Charisma Carpenter

As the 2005-06 television season begins its descent, it’s time to remind all devoted viewers to remain calmly seated while the network presidents confer with their respective staff over which fabulously addictive and way-too-smart-for-primetime players make it onto the fall schedules and which will be shown the way to oblivion.

It’s a time of euphoria. It’s a time of heartbreak. It’s a time of alcohol, chocolate or episodes of Gilmore Girls on a loop, whatever works to either pass the time or ease the suffering.

Following are the shows that deserve to live another season. Four are on two different networks that will merge into one come September. ABC

Sons and Daughters (season completed): Created by Nick Holly and star Fred Goss, this comedy hybrid — part scripted, part improvisational — focuses on an extended family headed by Cameron Walker (Goss), who’s happily married to his second wife, Liz (Gillian Vigman), and is father to four kids, three with Liz and one with his first wife.

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TV trivia

Six popular shows are ending their runs this season. Find out how much you know about the programs and their stars in our quick quiz. (Requires the Flash plug-in.) There’s also Cameron’s sister, Sharon Fenton (Alison Quinn), her husband, Don (Jerry Lambert), and their two kids; Cameron’s younger half-sister, Jenna Halbert (Amanda Walsh); and Cameron, Sharon and Jenna’s mom, Colleen Halbert (Dee Wallace), who’s married to Wendal (Max Gail), father of Jenna.

Goss was a featured player on the much-missed Significant Others. He’s even better here. Despite the intricate relationships of the characters, the show is one of the best new comedies of the season. The multi-generational cast gels well considering the tricky nature of what they are trying to pull off every week. Should Scrubs land on ABC next year, Sons and Daughters would be a worthy partner to pair it with.

Don’t forget: What About Brian (10 p.m. Mondays): This funny and engaging new romantic dramedy from executive producer J.J. Abrams (Lost) is a welcome addition to any viewing schedule. Barry Watson and Sarah Lancaster are the standouts in a strong ensemble that could fill the Love Monkey void.

CBS

Surprisingly enough, CBS is the only network this year that does not have at least one show that needs to be saved. However, if Threshold or Love Monkey had survived long enough, chances are they both would be on this list. CBS’ itchy trigger finger on these top-notch series puts them in the same class as the wonderful Now and Again. (At least that got a full season before being tossed aside for a misbegotten Fugitive remake that crashed and burned.)

For those who may be wondering about Close to Home, the answer is: What about it? In a perfect world, the show would never have been picked up and Judging Amy would have a chance to say a proper farewell. It’s bad enough Ghost Whisperer is coming back in the fall. Does an Amy wannabe that never took off creatively need to return, too?

Fox

The Bernie Mac Show (season completed): Bernie Mac and company have been putting out TV’s best family comedy for the past five years. Even a bout with exhaustion couldn’t slow the Mac man or make the show any less funny or real. As the kids grow, so does Bernie (Mac, playing a version of himself) and his ability to be a good father to nieces Vanessa (Camille Winbush) and Bryana (Dee Dee Davis) and nephew Jordan (Jeremy Suarez). And let’s not forget Bernie’s wife, Wanda (Kellita Smith). She, too, has developed into a fine parent while keeping husband Bernie in check.

Without this stellar example of family comedy done right, the only shows left in this genre will be whatever ABC coughs up, including another season of According to Jim.

By the way, Fox, talk to your home entertainment division and get it to start releasing more season sets of Bernie Mac because one season just isn’t enough.

Don’t forget: The O.C. (9 p.m. Thursdays). The network has yet to officially pick up the teen sudser for a fourth season, but how can it not? Besides, creator-executive producer Josh Schwartz says the Newpsies still have one more good season in them, so how about giving the show a green light and keep fans happy?

NBC

Scrubs (9 p.m. Tuesdays): Talk about a show at the top of its game and this season’s episodes of Scrubs will, no doubt, enter the conversation. From the air band auditions to Carla and Turk’s (Judy Reyes and Donald Faison) struggle to get pregnant to Elliot’s (Sarah Chalke) bootie call-turned-relationship to J.D.’s (Zach Braff) fantasy of a grandpa pound to about a million other moments that can be a column itself, the fifth season has been nonstop hilarity. And the shout-outs to Grey’s Anatomy and Gilmore Girls just make it all the sweeter.

NBC has treated this first-rate comedy — note that it is not a sitcom; like AMC theaters, there is a difference — like a red-headed stepchild since it first hit the air. Why the network didn’t just move it to Thursdays when it relocated My Name Is Earl and The Office to that same night is still a bone of contention among fans.

However, creator-executive producer Bill Lawrence has said if NBC dumps it, ABC will give it a home. If that’s true, he must do the "I told you so" dance on the Web for diehard fans everywhere.

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Here’s hoping new CW President Dawn Ostroff stands firm on her devotion to this show.

Don’t forget: Everybody Hates Chris (8 p.m. Thursdays). Chris Rock’s semi-autobiographical look at his childhood is as smart and funny as the man himself. Tyler James Williams is wonderful as Chris, while Tichina Arnold and Terry Crews as parents Rochelle and Julius should remind most viewers of their own mom and dad.

WB

Everwood (9 p.m. Mondays): Danger, Ephram Brown! Danger! The best show on the WB (second only to the mighty Gilmore Girls) is in serious jeopardy of being canceled after four years. Everwood has continued to grow year after year.

Lovers of the show know this is what family drama is all about. Ephram (Gregory Smith) is still dealing with the fallout that came with the discovery that he’s a dad; Amy (Emily Van Camp) and Hannah (Sarah Drew) are dealing with growing pains in their friendship; and Jake (Scott Wolf) and Nina (Stephanie Niznik) are coping with his drug recovery.

Meanwhile, Andy is dealing with his feelings for Nina and trying to reconnect with daughter Delia (Vivien Cardone) and Harold (Tom Amandes) and Rose (Merrilyn Gann) are trying to adopt a child now that her cancer is in remission and their kids, Bright (Chris Pratt) and Amy, are grown.

With the WB finally retiring 7th Heaven after 10 years, it only makes sense the CW will need a strong family-oriented show to help anchor its lineup.

Don’t forget: Supernatural (9 p.m. Thursdays). This fantastic horror series has brothers Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) Winchester traveling across the country battling ghosts and demons as they try to find the thing that killed their mother and Sam’s girlfriend. With witty dialogue, legit scares and a nice chemistry between Ackles and Padalecki, what’s to think about? Joanne Thornborough is a television and film critic and a copy editor for Vineland’s The Daily Journal newspaper.