a unique twist on the genre and one that was wildly successful for 12 seasons on CBS.

Cold Case

For seven seasons, Kathryn Morris starred as a homicide detective named Lilly Rush. As the name of the show implies, her specialty was cold cases, or cases that long run short on leads and promising clues. In the show's first season, her partner was Chris Lassing (Justin Chambers) and later she teamed up with Scotty Valens, played by Danny Pino.

Criminal Minds

Another FBI investigative show, Criminal Minds followed the office of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, led at first by Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), followed by Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) for much of the show's run. They over an office with a number of detectives over the years, including Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), JJ Jareau (A. J. Cook), and Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster).

CSI: NY

In the third installment of the CSI franchise, audiences were transported to the New York City version of the crime scene investigation where the team was led by Mac Taylor, played by Gary Sinise for the entire run of the show. He didn't work alone, of course, and some of his team members included homicide detective Don Flack (Eddie Cahill), and Detective Stella Bonasera (Melina Kanakaredes).

Miami Vice

In the 1980s, there was one detective duo that stood above the rest. Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Rico Tubbs ( Philip Michael Thomas). The two coolest detectives north of Havana on Miami Vice got to wear stylish clothes and drive fast cars. It was a different kind of cop show for a new era and nothing says the '80s quite like it.

FBI

CBS's FBI is all about the team of investigators led by actor Jeremy Sisto as Jubal Valentine, the head of the "fusion center" and coordinating their operations from there. In the field, the two lead investigators are Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym) and her partner OA Zidan (Zeeko Zaki).

Starsky And Hutch

Before Miami Vice hit the air in the 1980s, the two coolest detectives on TV were Dave Starsky And Ken Hutchinson, or "Hutch." The two, played by David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser respectively, starred in Starsky And Hutch for four seasons in the late '70s but they cast a much longer shadow over TV cop shows for decades. They were a little edgier, a little grittier than the usual TV detectives viewers were used to and that influence has been seen in shows ever since.

Rizzoli & Isles

As the name implies, the main investigators on Rizzoli & Isles are... well... Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) and Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander). Though technically Only Rizzoli was a detective in the Boston PD. Isles was a medical examiner who teamed with Rizzoli to investigate crimes in the Bay State. The show is notably for being having two female lead detectives, though they had all the same tropes as two male leads who don't always see eye to eye.

21 Jump Street

In the early days of the Fox Network, they took some real chances and one of those risks was 21 Jump Street about a team of cops charged with going undercover in high schools to unearth crimes. The two main detectives for the first four seasons were Tom Hanson, played by Johnny Depp in his breakout role, Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson), Harry Ioki (Dustin Nguyen), and Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise). For the show's fifth and final season, much of the cast left, including Depp and a new bunch of detectives came in, like Doug's brother Joey, played by Peter Deluise's brother Michael. It's also worth nothing that Richard Grieco played a reoccurring character named Dennis Booker. Eventually, that character got its own spinoff, called Booker.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

The third installment of the Law & Order franchise, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, ran for 10 seasons on both NBC and USA and had four main five main detectives at various points. Some, like Detective Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) and Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio), appeared in all ten seasons. Others, like Mike Logan (Chris Noth) and Zack Nichols (Jeff Goldblum), appeared in a few dozen episodes in the middle seasons.

Police Squad!

Leslie Neilson has delivered some amazing lines in his various roles in spoof movies in the late 20th Century, including The Naked Gun franchise. That franchise started with a very brief run as a TV show called Police Squad. Just like in the movies, the main detective, played by Neilson, was Frank Drebin, the hapless-yet-effective detective in the LAPD.

Body Of Proof

The short-lived Body Of Proof followed the professional and sometimes private life of a surgeon-turned-medical examiner played by Dana Delaney. She helped the main homicide detectives, played by John Carroll Lynch and Sonya Sohn solve the worst crimes in Philadelphia.

Person Of Interest

Really the two main detectives in Person of Interest aren't cops at all. Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) is a billionaire who developed a software program for predicting crimes and is basically the "guy behind the guy." On the street, John Reece (Jim Caviezel) is an ex-soldier who does the dirty work of stopping the crimes. Taraji P. Henson plays an actual police detective who works with Reece.

Crossing Jordan

In a lot of shows, the medical examiner is a key character, but not always the main investigator. On Crossing Jordan, that isn't the case. Jill Hennessy plays Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, a forensic pathologist. There were quite a few Boston homicide detectives throughout the show's run, most notably Woody Hoyt, played by Jerry O'Connell.

Fred Dryer

In the 1980s, there was no tougher detective than Sergeant Rick Hunter on Hunter. Played by ex-football player Fred Dryer, Hunter wasn't a cop who always played by the rules, but he always got his man. The show was one of the more popular cop shows in the '80s and even had a very brief revival in 2005.

The results of turning a hit TV series into a franchise can be hit-or-miss, to say the least. However, for every ill-received or mostly forgotten TV spin-off, there are many that managed to reach, or even exceed, the success of their predecessors. Take a look at some of our favorite examples below.

Frasier (Cheers)

Despite being added later in the series, Frasier Crane was one of the most beloved Cheers characters and right after it ended in 1993, Kelsey Grammer led the Frasier cast in his psychiatrist’s role’s self-titled spin-off. Like its parent series, it also lasted 11 seasons, won multiple Emmy Awards, and became one of the most acclaimed sitcoms of its time before being revived on Paramount+ in 2023.

Family Matters (Perfect Strangers)

Jo Marie Payton was on two seasons of Perfect Strangers as elevator operator Harriette Winslow before starring in the Family Matters cast in the same role for nine seasons. What initially began as a conventional family sitcom when it premiered in 1989 became a wildly successful cultural phenomenon with the addition of Jaleel White as Steve Urkel. 

Angel (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

David Boreanaz stole the show from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast as a good-natured bloodsucker named Angel and, eventually, earned his own series set in the same creature-infested universe. From 1999 until its 2004 cancellation, Angel followed the Boreanaz’s title character and other Buffy vets helping Los Angelenos with otherworldly problems.

Better Call Saul (Breaking Bad)

While he could have easily been viewed as merely the comic relief of the Breaking Bad cast, Bob Odenkirk — a former SNL writer and sketch comedy performer — experienced a career 180 by playing Saul Goodman. His performance as the shady lawyer only grew stronger when he became the center of the prequel series, Better Call Saul, which surpassed its predecessor in seasons (six) and Emmy snubs (53 nominations with zero wins, much to fans’ chagrin).

The Good Fight (The Good Wife)

The Good Wife was a CBS drama chronicling the personal and professional struggles of litigator Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies in a two-time Emmy-winning role) after a scandal lands her state attorney husband (played by Chris Noth) behind bars. Christie Baranski’s Diane Lockhart was the central focus of the sequel series, The Good Fight (exclusively available with a Paramount+ subscription), which earned two Emmy nominations during its six-season run.

The Facts Of Life (Diff'rent Strokes)

When Diff’rent Strokes debuted in 1978, Charlotte Rae’s Edna Garrett served as the Drummonds’ housekeeper. The following year, Rae reprised the role as the lead of The Facts of Life, in which she served as the housemother for boarding school students Blair (Lisa Whelchel), Tootie (Kim Fields), Natalie (Mindy Cohn), and Jo (Nancy McKeon).

Star Trek: The Next Generation (Star Trek)

While it was canceled after three years in 1969, Star Trek launched an out-of-this-world cultural phenomenon that lives on in several ongoing TV shows and even quite a few big-screen hits, as well. However, for some Trekkies, the best installment of the franchise is the multi-Emmy-winning Star Trek: The Next Generation, which was led by Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard for seven seasons.

The Punisher (Daredevil)

The first installment in a shared universe of Marvel TV shows originally exclusive to Netflix was Daredevil, which introduced Jon Bernthal in the role of Frank Castle in its second season. While the vengeful vigilante’s own spin-off only lasted two seasons, The Punisher was highly acclaimed, and Bernthal will continue playing the role into the future. 

Laverne & Shirley (Happy Days)

The long-running nostalgic sitcom Happy Days was the parent series of several well-known spin-offs, including Mork & Mindy and Joanie Loves Chachi, but easily the most successful of the bunch was Laverne & Shirley. Cindy Williams reprised her role as Shirley Feeney alongside Penny Marshall as the titular duo on the sitcom that became one of the most popular TV shows of its time and ran from 1976 to 1983.

Benson (Soap)

The most notorious scene-stealer from the cast of Soap — an acclaimed parody of daytime soap operas — was the late Robert Guillaume in the Emmy-winning role of Benson DuBois. The future Lion King voice cast member won his second Emmy when he reprised the character in his self-tilted spin-off, which saw him promoted from the Tates’ butler to working for a bumbling state governor. 

Xena: Warrior Princess (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)

The Kevin Sorbo-led Hercules: The Legendary Journeys begat two spin-offs — a prequel series called Young Hercules (starring Ryan Gosling in the title role) and Xena: Warrior Princess. The latter would run longer than its parent series (six years) and skyrocketed New Zealand-born Lucy Lawless to geek goddess status.

Boston Legal (The Practice)

James Spader originated the role of Alan Shore on Season 8 of The Practice before becoming one of the central figures of the legal drama’s direct continuation, Boston Legal. The series ran for more than 100 episodes and earned five Emmy Awards, including two for Spader and one for William Shatner as Denny Crane.

Melrose Place (Beverly Hills, 90210)

Among the the most popular ‘90s TV shows, two of the biggest titans of the serial drama category were Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place. Both series were created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling and existed in the same universe, with Grant Show’s Jake Hanson being the main connection.

Maude (All In The Family)

Before Bea Arthur joined the Golden Girls cast, she was best known for her Emmy-winning performance as the title role of Maude from 1972 to 1978. The late actor originated the outspoken character on an episode of All in the Family in which she visits her cousin, Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton), and butts heads with Edith’s husband, Archie (Carroll O’Connor).

Mayans M.C. (Sons Of Anarchy)

Two years after Sons of Anarchy had its final curtain call in 2014, FX debuted another tale of outlaw bikers, set near the California-Mexico border, called Mayans M.C. While led by a new character named Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes (portrayed by J. D. Pardo), the series — which ended after five seasons in 2023 — also featured a few Sons of the Anarchy cast members, including Katey Sagal portraying Gemma Teller in the pilot.

House Of The Dragon (Game Of Thrones)

Even though many fans were disappointed by the Game of Thrones finale, that did not stop them from tuning into HBO’s prequel series. In addition to the stellar House of the Dragon cast, including Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy, the fantasy epic’s stirring writing and gorgeous production design earned it rave reviews, multiple Emmy nominations, and a Golden Globe win for Best Television Series - Drama after its first season.

NCIS (JAG)

Very rarely has a spin-off show outran its parent series, but that is the case with NCIS. Not only would the series last at least twice as long as JAG, which saw the debut of Leroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon) in its eighth season; but it also inspired multiple spin-offs of its own, including the long-running NCIS: Los Angeles.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Law & Order)

Before its revival in 2022, the initial run of Law & Order ran a whopping 20 seasons on NBC. The only subsequent installment in Dick Wolf’s franchise of crime dramas to last as long is Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which was anchored by the chemistry between Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay as Detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson.

Lou Grant (The Mary Tyler Moore Show)

One of the most successful examples of a spin-off that was almost nothing like the original show is Lou Grant. Following the end of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Ed Asner earned his sixth and seventh Emmys for reprising the TV news producer on this more dramatic series in which he becomes a Los Angeles newspaper editor.

The Jeffersons (All In The Family)

After stealing the show on All in the Family as the Bunkers’ neighbors, George (Sherman Hemsley) and Louise “Weezy” Jefferson (Isabel Sanford) would “move on up to the East Side” in their own show. The Jeffersons only earned two Emmy Awards, but lasted an impressive 11 seasons and, in the process, became almost as influential as its parent series.

The Simpsons (The Tracey Ullman Show)

As the longest-running animated series of all time, The Simpsons has been around long enough that most modern audiences might not even remember (or were ever informed) about its origins. The dysfunctional family gained traction as a segment on The Tracey Ullman Show before creator Matt Groening developed a half-hour program based around them.

Batman Beyond (Batman: The Animated Series)

Most fans would agree that the all-time best Batman-related TV show is Batman: The Animated Series, but its futuristic follow-up, Batman Beyond, is not so far behind on that list. What started as a “terrible idea” (in the words of producer Bruce Timm to IGN) to reimagine the Dark Knight as a teenager evolved into an intriguing and inventive Neo-noir following an older Bruce Wayne (voiced by the late Kevin Conroy) mentoring his young successor, Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle).

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (The Andy Griffith Show)

Charmingly naive mechanic Gomer Pyle became a fan-favorite character on The Andy Griffith Show following his introduction in Season 3. Jim Nabors went on to reprise the role on another hit sitcom called Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., in which the character becomes a marine. 

The Colbert Report (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart)

Few Daily Show correspondents made as grand an impact during host Jon Stewart’s legendary stint than Stephen Colbert as an over-the-top conservative version of himself. He went on to host his own, arguably funnier late-night Comedy Central original, The Colbert Report, before retiring the character for good when he was chosen to replace David Letterman on CBS’s Late Show.

Rhoda (The Mary Tyler Moore Show)

The first spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, revolved around Valerie Harper in the title role returning to her native New York City, where she meets and marries Joe Gerard (David Groh). The latter seasons of the sitcom’s five-year run saw Rhoda becoming one of TV’s most iconic divorcees when she and Joe split.

CSI: Miami (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)

The CSI franchise involves two series set in Vegas, another set in New York, a short-lived version dedicated to cybercrime, and is even set in the same universe as Without a Trace and Cold Case. Perhaps the one installment with the most cultural impact is CSI: Miami, with much credit due to David Caruso’s iconic performance as quip master, Lt. Horatio Caine.

Emergency! (Adam-12)

The pilot episode of Emergency! featured Martin Milner and Kent McCord as their respective characters from Adam-12, officers Peter Malloy and Jim Reed — establishing it as a spin-off of the police procedural. However, as MeTV.com recalls, a later episode featured some of Station 51’s firefighters watching an episode of its parent series, which is just one strange continuity error from an otherwise exciting and grounded drama.

The Flash (Arrow)

The CW’s shared universe of DC TV shows is collectively referred to as the “Arrowverse,” with Arrow being the one that started it all in 2012. One might argue that the best of these spin-offs (and one of the best modern superhero TV shows in general) is The Flash, starring Grant Gustin as a version of lightning-fast Barry Allen who was first introduced in Arrow’s second season.

Empty Nest (The Golden Girls)

A follow-up to The Golden Girls called The Golden Palace, in which the characters (sans Dorothy) manage a hotel together, was far less successful than Empty Nest, which was branched off from a 1987 Golden Girls episode. Notably, however, the series that came to be, and lasted seven seasons, merely borrowed the concept of the original backdoor pilot (a middle-aged couple with “empty nest syndrome”). It employed a whole new cast and characters, but still established the Golden Girls characters as their neighbors.

Justice League Unlimited (Justice League)

One of the most acclaimed DC TV shows is Justice League, which saw Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and others coming together amid an extra-terrestrial threat. The hit animated series continued in the form of Justice League Unlimited, which saw the crew expand to an innumerable quantity by employing even some of the most obscure and underrated characters from the comics.

The Parkers (Moesha)

After four seasons on the Brandy Norwood-led sitcom Moesha, Countess Vaughn left the show after UPN greenlit a sitcom focusing on her own fan-favorite character, Kim Parker. The Parkers lasted more than 100 episodes and featured a scene-stealing performance by future Oscar winner Mo’Nique as Kim’s mother, Nikki.

Knots Landing (Dallas)

Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford) and Valene Ewing (Joan Van Ark) from the blockbuster primetime soap opera, Dallas, were given a series of their own in 1979. Knots Landing turned out to be a blockbuster itself, lasting 14 seasons, much like its parent series.

Next time you see a spin-off to your favorite hit series, don’t be quick to judge. It could end up being as successful as any of these.

For 10 seasons and well over 200 episodes, CSI: Miami made itself home at CBS. Alas, nothing can last forever. The detective procedural drama, which started back in 2002, solved its final case in 2012. And in that time, not everyone stayed on-board to see the hit series reach its final episode. Indeed, several cast members called it quits before the ten seasons drew to a close, and there are different reasons why each TV actor left the show.

Naturally, you should expect major spoilers for CSI: Miami from this point forward. While the show hasn't been on the air for nearly a decade now, we figured we should give you the courtesy heads-up and fair notice before we proceed further with these particular character details.

Kim Delaney (CSI Lieutenant Megan Donner)

When CSI: Miami first began in 2002, Kim Delaney played one of the lead roles in the one-time freshman series. Her part was CSI Lieutenant Megan Donner, a woman who is deeply committed to her work to the point of getting emotional when cases involve dead or missing children. Alas, after a mere 10 episodes, Delaney left the series, with her character being written off-screen. It's not directly known why she left, other than the explanation given by the network and producers that her character was becoming "less integral to the series." There is speculation that suggests that she reportedly didn't have enough chemistry with her on-screen co-star David Caruso, thus prompting her exit. In any case, Delaney didn't stay long.

Rory Cochrane (CSI Detective Timothy 'Tim' "Speed" Speedle)

When CSI: Miami began, Rory Cochrane served as one of the regulars on the show. In the role of CSI Detective Timothy 'Tim' "Speed" Speedle, he was known for being short-tempered and generally moody with a sarcastic sense of humor. Alas, his stay on CSI: Miami wasn't meant to last. In the Season 3 premiere, Speedle gets distracted and gets shot in the heart and chest, later dying in his colleague Horatio Caine's arms. Eventually, later on, Speed returned as a hallucination for Detective Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez) in the Season 6 episode, "Bang, Bang, Your Debt." From what Cochrane said in an interview after his exit, it sounds like it was his choice to leave the series. 

Since leaving CSI: Miami, Cochrane has been seen in shows like 24 and Reprisal, and he acted in movies like Public Enemies, Argo, and Black Mass.

Sofia Milos (Detective Yelina Salas)

After making guest star appearances throughout the latter half of season one and the majority of season two, Sofia Milos was promoted to series regular in CSI: Miami's third season in the role of Detective Yelina Salas. Alas, the character wasn't a main character on Miami for long, however. Her character abruptly leaves for Brazil in the season finale, while only making scattered guest star appearances throughout the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons of the hit CBS procedural program. Despite the odd circumstances of Milos' stay on the show, it appears that this was a creative decision.

Khandi Alexander (Coroner Alexx Woods)

In the role of coroner Alexx Woods, Khandi Alexander appeared on CSI: Miami since its first episodes. Alas, that changed towards the end of the sixth season. Alexx Woods was known for her happy demeanor, even despite her grim line of work, and she'll often have a tendency to call her corpses "sweetie," "honey," or "baby boy/girl." She also often notes that her patients were too young to die. But in Season 6, the character decides to leave her CSI position. From what's been reported, it was Alexander's choice to leave the series. Alexx Woods wasn't gone for good after that, however. Alexander did make brief appearances in both Season 7 and 8.

Megalyn Echikunwoke (Dr. Tara Price)

Similar to Sofia Milos, Megalyn Echikunwoke was promoted to series regular on CSI: Miami later in the game. Specifically, she joined the hit dramatic series in its seventh season as coroner Dr. Tara Price. Ultimately, however, the gig wasn't meant to last. Her entire character arc takes place over the course of one season, which leads to the character cheating death, getting into a good bit of trouble, and ultimately being incarcerated after providing her resignation from her position. From this point, we don't know what happens to the character, thus resulting in a short-lived residence on the show.

Eddie Cibrian (CSI Detective Jesse Cardoza)

Much like Megalyn Ecikunwoke and Sofia Milos, Eddie Cibrian came into CSI: Miami about three-quarters of the way into the series. Specifically, in the role of CSI Detective Jesse Cardoza, Cibrian entered the show during its eighth season and left shortly into its ninth. Known as a great cop who is well-liked and well-respected, Jesse Cardoza is known for his calm demeanor, his attention to detail, and his ability to do the "dirty work" whenever it is necessary. Alas, the character didn't have a long stay on the show either. Cardoza was poisoned by halon gas that spread over the crime lab in the eighth season finale, smashing his head on the glass in the process. They try to revive the character in the beginning of season nine to little avail. With that, Eddie Cibrian's tenure on CSI: Miami came to a swift end. Alas, as it has been demonstrated already, lots of characters don't always make it out.

According to Deadline, Eddie Cibrian's option wasn't picked up after his first and only season on the show. Their sources said the decision to let him go had to do with the intention for the show to focus on a core group of characters.

When it comes to the rest of the main cast members, a majority of them made it through from beginning-to-end. Notably, David Caruso as CSI Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as CSI Detective Calleigh Duqeuesne, and Adam Rodriguez were around until CSI: Miami called it quits with its nineteen-episode final season. Furthermore, while Jonathan Togo's CSI Detective Ryan Wolfe, Rex Linn's Sergeant Detective Frank Tripp, and Eva LaRue's CSI Detective Natalia Boa Vista weren't introduced until later seasons of the show as series regulars, they stayed on the show until its series finale as well. Even though several cast members had their time on the show cut short, serval others were able to find a comfortable home in Miami.

Who was your favorite CSI: Miami character? Which character's leave and/or death hurt the most? Let us know in the comment section below!

Before the show investigated its last crime in 2015, CSI defined a whole new millennium of hit television. In the years after the CBS crime drama first premiered back in October 2000, CSI blew up into an extremely popular TV franchise, the likes of which will rarely — if ever — be seen on broadcast TV again. That highly syndicated empire eventually expanded with spinoff shows like CSI: Miami and CSI: New York, as well as the more short-lived CSI: Cyber.

CSI was practically an institution of television until the flagship drama and its spinoffs came to their respective ends. There are approximately 797 episodes of CSI out there, which adds up to nearly 25 days of forensics bliss. (Well, not for the victims.) And when each of the CSI series were on the air, they welcomed a treasure trove of talent. It's hard to fathom how many eventually famous faces made their way onto these crime investigation shows — more often than not, these cameos were made before the stars were famous.

Therefore, let's take a moment to highlight just a few of the most noteworthy cameos and surprising guest star appearances, celebrating the insane talent that's been seen on both CSI and its localized spinoffs. There are, of course, a lot of cameos that get overlooked here, for brevity's sake. But be sure to let us know in the comments which are your favorite cameos.

Justin Bieber As Jason McCann (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)

In 2010, Justin Bieber was quickly becoming one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. The young, boyish musician was known for his radio-friendly tunes, earning no shortage of fans with his bubblegum hits. The singer decided to take a break from music-making, though, to flex his acting skills (or, perhaps, the lack thereof) in the Season 11 premiere of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Clearly, in the world of television, this guest star appearance was a big get.

In what was only his second TV acting job, Justin Bieber played Jason McCann, a dangerous young man who was pretty far removed from the squeaky-clean image the young star had built up. Specifically, McCann was both a serial killer and a serial bomber, and was certainly a dangerous opposition for the crimefighters to face.

Justin Bieber's Jason McCann appeared in two episodes, and was killed in a hail of bullets, though not before he'd killed five different people and attempted to slay ten (or more) throughout his time on the show. It was certainly a darker turn than some fans might have expected from the young musician, although acting isn't really something The Biebs returns to all-too-often.

Channing Tatum As Bob Davenport (CSI: Miami)

Channing Tatum broke out big with 2006's Step Up before making an even bigger splash with critically acclaimed movies like Magic Mike, 21 Jump Street, Foxcatcher, Logan Lucky, Hail, Caesar!, Side Effects, The Hateful Eight, The Lego Movie and more. Before all that, though, Channing Tatum was an up-and-coming model and stripper working his way into the acting field with brief appearances in film, music videos and television shows.

One of Channing Tatum's very first acting gigs was an appearance in season three of CSI: Miami, where he played Bob Davenport, a wannabe rapper who said he found a crime scene. There is a point in Tatum's episode where the character of Bob Davenport is suspected to be the murderer, but it's later revealed that he wasn't the one behind the killings. TWIST! That was Channing Tatum's only CSI appearance, for better or worse, and we thankfully know that things really picked up for the actor after that fact.

Taylor Swift As Haley Jones (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)

Much like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift was making quite an impression on the Billboard Top 100 in 2009, and it was clear that she was a major star in the making. CBS and the producers of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation wanted to capitalize on that growing fame by having Swift appear on the hit program. But unlike Bieber, Swift didn't play a murderer. Instead, she played a murder victim named Haley Jones, who is portrayed through flashbacks.

The role was Taylor Swift's first ever acting appearance, and while it meant playing a corpse, Taylor Swift was ecstatic about it. Here's what Taylor Swift told MTV about this opportunity to play a cadaver on the popular TV series.

Certainly, there aren't too many people to be happy to play a dead person. But count Taylor Swift contentedly among them.

John Krasinski As Lyle Davis (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)

Before John Krasinski found his big break on television with the über-popular comedy The Office, he was a working actor trying to find roles wherever they could be found. Sure enough, in addition to appearing on the NBC spinoff  Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Krasinski made an appearance on the fifth season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. In the early career role, Krasinski played the part of Lyle Davis, a suspect questioned about a very mysterious death.

While John Krasinski is known for his lovable antics on The Office, his character on CSI wasn't quite so nice and affable and worthy of Pam's love. While Lyle didn't murder anyone, he did leave a man to die, and robbed that person to boot. Not exactly an outstanding citizen. In the world of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, he may not have been the worst person to interact with, but he certainly wasn't nearly as endearing and ultimately sweet as Jim. [Grins into camera]

Chris Pine As Tommy Chandler (CSI: Miami)

Before Chris Pine made a big impression on moviegoers as the new Captain Kirk in Star Trek (2009), and even before becoming the love interest in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, he was an up-and-coming actor trying to carve a name for himself in the business. It seems like that's a common trend for actors, since Chris Pine is yet another performer who gained acting experience working on CSI. Pine took on the part of Tommy Chandler.

In season two of CSI: Miami, Chris Pine's Tommy Chandler winds up in the wrong hands, so to speak, and winds up a corpse who died through a fatal bit of erotic asphyxiation. The kinky sex games turned into an accidental murder, and Pine's character wound up in a body bag before the end of the episode. Alas, this is probably not the role that Chris Pine wants to be remembered for the most. But hey, work is work, and this was certainly a high-profile resume builder.

Shailene Woodley As Evie Pierpont (CSI: NY)

One year before Shailene Woodley would find herself in the lead role in The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and several years before she would wow audiences and critics alike through her powerful performance in The Descendants (and eventually Big Little Lies), Shailene Woodley made an appearance on CSI: NY.

In the Season 3 episode, 15-year-old Shailene Woodley played Evie Pierpont, an actress who gets caught in a twisted situation during a reenactment of Marie Antoinette's life when a mock guillotine takes a bad turn. The role is notably a pretty dark one, as one would expect for CSI or its spin-off, but it did help the young actress get on television. Just one year later is when she found a captivated audience with her own hit TV show.

Michael B. Jordan As Morris Calvin (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)

Before he was launched into the acting stratosphere in major movies like Fruitvale Station, Creed and Black Panther – though less so with the ill-fated 2015 reboot of Fantastic Four – Michael B. Jordan was acquiring TV roles in hit shows like The Wire and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. On CSI, Jordan played Morris Calvin, a member of a rap crew who took his fandom a little too far, resulting in the Crime Scene Investigation crew trying to figure out who murdered three people.

While the episode's guest appearances by Method Man, Obie Trice, Akon and Blink-182's Travis Barker were perhaps a little more noteworthy at the time of the original airing, Michael B. Jordan's appearance in CSI will no doubt become one of the most prolific in the show's extensive run on TV. Within the MCU and beyond, Jordan is quickly becoming one of the biggest movie stars working today, and this early appearance was a brief glimpse at the actor's rise.

There are many other noteworthy cameos and guest appearances from the CSI franchise, including those from Jeremy Renner, Dakota Fanning, Zachary Quinto, Amanda Seyfried, Jason Segel, Josh Groban, Adam Scott, Diddy and even Kim Kardashian West. However, it's important to note that CSI and its spinoffs were on the air for literally 15-plus years, so it might take a team of professionals to cover every single cameo. Nevertheless, CSI has amassed an incredible run of famous stars.

While the show's forensic team has solved its last case (at least, until the time comes for the inevitable reboot), it's clear that CSI and its spinoffs were fertile grounds for young actors and famous musicians to make big impressions during the early days of their acting careers. But if you have more famous cameos worth mentioning, be sure to comment below. This particular case is far from closed.

CBS didn't waste any time renewing a number of series back in March, but we had to wait until now to know what new pilots made the cut for the 2012-2013 season. Among the projects given the greenlight for series orders is the modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes called Elementary, and the Michael Urie/David Krumholtz-starring comedy Partners.

But first, the bad news. (Via TVLine) Patrick Wilson tweeted some bad news about medical drama series A Gifted Man…

Also cancelled, according to THR is the long-running procedural CSI: Miami and freshman detective series Unforgettable. THR also mentions A Gifted Man, so it seems confirmed that that one's a goner as well, despite the vague source of Wilson's tweet. WIth those series cut from the line-up, that leaves room for new dramas and comedies…

TVLine posted the news of the pick-ups. Here are the shows CBS has lined up to join their primetime roster next season…

Made In Jersey - Written by Dana Calvo, this one stars Toni Trucks, Kyle MacLachlan and Janet Montgomery and follows a working-class woman who works at a fancy Manhattan law firm. It sounds like the contrast of her "street smart" ways and this polished firm will be a part of the hook here. TVLine mentions it among the drama.

Elementary - One of the more high profile projects in development for the network, Medium's Rob Doherty wrote the pilot, which is a modern-day take on Arthur Conan Doyle's famous pipe-smoking detective Sherlock Holmes. It's set in New York, though with Jonny Lee Miller as the lead, it seems likely the lead will remain British. Lucy Liu is set to play Watson. With Sherlock in existence, I don't think another modern-day take on Holmes is necessary, but I expect this one to fit in nicely among CBS' other procedurals.

Friend Me - TVLine's info on this one was limited but last we heard, Superbad's Christopher Mintz-Plasse was set to star alongside Nicholas Braun. The comedy follows two best friends who move to Los Angeles to work for Groupon. I don't love the title, but I do like the look of the cast.

Golden Boy - Written by Nicholas Wootton with Greg Berlanti executive producing, this one stars Kevin Alejandro, Chi McBride, Stella Maeve, Theo James and Bonnie Somerville. Story follows a cop's "meteoric rise" through his career, beginning as a police officer and working his way up to Police Commissioner. Put that way, it sounds really interesting, and this is another one with a great cast.

Partners - Written by Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, this comedy follows the friendship of two men, one of whom is about to be engaged and the other whose neurotic tendencies could get in the way of his own relationship. Things didn't work out so well for Krumholtz' last co-starring role on TV for The Playboy Club, but NBC's loss is CBS' gain. The former Numb3rs star is joined by Ugly Betty's Michael Urie, Brandon Routh, Elizabeth Regen, and Sophia Bush.

Vegas - Another series with a strong cast, this drama stars Carrie-Anne Moss, Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis and is set in the '60s. Written by Nicholas Pileggi and Greg Walker, Vegas tells the true story of Ralph Lamb, a man who was once a rodeo cowboy but goes on to become the Sheriff of Las Vegas. Vegas in the '60s and Goodfellas scribe on board to write? This one sounds like it could be great.

Last on the list is The Job, which sounds like an unscripted competition series that has people battling it out to win their dream job each week.

Season 10 of CSI: Miami is beefing up its cast with some former sex symbols. 10 star Bo Derek is set to appear on an episode in the near future, and now the veteran crime drama has added another iconic lady to its cast. Following Bo Derek, Raquel Welch will appear on the CBS program in early 2012. It may be Miami, but it is unlikely she’ll bust out the cavewoman bikini.

Will it be a grieving role or an evil role for Welch on CSI:Miami? In her guest stint, Welch will play the mother of bad guy Diego Navarro. According to TV Line, not only will Welch play the mother of a very bad dude, she will basically be the matriarch of an extremely influential Miami family. I expect to see some meddlesome claws pulled out during her tenure on the Sunday night show.

While Welch is most known for her late sixties and early seventies film work including One Million Years B.C., The Three Musketeers and Bedazzled, she has worked on several television programs in the last decade. In 2004 she appeared in an episode of 8 Simple Rules. More recently, Welch had a recurring role on CBS’ short-lived Welcome to the Captain. It may have been a couple of years since Welch appeared on television, but luckily CSI:Miami is a well-run machine at this point, so she should have no trouble. Perhaps Derek and Welch’s appearances will even manage to shake up the gears a little bit. They might even give me a reason to tune in.

While football came out on top as the big winner of last night’s television, Pan Am has cause to celebrate, for delivering solid numbers and managing to top the return of Desperate Housewives, which served as the lead-in to ABC’s new drama series.

According to Deadline, NBC’s Sunday Night Football won the night as the Steelers/Colts game earned itself a 13.2 overnight rating. Meanwhile, things didn’t go nearly as well for Desperate Housewives and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, with DH down 28% from last seasons numbers, earning 9.8 million viewers for last night’s season premiere. Pan Am which debuted last night following Desperate Housewives, topped DH by more than a million viewers, earning 3.1/8 in adults 18-49.

While some may have tuned in to ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to see First Lady Michelle Obama, the ratings for the feel-good home renovation series, which aired two episodes last night, were also down from last year (ratings:1.3/4, and 2.3/6).

Fox’s Animation Domination line-up didn’t do so bad, with The Simpsons up from last season’s premiere with 3/8/10 rating. While Family Guy was down from last year by 9% with 4.1/9, both series managed to win the night among non-sports programs watched by the 18-49 demo. American Dad and The Cleveland Show were about even with last season’s premieres, with 3.0/7 and 3.1/7 respectively.

Finally, CBS’ primetime took a hit, largely due to the places where football bumped things back on the line-up, The Amazing Race’ season premiere was down by 21% from last year with 3.0/7. The Good Wife was down by 12% from last year with 2.2/5, and CSI: MIami suffered a 31% drop from last year with 2.2/5.

60 Minutes’ premiere was also down in ratings with 2.6/7 for its premiere, which is a shame as it featured a segment on South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and included footage of their hit Broadway musical The Book of Mormon. If you missed it, you can watch it here!

We’re at the midway point of August and while that might mean the countdown to cooler weather and the return to school or work has already begun for some, it also means we’re just a few weeks away from the start of the new TV season. Up ahead is the primetime schedule for the Fall 2010 season.

TV Guide has a print-friendly calendar here. Below is the list of the returning shows this season, starting with September. Dates are subject to change as the networks make additions and last-minute shuffles. If we’re missing something, post a comment and we’ll get it added!

All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

10:00 PM

Sons of Anarchy (FX)

8:00 PM

America's Next Top Model (CW)

NFL Kickoff (NBC)

9:00 PM

Hellcats (CW)

10:00 PM

Terriers (FX) New

8:00 PM

The Vampire Diaries (CW)

9:00 PM

Nikita (CW) New

8:00 PM

Cops (Fox)

9:00 PM

America's Most Wanted (Fox)

7:00 PM

Football Night in America (NBC)

8:15 PM

Sunday Night Football (NBC)

8:00 PM

90210 (CW)

9:00 PM

Gossip Girl (CW)

8:00 PM

One Tree Hill (CW)

9:00 PM

Life Unexpected (CW)

10:00 PM

Parenthood (NBC)

8:00 PM

Survivor: Nicaragua (CBS)

10:00 PM

Outlaw (NBC) New

10:00 PM

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)

The Apprentice (NBC)

10:30 PM

The League (FX)

8:00 PM

Boardwalk Empire (HBO) New

8:00 PM

Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

House (Fox)

Chuck (NBC)

How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

8:30 PM

Rules of Engagement (CBS)

9:00 PM

Lone Star (Fox) New

The Event (NBC) New

Two and a Half Men (CBS)

9:30 PM

Mike & Molly (CBS) New

10:00 PM

Castle (ABC)

Chase (NBC) New

Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) New

8:00 PM

Glee (Fox)

The Biggest Loser (NBC)

NCIS (CBS)

9:00 PM

Raising Hope (Fox) New

NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)

9:30 PM

Running Wilde (Fox) New

10:00 PM

Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC) New

8:00 PM

Hell's Kitchen (Fox)

The Middle (ABC)

Undercovers (NBC) New

8:30 PM

Better With You (ABC) New

9:00 PM

Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

Criminal Minds (CBS)

Modern Family (ABC)

9:30 PM

Cougar Town (ABC)

10:00 PM

The Whole Truth (ABC) New

The Defenders (CBS) New

8:00 PM

My Generation (ABC) New

Bones (Fox)

Community (NBC)

The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

8:30 PM

30 Rock (NBC)

S#*! My Dad Says (CBS) New

9:00 PM

Fringe (Fox)

Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

The Office (NBC)

CSI (CBS)

9:30 PM

Outsourced (NBC) New

10:00 PM

Private Practice (ABC)

The Mentalist (CBS)

8:00 PM

Smallville (CW)

Medium (CBS)

9:00 PM

The Good Guys (Fox)

Supernatural (CW)

Dateline (NBC)

CSI: NY (CBS)

10:00 PM

20/20 (ABC)

Blue Bloods (CBS) New

10:00 PM

48 Hours Mystery (CBS)

7:00 PM

America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC)

7:30 PM

60 Minutes (CBS)

8:00 PM

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)

The Simpsons (Fox)

8:30 PM

The Cleveland Show (Fox)

The Amazing Race (CBS)

9:00 PM

Desperate Housewives (ABC)

Family Guy (Fox)

Dexter (Showtime)

10:00 PM

Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

Bored to Death (HBO)

10:30 PM

Eastbound & Down (HBO)

8:00 PM

No Ordinary Family (ABC) New

The Good Wife (CBS)

9:00 PM

Stargate Universe (Syfy)

10:00 PM

Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC) New

8:00 PM

Human Target (Fox)

WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Syfy)

9:30 PM

American Dad (Fox)

10:00 PM

CSI: Miami (CBS)

9:00 PM

Scare Tactics (Syfy)

10:00 PM

Caprica (Syfy)

School Pride (NBC) New

10:00 PM

Sanctuary (Syfy)

9:00 PM

Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files (Syfy)

10:00 PM

Hollywood Treasure (Syfy)

9:00 PM

Lie to Me (Fox)

Fall’s not that far away and as the summer shows are beginning to wrap up, I’ve been finding myself wondering when to expect some of my favorite shows to return from the summer hiatus. So I figure now’s as good a time as any to get started on the big premiere schedule. We’ll be posting previews for all of the new and returning shows this season and as always, the schedule is a work in progress. We’ll probably be adding shows and updating dates/times as the fall approaches. In the meantime, get your calendar's out!

Monday, August 25

9:00-10:00 PM - AMERICA'S TOUGHEST JOBS (series premiere) (NBC)

8:00-9:00 PM - Deal or No Deal (NBC)

Tuesday, August 26

9:00-10:00 PM - Greek (ABC Family)

Thursday, August 28

9:00 PM - MTV's Top Pop Group (Casting Special) (MTV)

Monday, September 1

8:00-10:00 PM - Prison Break (2-Hour Season Premiere) (Fox)

8:00-9:00 PM - Gossip Girl (The CW)

9:00-10:00 PM - One Tree Hill (The CW)

10:00-11:00 PM - Raising The Bar (TNT)

Tuesday, September 2

8:00-10:00 PM - 90210 (Two-Hour Premiere) (The CW)

10:00-11:00 PM - The Shield (FX)

Wednesday, September 3

8:00-10:00 PM - Bones (2-Hour Season Premiere) (Fox)

8:00-10:00 PM - America’s Next Top Model (Two-Hour Premiere) (The CW)

10:00 PM - SONS OF ANARCHY (FX)

Thursday, September 4

8:00-10:00 PM - Kitchen Nightmares (Fox)

Friday, September 5

8:00-10:00 PM - Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? (2-Hour Season Premiere) (Fox)

8:00-10:00 PM - Samurai Girl (ABC Family)

9:00-11:00 PM - DogTown - Saving The Michael Vick Dogs (National Geographic)

Saturday, September 6

8:00-8:30 PM - COPS (Season Premiere) (Fox)

8:30-9:00 PM - COPS (Season Premiere) (Fox)

9:00-10:00 PM - America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back (Fox)

Sunday, September 7

10:00-10:30 PM Entourage

Monday, September 8

The Oprah Winfrey Show (Syndicated)

8:00-9:00 PM - Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox)

Tuesday, September 9

8:00-10:00 PM - FRINGE (2-Hour Series Premiere)(Fox)

9:00-10:00 PM - PRIVILEGED (series premiere) (The CW)

Wednesday, September 9

9:00-9:30 PM - ‘Til Death (Fox)

9:30-10:00 PM - DO NOT DISTURB (Fox) (Series Premiere)

Thursday, September 11

8:00-9:00 PM - Hole In The Wall (Fox)

Friday, September 12

9:00-10:00 PM - Don’t Forget The Lyrics! (Fox)

Saturday, September 13

11:00 PM-Midnight - MADtv (Fox) (Season Premiere)

Midnight-12:30 AM - Talkshow With Spike Feresten (Fox)

11:30 PM - 1:00 PM - Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Tuesday, September 16

8:00-10:00 PM - The Biggest Loser: Families (NBC)

8:00-9:00 PM - House (Fox)

Thursday, September 18

8:00-9:00 PM - Smallville (The CW)

9:00-10:00 PM - Supernatural (The CW)

10:00-10:30 PM It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)

Friday, September 19

10:00-11:00 PM - 20/20 (ABC)

Monday, September 22

8:00-10:00 PM - Dancing with the Stars (special two-hour performance show premiere) (ABC)

8:00-8:30 PM - The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

8:30-9:00 PM - How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

9:00-11:00 PM - Heroes (NBC)

9:00-9:30 PM - Two and a Half Men (CBS)

9:30-10:00 PM - WORST WEEK (series premiere) (CBS)

10:00-11:00 PM - CSI: Miami (CBS)

10:00-11:00 PM - Boston Legal (ABC)

Tuesday, September 23

8:00-9:00 PM - NCIS (CBS)

8:00-9:00 PM - OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS (series premiere) (ABC)

9:00-10:00 PM - THE MENTALIST (series premiere) (CBS)

9:00-11:00 PM - Dancing with the Stars (special performance show) (ABC)

10:00-11:00 PM - Without A Trace (CBS)

10:00-11:00 PM - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)

Wednesday, September 24

8:00-9:00 PM - Dancing with the Stars Results Show Special (special day and time) (ABC)

8:00-8:30 PM - The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)

8:30-9:00 PM - GARY UNMARRIED (series premiere) (CBS)

9:00-10:00 PM - Criminal Minds (CBS)

9:00-11:00 p.m. David Blaine Special (ABC)

8:00-9:00 PM - KNIGHT RIDER (NBC)

10:00-11:00 PM - Lipstick Jungle (NBC)

10:00-11:00 PM - CSI: NY (CBS)

Thursday, September 25

8:00-9:00 PM - Ugly Betty (ABC)

8:00-9:00 PM - My Name Is Earl (NBC)

8:00-9:00 PM - Survivor (CBS)

9:00-10:00 PM - The Office (NBC)

9:00-11:00 PM - Grey's Anatomy (special two-hour season premiere) (ABC)

10:00-11:00 PM - ER (NBC)

Saturday, September 27

8:00-9:00 PM Crimetime Saturday (CBS)

9:00-10:00 PM Crimetime Saturday (CBS)

10:00-11:00 PM - 48 Hours Mystery (CBS)

Sunday, September 28

7:00-9:00 PM - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)

7:00-8:00 PM - 60 Minutes (CBS)

8:00-8:30 PM - The Simpsons (Fox)

8:00-9:00 PM - The Amazing Race (CBS)

8:30-9:00 PM - King of the Hill (Fox)

9:00-10:00 PM - Cold Case (CBS)

9:00-10:00 PM - Desperate Housewives (ABC)

9:00-10:00 PM - Dexter (Showtime)

9:00-9:30 PM - Family Guy (Fox)

9:30-10:00 PM - American Dad (Fox)

10:00-11:00 PM - Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

10:00-11:00 PM - The Unit (CBS)

Monday, September 29

8:00-9:00 PM - Chuck (NBC)

10:00-11:00 PM - Life (NBC)

Tuesday, September 30

9:00-10:00 PM - Dancing with the Stars Result Show (regular day and time period premiere) (ABC)

Wednesday, October 1

8:00-9:00 PM - Pushing Daisies (ABC)

9:00-10:00 PM - Private Practice (ABC)

10:00-11:00 PM - Dirty Sexy Money (ABC)

Friday Night Lights (DirectTV's The 101)

Friday, October 3

8:00-9:00 PM - Wife Swap (ABC)

8:00-9:00 PM - Ghost Whisperer (CBS)

8:00-8:30 PM - Everybody Hates Chris (The CW)

8:30-9:00 PM - The Game (The CW)

9:00-10:00 PM - THE EX LIST (series premiere) (CBS)

10:00-11:00 PM - Numb3rs (CBS)

9:00-10:00 PM - Supernanny (ABC)

Sunday, October 5

7:00-8:00 PM - America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC)

8:00-9:00 PM - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (regular time period premiere) (ABC)

Thursday, October 9

8:30-9:00 PM - KATH & KIM (series premiere) (NBC)

9:00-10:00 PM - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS)

10:00-11:00 PM - ELEVENTH HOUR(series premiere) (CBS)

10:00-11:00 PM - LIFE ON MARS (series premiere) (ABC)

10:30 - 11:00 PM - TESTEES (FX)

Friday, October 10

10:00-11:00 PM - THE STARTER WIFE (series premiere) (USA)

Monday, October 13

9:30-10:00 PM - Samantha Who? (ABC)

10:00-11:00 PM - MY OWN WORST ENEMY (series premiere) (NBC)

Tuesday, October 14

10:00-11:00 PM - Eli Stone (ABC)

Friday, October 17

8:00-10:00 PM - CRUSOE (series premiere) (NBC)

10:00-11:00 PM - Crash (Starz)

Thursday, October 30

9:30-10:00 PM - 30 Rock (NBC)

Sunday, November 23

8:00-10:00 PM - 24: Redemption (Fox)

CBS’s 2008 fall schedule is up and I don’t know about anyone else but I’m extremely pleased to see that How I Met Your Mother is on it. Unfortunately for the, the same cannot be said for the recently cancelled Moonlight but CBS has added a handful of new series to the lineup.

The schedule is currently posted on CBS's website. The network could make changes to the schedule between now and the fall but here’s the line-up as it is right now (new shows are in all caps):

SUNDAY

7:00-8:00 PM 60 Minutes

8:00-9:00 PM Amazing Race

9:00-10:00 PM Cold Case

10:00-11:00 PM The Unit

MONDAY

8:00-8:30 PM The Big Bang Theory

8:30-9:00 PM How I Met Your Mother

9:00-9:30 PM Two and a Half Men

9:30-10:00 PM WORST WEEK

10:00-11:00 PM CSI: Miami

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM NCIS

9:00-10:00 PM THE MENTALIST

10:00-11:00 PM Without a Trace

WEDNESDAY

8:00-8:30 PM The New Adventures of Old Christine

8:30-9:00 PM PROJECT GARY

9:00-10:00 PM Criminal Minds

10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 PM Survivor

9:00-10:00 PM CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

10:00-11:00 PM ELEVENTH HOUR

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM Ghost Whisperer

9:00-10:00 PM THE EX LIST

10:00-11:00 PM Numb3rs

SATURDAY

8:00-9:00 PM Crimetime Saturday

9:00-10:00 PM Crimetime Saturday - continued

10:00-11:00 PM 48 Hours Mystery

To view the other Fall 2008 network schedules, CLICK HERE