A long line of returns

Back from summer vacation, rested and refreshed and ready for a new semester -- it is a week awash in returning series. They already have your love. You are happy to see them.

Many left us cliffhanging or threw their characters into the air with little indication of where they might land. “House” (Fox, Tuesday at 9) burned down the house, metaphorically, as Hugh Laurie’s title character drove away his entire team; “The Unit” (CBS, Tuesday at 9) was dis-unified. Those crazy “Grey’s Anatomy” kids (ABC, Thursday at 9) were heading every which way.

Some go, some come: “Boston Legal” (ABC, Tuesday at 9:30) welcomes John Larroquette, using all he learned in “Night Court.” On “Criminal Minds” (CBS, Wednesday at 9), it’s the beginning of the end for Mandy Patinkin, but Joe Mantegna will be along presently. And “Smallville” (CW, Thursday at 8) welcomes Supergirl (Laura Vandervoort ) to town.

Some are just where we left them: “My Name Is Earl” (NBC, Thursday at 8), finds Earl (Jason Lee) still behind bars; “Heroes” (NBC, Monday at 9) finds hero Hiro (Masi Oka) still in feudal Japan. On “Ugly Betty” (ABC, Thursday at 8), half the cast is on the mend or on the lam.

“CSI” franchise fans, who thrive on “more of the same,” will get it as “CSI: Miami” (CBS, Monday at 10), “CSI: NY” (CBS, Wednesday at 10) and the original, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (CBS, Thursday at 9), come back on line.

And Stephen Colbert guests on the season premiere of “The Simpsons” (Fox, Sunday at 8). His voice does, anyway.

And that is not even the half of it.

-- Robert Lloyd