This weeks’s TV Shows’ comebacks

<strong>America's Next Top Model </strong>

On the CW, Wednesdays, at 8 p.m.

Everyone's favorite catty-females-shoved-in-a-house-together show is back, for its 15th cycle. We know to rely on ANTM for weekly doses of reality show bitchery peppered with glimpses of "high fashion." But our dear Tyra promises some changes this season, and not just gimmicky ones of cycles past (i.e. Cycle 13, the one with the short models). In the past, the show has been criticized for its lack of credibility within the fashion industry it trains its girls for, so this time, instead of a spread in <em>Seventeen magazine</em>, the prize is a cover of the prestigious <em>Vogue Italia</em>, and random C-list guest judges will be replaced by fashion A-listers (such as model Karolina Kurkova and designer Diane von Furstenburg).

<strong>The Vampire Diaries </strong>

On the CW, Thursdays at 8 p.m.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking, yet another ridiculous vampire-related piece of entertainment? But The <em>Vampire Diaries</em> is actually worth it. It takes the teenage outdoorsy romanticism of <em>Twilight</em> and mixes it with the fast, plot-driven storylines of <em>True Blood</em> (I had to compare it to those two because you would have anyway). The premiere hit the ground running and took place just where the season finale ended, easily resolving cliffhangers while creating new ones. Give this one a shot &amp;-it's only in its second season, so you'll have time to catch up.

<strong>Gossip Girl,</strong>

On the CW, Mondays at 9 p.m.

The fourth season premiere of this teen soap mainstay finds Blair and Serena in gay ol' Paree, little J off in boarding school exile, and Dan dealing with the aftermath of another natural disaster, the beloved Georgina and their newborn son. The scenes shot on location in the Muse&#233; d'Orsay and on the streets of Paris are truly swoon-inducing (cue high fashion storefront montage). After its uneven third season, when the Upper East Siders started their freshman years in college, it seems as though GG is picking up its pace, even dropping a bomb in the last moments of the premiere that has been anticipated since the pilot. And by the way Chuck is alive! Oh Mon Dieu!

<strong>Life Unexpected</strong>

On the CW, Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

If you're a fan of The Warner Bros shows of yore, such as late-"90s/early-"00s classics <em>Dawson's Creek</em>, <em>Gilmore Girls</em>, and <em>Felicity</em>, then you'll like <em>Life Unexpected</em>. Its premise is a bit high concept, yes &amp;- a 15-year-old foster kid finds her parents and ends up having to stay with them or remain in the system &amp;- but it works. Protagonist Lux ends up choosing the former and as such, has to deal with her biological parents, a (surprise!) high-strung career-oriented mom and a perma-slacker dad who hooked up on prom night and tried to ignore the consequences. Having Portland, OR be the setting for the show adds to its homey, comfortable feel, which prevents the drama from veering too far into melodrama.

<strong>90210</strong>

On the CW, Mondays at 8 p.m.

<em>90210</em>, the modern spin-off of the beloved "90s primetime soap, is basically just what you'd expect: a melodramatic show centering on the glamorous lives of Beverly Hills teens. (No judgment was meant there &amp;- I am a teen show devotee). Its third season sees the West Beverly High kids in their senior year and enduring a classic plot device *cough* I mean earthquake. Tune in to see its life-altering aftermath.</p>