I like year end lists as much as the next person but when it comes to television, this year I'd like to look forward. That's because in a couple of weeks, the cream of the television crop will arrive. Shows like "Lost," "24," and "Damages" will finally be back and I for one will be thrilled. Let's check out some of what's coming up in the next few weeks...wait, what's that you say? You insist that I take a quick look back at the fall season? Oh, all right. First let's spare a brief moment for:

Ah fall! When the weather gets colder, the leaves turn pretty colors and the DVR overheats from taping so many of the Fall TV shows. A couple of weeks ago I told you what returning shows I was waiting for like a kid on Christmas morning, and now that I've seen a few, I'm here to report back on What's Cool and What's Crappy.

Television's biggest night had drama, pathos, and naked people on the stage...well, maybe not naked people on the stage, but I got your attention didn't I? Last night was the 2008 Emmy Awards and since I never believe in watching the show in real time, I use Megan's Patented DVR Shortcut Method.  How it works is I start watching the recorded show about an hour and a half before the live show ends, then I try to click through fast enough to finish watching the DVR version just as the live show ends.That way, you watch three hours worth of inane speeches and bad hosting jokes in an hour and a half.  It's a better viewing value.  On with the show.

Grab the remotes, Folks! It's the 2008 Fall TV Season and shows are coming at us faster than political shots from Obama and McCain. Or Tina Fey and Sarah Palin. Or Biden and...you get what I mean. Between the new shows and the returning shows, my DVR and I are working hard to bring you, dear BlogHer readers, all the info there is to know about what's good or will be good this fall.  There's even a show about me, Megan Smith.  Well, sort of...but more on that in a minute.

Strap on your high heeled sneakers Ladies and Gentleman 'cause it's time for "Dancing with the Stars" to rumba it's way back into your living rooms. Who will win? Who will lose? Who will make first class fools of themselves all in the name of shameless entertainment? Well we found out who yesterday when the new cast of "Dancing with the Stars" was announced on "Good Morning America."   Unlike some of the questionable D-listers from previous seasons, this time many of the contestants really are stars.  Good times, they are a comin'.

It's still a month and a half to the primetime Emmy Awards, and I'm wondering what the nominees might be up to. I'm sure all the actors and actresses are being inundated with offers of clothes and jewelry from every well known and some not so well known designers.   I'll be interested to see what some of my favorite nominees will be wearing:  Glenn Close, Ted Danson and Zeljko Ivanek of "Damages;"  America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams of "Ugly Betty;"  Neil Patrick Harris of "How I Met Your Mother" and Hugh Laurie of "House."

I'm a huge Oprah Winfrey fan, make no mistake about it.  I think she's an inspiration, a role model and done very much more good in the world than bad. But that doesn't mean I won't call her goddess-like butt on the carpet if I think she's messed up.  "Oprah's Big Give" is one of her rare mess ups.

It's the eighth week of the strike by the Writers Guild of America against the movie and television studios---or as David Letterman likes to call them the "cowards, cutthroats and weasels"---and things are starting to look dire for dedicated TV junkies. The holidays are over, the families have gone home and TV junkies everywhere will be feeling the withdrawal effects of no fresh episodes of their favorite shows any day now.  It'll start when you find yourself clicking your remote channel after channel and finding nothing but lame game shows and even lamer reality shows.  Your chest will tighten, your breathing will come fast and shallow and you'll break out in a cold sweat. There's no "24," there's no "Grey's Anatomy," there's no "House," there's no "CSI!"  Don't panic.  It's TV Junkie Withdrawal.

"D" is for "Desperate Housewives" and tonight "D" is also for "deception." Mary Alice tells us, "Victor Lang was not above using deception to get what he wanted." From donors, constituents or the press. Yo Mary Alice. He is a politician after all. But now because of Edie's pictures, Victor knows Gabby is good at deception too. Gabby comes home and immediately gets a call from Carlos. He wants to know if they're really through. Gabby's like, considering you hid that $10 million from me, yeah, I'll stay with the deceptive politician, thank you very much. My favorite line? Carlos calls Victor a "chicken-lipped albino." Heh. Gabby ditches Carlos's call because Victor comes into the room. She says she was talking to Bree but as soon as Gabby leaves the room he checks and knows she was talking to Carlos. He asks Gabby to go with him out on his boat for a delayed honeymoon. Just the two of them. Uh oh. Gabby, being the greedy little thing she is loves the idea. But it's a mistake because as Mary Alice tells us, "What Victor Lang now wanted, was revenge." Opening credits. Read This Complete Post At Megan’s Minute

Yesterday I listened to a rant from my good friend Legal Eagle about Oprah's "favorite things" show. She was royally pissed because she's been trying for ages to get any ticket to an Oprah show much less for the favorite things show. As Oprah says---with only a hint of exaggeration---it's the "hottest ticket in television." Oprah took this year's show to Macon, Georgia as a thank you to her viewers there. According to Oprah, when her show is on in Macon, a whooping 45% of televisions are tuned in. Eagle's like, "I'd like to go to the Oprah favorite things show. I'd like to go to any Oprah show! You know how many times I've been online trying to get tickets? It's impossible! I need an LG refrigerator with an HDTV in the door! I need an HD video camcorder and a pretty little Kitchenaid Mixer!" Read This Complete Post At Megan's Minute.

Cross Posted At Megan's Minute. Katherine Mayfair herself, Dana Delany made an appearance on "Regis & Kelly" this morning. The ABC publicity machine has been in overdrive, keeping their "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" stars busy on the ABC interview circuit of "The View" and "Regis." Last week Teri Hatcher and Marcia Cross were on "The View," Eric Dane and James Pickens, Jr. appeared on "Regis," and tomorrow Dr. McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey will sit down with Reege as well. I guess ABC thought since the actors aren't working because of the writer's strike, they should at least be working to publicize the few shows in the can that will air during the final days of the November sweeps.

Let me begin this recap by sending a big ol' shout out to the members of the Screenwriter's Guild who are walking the picket lines. If I could, I'd send you some Krispy Kremes and Starbucks, but instead, I'll send you my good wishes. Hang tough guys and gals! It's Halloween on Wisteria Lane. Bob and Lee, the new gay couple on the block are planning a party and in spite of all that unpleasantness about a certain "work of art," they're inviting all the neighbors. But first, Mary Alice needs to tell us a little tale about Edie as a girl. It seems she was a scaredy cat and since all the neighborhood hoodlum boys knew that they got a big kick out of scaring her. Spiders, frogs, snakes, you name it, as long as it made her scream. Many, many, many years later, in present day, Carlos knew the only thing Edie was afraid of was him leaving her for someone else. So to keep her from screaming, he tried to ditch her when she wasn't home. He failed. Edie questions him, confronts him and threatens him. But Carlos is firm. So Edie demands the truth about why he's leaving. Is it for someone else? Like your ex-slut of a dipstick, two foot tall wife, Gabby? Carlos: No. Mary Alice tells us, Edie had been forced to face her worst fear, so she thought Carlos should have to face his as well: the IRS. Opening credits. Who's the winner of the tackiest Halloween decoration contest on Wisteria Lane? Why it's the new neighbors on the block, Bob and Lee. You would think with all that spare "art commissioning" money they have lying around, they could buy some classy decorations, but their front yard looks like a yard sale at the Munster house. Read This Complete Post At Megan’s Minute.