Before all you old school 90210 fans get excited, Jason Priestley is not returning as Brandon Walsh. I know, my heart skipped a beat as well when I first heard the handsome actor was on his way back to the zip. EW reports that Priestley will direct episode 18 of 90210, which will air in the spring. They also revealed that Shannen Doherty is in negotiations once again to appear in two episodes -- could these two pieces of scoop be related?

Priestley directed more than a dozen episodes of the original series, so his return really doesn't come as a complete surprise. Will Brandon Walsh put in an appearance this season? Although the actor has already stated that a return is unlikely, I can't help but hold on to the hope that he'll return in some capacity.... perhaps he could drag Dylan and Donna back to 90210 for a big reunion. EW did hint that Luke and Tori have been approached once again by the CW.

Do you think it's a mistake to bring back so many characters from the original series? Which characters would you like to see return to their old stomping grounds? Post your thoughts below!

^{Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images}

The country may be in turmoil, but it's business as usual in TV land as more series earn renewals. As previously reported, Fox's sci-fi drama Fringe and the CW's 90210 scored full season orders and a few other series will now join them in the winners circle....

Recently Renewed Series

• Burn Notice (USA Network)
• Psych (USA Network)
• Entourage (HBO)
• True Blood (HBO)
• Sons of Anarchy (FX Network)
• Full List of Renewals

Since the ratings have been down across the board, full season renewals of many series may not happen for several more weeks. The networks will likely order new scripts, which doesn't necessarily indicate the series is safe -- but it's usually a step in the right direction. Stay tuned, it's going to be a bumpy ratings season.

^{Photo by Andrew Walker/Getty Images}

Once a series has been on the air for more than six or seven seasons, it usually begins to show its age. However, for some reason many crime dramas tend to fare better than the others. Is it because crime is always a major factor in our world, or are we just intrigued by the whole concept? Perhaps we just love to see the bad guys brought to justice in the end.

Viewers were shocked last May when CSI killed off one of their main characters in such dramatic fashion. Although many knew that series regular Gary Dourdan was leaving the series, I think the general consensus was that he would exit the series with the door slightly open for a possible return, much like his fellow co-star Jorja Fox did last year.

A third blow came over the summer when William Petersen decided he would also exit the series this year.

The character of Gil Grissom will make a slow exit this season (his last episode is #10), but there is a pot of gold at the end of this painful rainbow -- film star Laurence Fishburne is heading to CSI around the time that Grissom says goodbye. Will the exit of these characters breathe new life into the series, or could this be the beginning of the end for this popular show? Only time and the Nielsen ratings will tell....

Thursday Night Premiere Schedule

9:00 - 10:00pm ET

• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - CBS

10:00 - 11:00pm ET

• Eleventh Hour - CBS
• Life on Mars - ABC

^{Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.}

It may not technically be a fall series, but The Riches has become the first casualty of the season. It's never easy to lose one of your favorite shows, but in the case of The Riches, I'm especially saddened to see this series thrown out the door. Aside from the fact that many, many loose ends will forever remain unresolved, losing fantastic actors such as Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard is devastating.

Due to the writers strike, FX had announced earlier this year that only 7 episodes of The Riches (as well as Dirt) would be produced. I had wondered at the time if both series were living on borrowed time, and when Dirt was canceled, I held out hope that FX would spare this show -- especially since season one had been such a big hit.

Will TPTB give fans one last gift and provide some closure? It's doubtful, but it sure would make it easier to take on a new series if fans knew that one way or another we would know how it all ends. Dave DiGilio, creator of ABC's short-lived summer series Traveler, kept his word and did exactly that after the show was canceled (and fans loved him for it!): Complete Traveler Details

• Canceled Series
• Renewed/Picked Up Series

^{© Fox Broadcasting Company/FX}