Entertainment

ABC DRAMAS BACK IN APRIL

ABC is gunning for an April return of its big gest shows.

Producers on “Lost,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Grey’s Anatomy” are in overdrive, working to fire up their popular programs which have been dormant since last fall when the writers’ strike shut down Hollywood.

The network’s key Thursday-night lineup will return on April 24, with “Lost” shifting back an hour to 10 p.m. to make room for “Grey’s Anatomy” at 9 p.m. “Ugly Betty” returns at 8 p.m.

“Housewives,” perhaps ABC’s most buzzed-about show, returns April 13 with the first of seven new episodes.

Brothers & Sisters” will also be back, with the first of four new episodes airing April 20 at 10 p.m.

ABC is also bringing “Boston Legal” back April 8 at 10 p.m, while Christina Applegate gets a second chance when her new comedy, “Samantha Who?” starts up again on April 7.

Pushing Daisies,” “Private Practice” and “Dirty Sexy Money” all return next fall.

ABC’s rivals, CBS, NBC and Fox, are also targeting April for new post-strike episodes, although some new episodes of various shows (NBC’s “Medium” and Fox’s “House,” for example) were stockpiled by network executives before the strike began and have already been airing.

The three-month-long Writers Guild strike paralyzed the entertainment industry, forcing all of the major networks and studios to halt production on their TV series and movies.