Eleven TV Events I'm Looking Forward To In 2010

2010 is almost here, and for those of you on the East Coast or in other countries, it may be here already. With the new year also comes new television, and 2010 promises to bring some good stuff.

Here's some of what I'm looking forward to in the new year. Some fan favorites like Chuck, True Blood, and LOST are noticeably absent; NOT because I dislike the shows or think they're not worth looking forward to - on the contrary, I'm sure they are - but instead, they are (don't kill me) not shows I currently watch.

Also conspicuously absent from this list is Heroes, which returns on January 4. I can only hope the show gets better, but right now, it's one of those things where I'd miss the show if it was gone, but I get so nostalgic for the days when every episode was a thing of greatness. (See: Season 1 between episodes 5 and 22)

Doctor Who: The End Of Time, Part 2 (January 1/2)
The United Kingdom gets this on January 1 itself. Those of us in the United States have to wait for Saturday on BBC America. This marks the end of Russell T. Davies' era as executive producer; it's also a farewell to a man who made the Doctor role his own, David Tennant.

Tennant's performance as the Doctor was amazing and at many times better than the scripts he was given to work with. I wish he had stayed for a year with incoming showrunner Steven Moffatt but sadly it is not to be. His successor, Matt Smith, has some powerful Converses to fill. I'm hopeful; especially when you consider it was almost five years ago that everyone was in a panic that new Doctor Christopher Eccleston was leaving after only one year in the role. That Tennant guy sure worked out, didn't he?

The Human Target (January 17)
I still wish this more resembled its comic book counterpart, but any TV show based on a comic book is welcome to me, and this show might have the right mix of elements to be a hit for FOX. Next time, though, adapt something that more folks have heard of though, okay?

The return of The Vampire Diaries (most likely January 21)
I was skeptical, expecting a TV Twilight when this premiered. But with every episode the mythology seems to get more and more involved, with new characters weaving in and out and new situations for the show's main characters. It's also really nice to have a CW show that's not about rich white girls, too.

Smallville: Absolute Justice (February 5)
Smallville actually returns on January 22 but the two-hour "movie event" (really two episodes tied together) featuring the legendary Justice Society of America will surely have a lot to offer, especially since it's written by Geoff Johns. Hopefully the JSA characters seen in the promotional images and trailers will be just as good in the episode, though I still think they could have cast a younger Star Girl.

The return of V (March 30)
Although the "fall finale" seemed to be more of a regular episode with some cliffhangers tacked on, I'm pretty confident that the return of V will be something pretty impressive - especially since the new showrunners have had time to organize things and set a direction before the show comes back. Coming on after LOST surely won't hurt, either.

The return of GLEE (April 13)
I'm not ashamed to admit that GLEE is one of those rare shows that I'll never wait to watch a few days later on DVR. A well-cast group of actors playing a well-written group of characters, some really good music, and Sue Sylvester - what more does a show need?

Day One (NBC Midseason)
Jesse Alexander's "the day after a catastrophe" series is right now unscheduled, and NBC has reduced it to being a four-hour "miniseries" to start, but I'm still very curious. Could be good.

Syfy's The Phantom (TBA)
It's aired in Canada (though no torrents can be found anywhere - boo! hiss!), and the costume looks silly as all get out, but again, the idea of a mainstream comics property on TV is very exciting to me.

AMC's The Walking Dead (TBA)
I recently got to reading the comic book trade paperbacks detailing the continuing story of this "open-ended zombie movie" by Robert Kirkman. The fact that Frank Darabont (The Mist) is directing and executive producing also has me very excited. Bonus points if they shoot in black and white.

Powers on FX (TBA)
Who knows if this will even come in 2010. The comic series by Bendis and Oeming would make a darned good TV show, though.

The Smallville Spin-Off (TBA)
I'm calling it now: 2010 will bring us news of a Smallville spin-off. This isn't going off of any sort of "insider information," either. It just seems like the logical thing to do. The CW needs a show like Smallville, and it's doubtful Smallville will last more than 10 seasons. On that same level of confidence, though, I'm pretty sure both Smallville and Supernatural will be back for one more season each.

Cashing In On A New Craze? FOX Orders Howl

After the success of New Moon and the television success of shows like True Blood or The Vampire Diaries, it should come as no surprise that FOX wants a piece of the perceived next fad - werewolves - in a new Dreamworks TV pilot in development for the network.

Variety describes the show, titled Howl, as "an epic family saga about warring families of werewolves in a small Alaskan town."

"Alaska is a place where people disappear and now you know why," writer Joshua Miller told Variety.

Variety also notes that the script reflects the changes that are going on in the country, and "metamorphosis and constant change is the basis of werewolf mythology," Miller added. "Howl" is about "the psychology of living with change."

Miller is writing the project with M.A. Fortin. Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank of DreamWorks TV will executive produce.

What do you think of this idea? Sound off in the comments... me, I'll withhold comment until I hear or see more, but I'm a little skeptical. At least it sounds better than that show that was pitched as "Sex and the City with were-women." And maybe unlike with Twilight, these werewolves will actually wear shirts...

Edited to add: Apparently here and on the KryptonSite Forum some people think this may be a good idea after all... giving the benefit of the doubt, I was skeptical about The Vampire Diaries and that turned out to be good... so, more thoughts, anyone?