Writers were in the right

It will be a while before new episodes can make their way onto the schedules.

Some show will go back into production and new episodes will air in the coming weeks. Others won't be seen again this season, but new episodes will be on the networks' fall schedule.

At this point, network programmers don't know what they're going to do. They've got to figure out how many episodes studios can give them and how quickly.

What follows is sort of best-guess conjecture, given that nobody knows exactly what's going to happen at this point:

ABC: It looks like "Brothers & Sisters," "Desperate Housewives," "Dirty Sexy Money," "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice," "Samantha Who?" and "Ugly Betty" (which have all been renewed for next season) will go back into production ASAP. Some episodes will air this season; others may be held until fall.

• "Lost" (also renewed for next season) is also going back to work. When the eight unfinished episodes planned for this season will be seen is unknown.

• "Pushing Daisies" (renewed for next season) will probably go back into production but may not return to the schedule until the fall.

• Both "Brothers & Sisters" and "Boston Legal" had new episodes this week; they've each got another next week.

• New episodes of "October Road" continue to air. "Men in Trees" returns on Wednesday, Feb. 27.

CBS: "The Big Bang Theory," "Criminal Minds," "CSI," "CSI: Miami," "CSI: NY," "How I Met Your Mother," "NCIS" and "Two and a Half Men" are expected to go back into production and return to the schedule with new episodes this season.

• "Cold Case," "Ghost Whisperer," "Numb3rs," "Shark" and "Without a Trace" are expected to go back to work and may or may not return this season.

• CBS also has new episodes of "Jericho," "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "Welcome to the Captain" on it schedule now.

THE CW: "Everybody Hates Chris," "Gossip Girl," "Smallville" and "Supernatural" are expected to go back into production and air new episodes this season. (Some episodes may be held for fall.)

• New episodes of "One Tree Hill," "Smallville" and "Supernatural" are currently airing.

• The CW has some original episodes of several series that will show up in the next few weeks, including "Aliens in America," "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Reaper." (The fate of "Reaper" is up in the air.)

FOX: It's certain that "24" will go back into production, but it looks like the new season won't debut until January 2009.

• "House" may not immediately return to production, but it definitely will be back in the fall. Things are also uncertain for "Bones" and "Prison Break."