Fall TV 2009 Stars to Watch

There are plenty of new faces on TV this season, but just as many familiar stars in new roles, from a 'Saturday Night Live' alum and one of 'ER''s leading ladies to a best-selling rapper and TV land's all-time favorite shoe salesman. Here's a peek at the celebs we love who are making a splash this fall. -- By Kimberly Potts

CW / CBS / ABC / CBS

Courteney Cox: Welcome to 'Cougar Town'
She is a cougar: her hubby David Arquette is seven years younger. Which means she should be able to wring every bit of humor out of her ABC sitcom 'Cougar Town,' where she plays Jules, a divorced 40-something mom who's excited about her new life, but anxious about dating again.

ABC

Kelsey Grammer: (Another) Family Affair
What if stuffy Frasier Crane had to move in with his down-to-earth dad? The premise of 'Frasier' isn't too far off from Grammer's new sitcom, ABC's 'Hank,' in which he plays a Wall Street CEO who gets fired from his job and has to downsize his lifestyle by moving near his wife's small-town fam.

ABC

Rebecca Romijn: The Cougar Witch
It feels like 'Ugly Betty' star Romijn, new mom to twins with hubby Jerry O'Connell, has been gone from the tube forever. And now she's magically returning to ABC's lineup as 'Eastwick' sister Roxanne, a free-spirited artist with a teen daughter and a hot, younger boyfriend.

ABC

Eddie Cibrian: A Hollywood Scandal
The daytime soap vet's real life has played out like a bad soap in public this year (LeAnn Rimes, anyone?) so it'll be interesting to see if he can make viewers forget his off-camera scandals with his on-screen role as a newbie 'CSI: Miami' officer who transfers in from Hollywood.

CBS

Julianna Margulies: From Nurse to Lawyer
Her 2008 legal drama 'Canterbury's Law' failed, but that didn't deter new mom Margulies from the legal life. She's back with CBS' 'The Good Wife,' playing a lawyer whose cheating politician hubby (Chris Noth) gets caught in a scandal that forces her to become the family's breadwinner.

CBS

Ian Somerhalder: He Sucks
He was the doomed Boone on 'Lost' and got totally nekkid on HBO's 'Tell Me You Love Me.' So what will the former model do for his next TV trick? Turn into a vampire, as he plays bloodsucking teen vamp Damon on the CW's 'The Vampire Diaries,' TV's answer to the 'Twilight' movie craze.

CW

Mischa Barton: The Comeback Kid
It's been downhill for Barton since 'The O.C.' ended, so maybe it makes sense that her best shot at a comeback is via another teen drama. Barton stars in the Ashton Kutcher-produced 'The Beautiful Life,' as a model who's trying to get back on top after a mysterious trip out of the country.

CW

Joel McHale: Moonlighting in Primetime
Now there'll be twice as much McHale to love on screen, as 'The Soup' host also stars in NBC's new Thursday night comedy 'Community.' He plays Jeff Winger, a fast-talkin' attorney who has to get a diploma, pronto, when his old degree is deemed invalid, and the result is truly Must-See TV.

NBC

Jason Schwartzman: All-Star Comedy
His 2004 Fox sitcom 'Cracking Up' was short-lived, but his new HBO comedy 'Bored to Death' will be anything but boring if the cast is any indication. Schwartzman plays writer-turned-amateur P.I. Jonathan, who spends his free time with his editor (Ted Danson) and pal Ray (Zach Galifianakis).

HBO