The TV Season That Was - Part 2 - More Returning Shows

The Practice - After the majority of the cast was fired before the beginning of the new season, I figured that this show was just going to be an embarrassing shell of its former self. Considering how far the show had already fallen, I wondered why they were even going to bother trying to mount another season. Happily, the addition of James Spader led to one of the most entertaining seasons that The Practice has ever had. Gone was the constant whining of Bobby Donnell and his equally whiny wife, replaced with the conniving character played by Spader and the amazing guest starring turns of Sharon Stone and William Shatner. The end of the season, between tying up the loose ends of the Practice, was spent giving us an extended look at the new spin-off starring Spader and Shatner. Although the small glimpse The Practice gave us of the new show wasn't all that impressive.

The West Wing - While many have said that they found the characters in last season's West Wing to be more preachy and self important than they were in the past, I'd have to disagree. However, I would say that the show lost some of its creativity. Gone was much of the snappy dialogue, replaced with storylines that were far more predictable than those of past seasons.

Law & Order - Even after all these years, it remains one of the most entertaining shows on television. The only down side of last season's Law & Order is that it marked Jerry Orbach's last on the show.

JAG - This show just keeps rolling along, and despite some questionable storylines in past season, continues to be pretty good. Although, I was disappointed to see John M. Jackson leave the cast at the end of the last season.

Star Trek: Enterprise - Yep, they added Star Trek to the title. As if Star Trek fans didn't already know what the show was about or that it was on. This is the sort of bone-headed thinking that seems all to commonplace among those now responsible for maintaining the once-great Star Trek franchise. The show started off in its first season with a great deal of promise - it's been all downhill ever since.