Catch up with all your TV favorites

You waited patiently all summer during reruns for the return of your favorite TV shows. And just when you have far too much work to even consider taking a break to sit in front of the tube, all of your favorites are back on the air.

Everything from pregnant double agents to a guest appearance from Demi Moore to the most anticipated election in quite some time will be lighting up the small screen this fall.

Here is a small glimpse into what people will be talking about around water coolers over the next year.

The O.C. has become a cultural phenomenon. Watching this show may be one of your more embarrassing secrets, but that isn't preventing you and your friends from stopping everything on a Thursday night to watch the tribulations of the most irrational teens imaginable. Even if this means forcing yourself to believe that the characters on the show actually look like teenagers.

Many criticized the last season for not living up to the promise of its inaugural year, and the show's writers are doing everything in their power to stir life into this teen drama.

Last season ended when Marissa, played by Mischa Barton, shot Trey, Ryan's brother. Sound a little melodramatic? This is the kind of plotline that The O.C. thrives on.

In season three, Marissa and Ryan are kicked out of their high school. Marissa's mother, the evil Julie Cooper, looses everything, and -- gasp -- might even have to work to make a living. And the seemingly normal Kirsten enters a stint in rehab for alcoholism. No word yet on whether Ryan will return to his rebel-without-a-cause ways.

There are some notable guest stars this season. Jerry Ryan, best known to nerds everywhere for her time on Star Trek Voyager, plays Kirsten's new friend in rehab.

And some time in October, Demi Moore will make a guest appearance, most likely playing Summer's never-introduced stepmother.

Everyone in America wants to know what is in the hatch. If you are unclear as to what the hatch is, you most likely haven't been keeping up with the ABC hit Lost. The second season of Lost promises an answer to this burning question, and it will most likely only create more mystery and drama surrounding the show's diverse array of characters and the island on which they find themselves trapped.

Fresh from an Emmy win for Best Drama, Lost is poised to be one of the most talked-about shows of the season. The notoriously tight-lipped writers promise more action, answers and revelations in the crucial character flashbacks.

This season is rumored to be focused on exploring the island rather than just trying to get off of it. And the show is going to have a lot more girl power during its sophomore effort. Michelle Rodriguez of Girlfight and The Fast and the Furious, along with Cynthia Watros, formerly of The Drew Carey Show, are joining the cast.

The West Wing, now in its seventh season and the end of the second term of President Bartlet, has many wondering whether this season will be the last. The race is on between Matthew Santos, a Democratic Congressman from Texas played by Jimmy Smits, and Arnold Vinick, a Republican Senator from California played by Alan Alda. The future of The West Wing is very much at stake during this coming season.

The fifth season of Alias is all about dealing with the real life pregnancy of star Jennifer Garner. Television always handles real-life pregnancies differently. When Sarah Jessica Parker became pregnant during the filming of Sex and the City, the writers decided to hide the pregnancy on the show. When Lisa Kudrow became pregnant, so did her character Phoebe on Friends.

Alias writers have decided that Jennifer Garner's character Sydney will experience pregnancy along with Garner. Sydney is carrying Vaughn's baby when she discovers that he is under investigation for being a double agent.

This leads her to question the legitimacy of their relationship. During the fifth season, Sydney must protect her unborn child and get to the bottom of who Vaughn really is. Vaughn, played by Michael Vartan, is rumored to be killed off during this season.

It is no secret that everyone on the planet is eagerly anticipating the second season of Desperate Housewives. Gabrielle is pregnant, and everyone wants to know who the father is. Then there is the Susan-and-Mike relationship that has everyone glued to their seats, wondering whether or not they will finally be able to make it work.

Lynette is going back to work, and her nightmarish female boss is certainly going to make her life a living hell. And let's not forget the real reason people tune into the show every week: salacious sex. And there is no reason to feel bad about that. The cast of Desperate Housewives has made being 40 the new 20 and given women everywhere new reasons to feel bad about themselves. A new shocking relationship that is on the horizon for the show is between sexpot Edie and Susan's ex-husband Karl, which will surely stir the pot on Wysteria Lane for quite some time.

Let's not forget the reality show favorites. Donald Trump is back with a new season of The Apprentice and another group of unqualified candidates to fire. Tyra Banks and the skinny drama queens of America's Next Top Model also are making their return. Who can resist seeing wannabe models fall off the runway and cry their hearts out? And, as hard as it is to believe, Survivor is still on the air. This season's contestants are heading to Guatemala.

With so many returning favorites and with so many new and exciting options, our glorious televisions will give us all plenty of reasons to procrastinate this fall. And if you simply can't tear yourself away from your work, wait a couple of months, and anything that you were tearful about missing will be on DVD.