Several more series return to the after-strike fray this week, highlighted by the remainder of the NBC Thursday lineup and the last of the major CBS dramas to resume. Here's a summary of what to expect, listed in order of their appearance.

Samantha Who? (April 7): One of a handful of first-year shows that is airing new episodes to finish up the season, the Christina Applegate vehicle did well in the fall in the hammock between Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor. The show was just about at the stage where it had gone as far as it could with its post-amnesia gimmick and was needing to work in some real character development. After having remembered what sex is like and then experiencing a breakup, Samantha will continue to deal with relationship issues, including a possible resumption of intimacies with her pre-amnesia boyfriend Todd, who inconveniently has a new woman in his life.

NCIS (April 8): How many people realize this is the second-highest rated show on CBS? It's the usual mix of naval mayhem for this crowd, beginning with an episode that finds the team working with a D.C. homicide detective. There will also be one death in which a team member will become the prime suspect, and a two-hour finale that will no doubt set the stage for the fall.

Boston Legal (April 8): The utility player among ABC's dramas, if you call Boston Legal a drama, comes back with an episode taking tabloid TV to task. Also, look for Alan Shore and Denny Crane to be arguing a capital punishment case before the Supreme Court within a few weeks, and excitement for the relationship between the two best friends that has nothing to do with the Coast Guard Reserves.

30 Rock (April 10): This network satire isn't going to deal with the writers' strike, but the attempts of Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) to navigate corporate politics are always a favorite theme, and we'll see him stepping up his battle to become head of GE and trying to sniff out who his detractors are. Liz will be in the unusual position of dealing with more than one man at a time. And the election comes in for some skewering, as Jack taps Tracy to become the face of the new Republican party.

The Office (April 10): No show has been gone longer than The Office, which shut down filming immediately when the writers' strike was called and aired its most recent new episode the week before Thanksgiving. That episode dealt with Jan's lawsuit against the company and a brutal deposition for Michael, but the couple is still together and will entertain Dunder Mifflin's newest couple, Jim and Pam, as hosts of a dinner party. Also, Dwight deals with his frustration over Angela by suing some kids.

Scrubs (April 10): Scrubs isn't really running post-strike episodes so much as it is airing the last episodes shot prior to the strike. The series appeared to be in its final season and didn't get the chance to film a finale episode, but that won't be a problem now since Scrubs appears to be headed to ABC for an official last season beginning in the fall. It will be interesting to see if the last five episodes of this season give off a feeling of winding things down -- the decision to have Kelso fall victim to the hospital's mandatory retirement age came under this heading, as did J.D.'s vow to grow up and be a good dad. We'll see further developments in these areas, and more of Janitor's new girlfriend.

ER (April 10): The news that the series is finally ending in a year's time will likely start leading to some resolution to endless storylines, like Sam's serial dating of everyone in the hospital. In the short run, though, we will get the return of Goran Visnjic as Luka, as Abby heads to Croatia to spell things out. There will also be the latest in the seemingly endless series of new recurring characters, and an attending physician with a brusque style will rub both colleagues and patients the wrong way.

Desperate Housewives (April 13): The mystery around Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany) will intensify, culminating with the revelation of her Big Secret at season's end. Mike will come out of rehab, which could create some complications with Bree and Orson, still living with Susan until their home is patched up. And Gaby learns that Carlos is permanently blind, but only after remarrying him.

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