So you're finally back at school. It's time to catch up with friends, crack open those books and get back into the swing of things. But how can you concentrate with all those summer TV cliffhangers on your mind?
Is Rachel really pregnant? Did Dr. Green commit a murder? And who will steal Felicity's heart this season- Ben or Noel?
Don't worry, starting this week all your questions will be answered as the fall television season gets underway once again. While the major networks scramble to invent new and innovative shows, we all know that the oldies really are the goodies.
Here's a look back on last year's shocking season finales and a preview of what's in store in the exciting weeks ahead.
Friends
8 p.m. Thursdays, NBC
(Season Premiere September 27)
We all cried when Chandler and Monica proposed and gasped when Ross mistakenly said Rachel's name during his wedding ceremony to Emily, but nothing could have prepared us for last season's shocking season finale of "Friends."
The one-hour finale, featuring Kathleen Turner as Chandler's father (yes father), took place at Monica and Chandler's wedding ceremony.
Chandler's cold feet forced Ross to frantically search for his missing brother-in-law to be while Phoebe and Rachel struggled to distract the unsuspecting Monica. Finally, Chandler was found and Joey was able to pry himself away from the set of his war film as the ceremony got underway.
While looking around in Monica's bathroom, Phoebe and Rachel stumbled across a pregnancy test, which showed positive results.
Everyone assumed it was Monica who was pregnant, however, in the final moments of the episode, it was hinted that it may in fact be Rachel who is pregnant.
Finally, after a summer of waiting, this Thursday we'll learn that the rumors are true: Rachel Green is pregnant.
While you won't discover who the father is, this week's premiere of Friends promises to be an interesting event as the wedding reception finds Chandler struggling on the dance floor and Joey trying to impress a well-known Broadway producer with his acting ability.
In this rumored final season of "Friends," Rachel will deal with her pregnancy, Monica and Chandler must adjust to married life and Joey's acting career will take off, as he becomes a regular on another soap opera.
If this is the last hurrah for "Friends," it should go out with a bang.
Dawson's Creek
8 p.m. Wednesdays, the WB
(Season Premiere October 10)
The last season of "Dawson's Creek" culminated with the graduation of the Capeside teens and that one last kiss that Dawson and Joey shared before heading their separate ways.
As the two childhood lovers locked lips, the question loomed in all of our minds: What does this mean? Was it merely a goodbye kiss to an old friend or is romance in the air once again?
With all these questions on everyone's minds, the new season of "Dawson's Creek" begins. This year, Dawson, Joey, Pacey and Jen leave all the security and comfort of their small town to enter the real world. Dawson travels to film school at USC to fulfill his dream of becoming a famous director while Joey attends the prestigious Worthington College in Boston and adapts to a new roommate and life without Dawson (if, indeed, there is life without Dawson).
Jack and Jen will join Joey in Beantown at Boston Bay College while Pacey will get a job at a nearby restaurant.
As Jack adjusts to life as an openly-gay college student, Pacey tries to find something he is good at, Jen finds herself embroiled in yet another relationship and Joey and Dawson deal with the huge distance between them. This season promises to be not just another quiet night in Capeside.
ER
10 p.m. Thursdays, NBC
(Season Premiere September 27)
It's never a dull night in the "ER." And last year's season finale of NBC's Emmy-winning program proved no exception as gunshot victims poured into the hospital after a crazed man went on a deadly shooting spree at a foster care facility.
If things appeared they couldn't get any worse, Dr. Benton was assaulted by his ex-girlfriend's husband and Dr. Finch cut her hand while treating an HIV patient, causing a big scare.
In the final moments of the show, Dr. Green found himself alone in an elevator with the crazed murderer as the man suddenly went into cardiac arrest. Dr. Greene picked up the defibrillator pads, but instead of placing them on the man's chest to save his life, he crashed them together and left the man lying there.
Did he eventually save the man's life or is Dr. Green guilty of murder? This year will mark a great deal of change in the "ER" as the show bids goodbye to stars Anthony Edwards and Eriq La Salle at the end of the season.
Dr. Carter's rich folks pay him a visit, Dr. Weaver is now out of the closet and Dr. Benton's past with the HIV positive Jeanie comes back to haunt him in the wake of Dr. Finch's HIV scare.
The season premiere offers multiple points-of-view of the same events. Dr. Greene must face the choices he made in the season finale when a board of inquiry investigates the case of his serial killer patient as the rest of the cast deal with their own inner demons.
Felicity
9 p.m. Wednesdays, the WB
(Season Premiere October 10)
While nothing can ever beat last fall's crazy shootout, the fourth season of "Felicity" culminated with many questions unanswered and many relationships in jeopardy.
Felicity and Ben decided to spend their summer together backpacking in Maine, but Ben was accepted into a summer EMT program in Kansas City leaving Felicity to spend her summer in his loft. Meghan and Sean chose to spend their summer at Meghan's Swiss vacation home and Ruby returned to the show with hopes of rekindling her relationship with Noel.
Finally, Tracy popped the question to Elena. After spending the summer in the city with Noel and Javier (who will now be a regular on the show), this season Felicity will begin her last year of college feeling unsure about herself and her future. Noel too feels lost, as he must face the fact that he has graduated from college and has yet to find a job.
On another note, Ben returns from his EMT summer program with new hopes of becoming a doctor. As Elena deals with her relationships and Sean and Meghan continue their budding romance, the fourth season of "Felicity" promises to be N.Y.Unbelieveable!
The West Wing
9 p.m. Wednesdays, NBC
(Season Premiere October 10)
In the final episode of NBC's critically acclaimed drama "The West Wing," the Haitian army besieged the American Embassy and President Bartlet continued his campaign to fund the Justice Department's case against Big Tobacco. The season culminated with the president's health in jeopardy and it was uncertain whether or not this would enable him to run for a second term in office.
The recent terrorist attacks on Washington and New York have placed the real West Wing in the national spotlight and this fall all eyes will be on President Bartlet and his team of politicians to see how they deal with the situation. In light of the recent World Trade Center attack, NBC has postponed the season premiere of the show. Aaron Sorkin, the show's creator, wanted to write a special episode that focuses on the attacks last week. NBC executives have said that the episode will deal with the broad issues raised by the attacks rather than the facts surrounding what actually happened.
This special episode will also be out of sequence of the show's
