While some shows have lured famous movie stars into leading roles, other shows are taking a more temporary approach this fall with big-name guest stars booked for short-term stints on the small screen.

Fall TV will host several major reunions that you definitely won't want to miss. Terry O'Quinn will head back to the island for a stint alongside former 'Lost' costar Daniel Dae Kim on 'Hawaii Five-0,' while Ray and Debra are back together (sort of) when Ray Romano stops by 'The Middle' to visit his former 'Everybody Loves Raymond' costar Patricia Heaton. And let's not forget 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' alums Charisma Carpenter and James Marsters playing a married couple on an episode of 'Supernatural' this season.

Wanna know who else is heading to TV this fall? Check out some more of the biggest and best guest stars, including 'The Wire' alum Michael K. Williams (Omar!), Oscar-nominated actress Patricia Clarkson and crooner Josh Groban in AOL TV's fall guest star gallery.

A Broadway star is paying a visit to the Dunphys on 'Modern Family' this season.

'Book of Mormon' Tony nominee Josh Gad has been cast as a neighbor of the Dunphys who worships Phil, Entertainment Weekly reports. Interesting choice.

Gad and Ty Burrell co-starred together on the short-lived sitcom 'Back to You' a few years ago. Gad's 'Modern Family' episode will air at some point in the fall.

In other TV casting news ...

Late last week, Deadline broke the news that Eric Kripke, creator of 'Supernatural,' was developing a small-screen adaptation of the comic book 'Deadman' for The CW, presumably to fill the Superman-sized gap left by 'Smallville' after the show wrapped its 10th and final season this May.

Over the course of the last decade, many successors to 'Smallville' have been mooted for the network (and its predecessor, The WB), from a rumored "young Batman" series to a failed 'Aquaman' pilot, the short-lived 'Birds of Prey' series and the more recent 'Raven,' which has seemingly stalled in development hell. Another iconic DC property, 'Wonder Woman,' just crashed and burned at NBC after the cheesetastic pilot stripped everything likable from the character, which further illustrates that name-recognition alone is not enough to sustain a show.

On the surface, 'Deadman' seems like a curious choice for a standalone series -- the character is little-known outside fan circles, and the storyline (murdered circus performer possesses others' bodies to bring his killers to justice, while helping those he inhabits to solve problems in their own lives) has already drawn inevitable comparisons to 'Quantum Leap'.

But a lack of brand awareness can sometimes be a blessing instead of a curse, allowing producers to forge their own path in shaping a character, rather than being married to fans' expectations as 'Smallville' was. In my mind, there are numerous other DC properties perfectly suited for a CW adaptation -- read on for my top five suggestions.

During the recent Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour, I gathered a group of my fellow critics and turned on the cameras while we talked all about the best and worst of fall TV.

And here it is: Our fifth and final critics roundtable chat, showing a little love for our favorite returning shows.


If you missed any chats this week, there's best new comedy, best new drama, worst new show and star we're happiest to see on TV. This one might be the most interesting because it's about shows you already know and love, too ... but it also highlights just how tough the competition will be for the new shows we've discussed, good and bad.

So now, join me and HitFix.com's Alan Sepinwall, Melanie McFarland from IMDb TV, Damian Holbrook of TV Guide Magazine and AOL TV's own Mo Ryan as we chat all about the returning shows we're most excited for.

New CW president Mark Pedowitz came to the network's executive session at the Television Critics Association press tour on Thursday morning in good spirits. Bringing three new scripted shows and the promise of three new reality offerings, The CW seems optimistic that this season will be their strongest yet.

Pedowitz was on hand to assuage the fears of 'Supernatural' fans, revealing that, despite internet rumblings and rumors, the network has "no plans" for Season 7 to be the last year of the spooky drama series, revealing that he and the rest of the network's brass hope the series "keeps on going" and that they'll be examining the show's future on a season-by-season basis, depending on how the ratings hold up.

Haters of reruns take note! The CW has heard your cries of displeasure and has handed out additional episode orders to some of its most popular shows.

According to Entertainment Weekly, '90210' and 'Gossip Girl' have received two additional episodes each, putting their season totals at 24 episodes. 'Supernatural' and 'Nikita' got one additional episode, giving them 23 episodes each.

Sadly, 'The Vampire Diaries' did not received a beefed up season order, but that's to be expected considering the extra post-production work the show's considerable effects require.

In other TV news ...

There has always been a stigma attached to the word "fan." Thanks to Hollywood, it conjures up images of pale, socially awkward young men who occupy their parents' basements and spend their time playing Dungeons and Dragons or debating the minutiae of 'Star Trek' episodes on the internet (both of which are totally valid lifestyle choices, by the way).

In reality, everyone is a fan of something. Even if you don't frequent online message boards to dissect the shocking twist at the end of last week's 'Vampire Diaries,' or dress up like a warrior princess for a weekend in the woods with your buddies, find me a person who doesn't obsess over sports or fashion or cars or another vice of choice.



Being a "fan" is a badge of honor you should wear with pride, something that binds you to a much wider community of equally passionate, equally inspiring people. The abstract concept of "fandom" illustrates that, even in an age where some argue we're more disconnected than ever -- conducting our friendships through the sphere of social networking and the magic of electronic devices -- we're still part of something larger than ourselves.

Occasionally, that community of like-minded geniuses can band together to change the world, or at least change a life or two, as was the case with Random Acts' "Hope to Haiti" trip.

Comic-Con begins July 21, and we'll do our best to bring you all the news and interviews we can snag in San Diego.

We also want to exclusively share with you this image of one of the hot items at the annual pop-culture festival. What you see here is one of 10 different bags that Warner Bros. will be rolling out at Comic-Con -- or the only bag that matters, if you're a fan of a couple of demon-hunting brothers.

One side of each bag will feature all-new WB/Comic-Con artwork, and on the other side of each bag will be one of 10 different images from a Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment or DC Entertainment property.

Winchester fans will be glad to know that the CW's 'Supernatural' will be in the mix, represented by the image you see here.

The CW's 'Supernatural' has spent six years defying audience expectations and gleefully leaving us on the edge of our seats with every season finale, but last season's climactic close proved to be one of the most shocking yet.

Fan-favorite character Castiel (Misha Collins) pulled a dirty double cross in the last few episodes, revealing an unholy alliance with the demon Crowley for dominion over purgatory ... and let's just say that the finale didn't leave Cas and the Winchesters on the best of terms.

I recently had the privilege of traveling to Haiti with Collins and his charity, Random Acts, for a life-changing voluntary excursion (we'll have an in-depth feature on the trip next week), but during our wide-ranging interview, I couldn't resist slipping in a couple of questions about his status next season, and his response to the outpouring of fan support for his character.

There's not much new information here, but proceed with caution, there are mild spoilers ahead.

Oh, 'True Blood.' What am I going to do with you?

Just like one of the characters on the show, 'True Blood' (9PM ET Sunday, HBO) goes through a transformation in the first couple of episodes of its fourth season. Creator and head writer Alan Ball appears to have remembered that his characters -- humans, shapeshifters, vampires, faeries and the like -- are living beings with actual emotions and not just objects for him to Bedazzle with ever-thicker encrustations of incidents, events and OMG moments.

It's a refreshing and surprising change of pace. But then in the third episode, the show starts to show signs of falling into ruts it has frequently and heedlessly dived into before.

Oh, to be Sookie Stackhouse.

Simple waitress one day, object of affection for multiple supernatural beings the next -- it's a hard life she leads.

Alas, we can't all have multiple sexy vampires fawning over us. Instead we'll all have to make due with watching the new season of 'True Blood' when it premieres on HBO at 9PM Sunday night. In the meantime, and in honor of the Bill-Sookie-Eric love triangle, I've compiled a list of the sexiest vampires to ever grace TV screens.

Check out who made the cut after the jump, then weigh in on your favorite sexy vampires.

The Winchesters have hit the big time.

Warner Bros. TV, the studio that makes the CW show, announced that 'Supernatural' would make its first-ever appearance in Hall H, San Diego Comic-Con's biggest venue, on July 24.

This year Comic-Con takes place from July 21-24, and dozens of shows from many networks will have panels at the annual nerdfest. 'Chuck' will occupy its usual Saturday morning slot in Ballroom 20, which will also host appearances from the casts and creators of 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'The Vampire Diaries,' 'Fringe' and 'Alcatraz,' the new Fox series co-created by 'Lost' veterans J.J. Abrams and Elizabeth Sarnoff.

For more details on various shows going to Comic-Con -- including 'True Blood, 'Game of Thrones' and 'Mythbusters' -- read on.

Summer hasn't even officially begun yet, but The CW is already planning for fall.

The network announced the premiere dates for its fall shows today. While The CW traditionally debuts its shows earlier than the other networks, this year it's scattering the return of its original programming throughout the month of September.

Returning series include 'The Vampire Diaries,' 'Gossip Girl,' '90210,' 'Nikita' and 'Supernatural,' while the channel's three new scripted series are 'Ringer,' 'The Secret Circle' and 'Hart of Dixie.' The network's reality night will see 'America's Next Top Model' paired with the new 'H8R.'

So, when will your favorite vampires and your soon-to-be favorite witches come back? Check out the schedule after the jump.

If you're like most fans of 'Supernatural,' you want more than what you've seen on screen or devoured in Mo Ryan's recaps. More Sam and Dean Winchester! More things that go bump in the night! More monsters and hunting and ... well, 'Supernatural.'

Here's your chance to fill that void. With the approval of creator Eric Kripke, author Rebecca Dessertine has written a new novel that's an exciting original story about Sam and Dean, but also provides a valuable service.

'Supernatural: One Year Gone' fills in the gaps in the TV show's timeline by telling us what we missed in that year-ahead jump from Season 5 to Season 6. Having been privy to an advanced copy of the book -- and as you'll see in our exclusive excerpt after the jump -- it's a must-read for true 'Supernatural' fans.

AOL TV talked to Rebecca Dessertine (fun fact: she's actually Kripke's assistant by day) about her experience writing the novel, which is arriving in stores today (May 24). Keep reading for more details ...