When I was a kid, I looked forward to the Fall TV Preview issue of TV Guide like I looked forward to Christmas.  On the fateful day it arrived, I would bound out to the mailbox, grab the precious document, and pore over it for hours, reading about all of the new series that would soon enter my life.  I would even highlight, yes highlight, the shows I planned to watch on the schedule.

I may not be quite the television nerd now that I was then, but I still feel that rush of excitement over new programs.  You never know what will become the next "Ugly Betty,” right?

New Shows I Am Most Looking Forward To:

Gossip Girl – From the creator of “The O.C.,” Josh Schwartz, this CW series will follow the privileged lives of teens at a Manhattan prep school.  Narrated by “Veronica Mars’s” Kristen Bell and starring “The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants’s” Blake Lively, I am already quite fond of the cast.  And there is little I enjoy more than living vicariously through rich teenagers with scandalous lives.  Bring it on!

Chuck – Josh Schwartz is a busy man.  He is also an executive producer of this NBC series about a computer geek who becomes a secret agent.  Not only does this sound like a load of fun (especially for those of us who work at Internet companies), but it co-stars "Firefly’s" Adam Baldwin.  I relish any chance to see Adam Baldwin on TV.

Pushing Daisies – This ABC show is definitely getting a lot of buzz.  It is created by Bryan Fuller, the genius behind the little-watched “Dead Like Me,” and focuses on a piemaker who has the ability to touch the dead to make them live again.  The previews make this show look quirky and interesting.

Dirty Sexy Money – Costarring Peter Krause and Donald Sutherland, this ABC drama about a rich family looks to be campy fun in the vein of "Dynasty."  Early buzz on this one is excellent, and I definitely need more soaps in my life.

I am also eagerly anticipating some returning series that I’ve been missing all summer, like "Ugly Betty" (which is apparently featuring ... James Van Der Beek next season), "House," "The Office," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Heroes."

 I’m so glad I no longer have to rely on socializing to entertain myself!