Gay TV Spring Preview

Are you tired of hastily produced reality shows filling your TV schedule? Are you missing your weekly dose of Kevin and Scotty or Marc and Cliff? Are you dying to know what happens next to Bob and Lee on Desperate Housewives? (Really?) The infamous writers' strike of 2007-2008 may be over, but its damage is done. It not only interrupted many of our favorite gay-inclusive series, but some of the gay storylines had to be dropped due to the shorter seasons. Others, like Pushing Daisies, which according to series creator and writer Bryan Fuller has at least one minor gay character already on the show, won't be back until this fall. The story is the same for Dirty Sexy Money with transgender actress Candis Cayne.

It's not all doom and gloom, however. Some shows are coming back with at least a few more episodes. There are also new seasons of gay faves like Greek which just returned and Work Out (starting soon), and even one new gay-inclusive reality show on — where else? — Bravo.

Here's our look at everything shiny, gay, and new on TV this spring, what's gay about it, and why you should (or shouldn't) bother tuning in.

30 Rock

Who's gay? Devon Banks (Will Arnett), Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander)

When is it coming back? April 10, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)

For how long? 5 episodes

Why you should watch: On a recent episode called "Cougars," Liz (Tina Fey) started dating a much younger guy, coffee boy Jamie. One of the other comedy writers on the show within a show, Frank, also found himself attracted to Jamie and declared himself "gay for Jamie." We'll have to see if that goes anywhere. Even better, Will Arnett plays a gay TV executive fighting Jack (Alec Baldwin) for the CEO position and their battle should figure during the new episodes. The show is hailed as one of the funniest things on TV right now; we love it because it doesn't make gays the butt of the joke or shy away from gay characters or storylines.

30 Rock's Friedlander (left) and Arnett

Beauty and the Geek

Who’s gay? Greg

When is it coming back? Fifth season debuted March. Airs Tuesdays, 8:00 p.m. (CW)

For how long? Until Greg gets eliminated!

Why you should watch: If there aren’t that many gay men on television, there are even fewer gay men of color, so that alone makes this self-described “Gaysian” worth watching. Plus, he’s already proved himself not only smart and likable, but shrewd in getting the “beauties” to like him.

Greg's Beauty and the Geek video introduction:

Bones

Who's gay? None of the regular characters are gay, but Zack Addy is played by openly gay actor Eric Millegan. When we last wrote about Bones in November, the show had introduced a gay intern played by Sam Jones III. However, no sign of Sam has been seen since and there is no word on his reappearance.

When is it coming back? April 14, 8:00 p.m. (FOX)

For how long? 6 episodes

Why you should watch: No real gay content, but Millegan is cute. That has to count for something.

Bones' Millegan (left) and Jones