The spring training of television, pilot season is a time of excitement and possibility in Los Angeles.  Young actors, established vets, and writers pin their dreams on one simple episode.  The pilot episode is supposed to be at once a complete story, an introduction, and a puzzle piece for a much larger and hopefully eight to 12 season run where we can all cash in and retire.  It is an exciting time where the Hollywood dream factory of yesteryear feels like it is still alive and well.

It used to be that over a hundred of these pilots were conceived and produced, but in the new economic climate, the orders for actual pilots to go before a camera are slimming down, leaving both the networks and viewers with fewer options come the Fall.  Don’t fret TV fans, because this pilot season is chock full of some of your favorite television nuts.  And by nuts I mean actors.

Already familiar faces from Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) to Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager) and Jimmy Smits (L.A.

Law) have latched onto upcoming pilots.  Perennial science fiction eye candy Summer Glau has already won over the genre’s fanboys with turns in Firefly, Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and another Joss Whedon show Dollhouse, but apparently that is not enough for her.  She will be joining the super hero themed The Cape where she will of course play a blogger who uncovers crime with her blog and maybe kicks some ass.  It’s a classic tale really.  David Lyons of ER will be the lead.

Around 80 pilots have actually been announced so far this pilot season, with many sounding very promising.  Here’s a quick rundown of some those show’s familiar faces:

• Jason Biggs (American Pie etc.) in the CBS comedy True Love
• Keri Russell (Felicity) in a FOX comedy Wilde Kingdom
• Will Arnett (Arrested Development) also in Wilde Kingdom
• Elisha Cuthbert (24) is on board for the ABC sitcom Happy Endings
• Debra Messing (Will & Grace) in ABC’s Wright vs. Wrong
• William Shatner (do I need to explain him?) in the Twitter inspired Sh** My Dad Says
• Alicia Witt (Friday Night Lights) is set for the ABC bounty hunter drama Edgar Floats
• Matthew Perry (Friends) will be Mr. Sunshine, an owner of a rundown sports arena
• Blair Underwood (late of New Adventures of Old Christine) will be in the drama The Event
• Julia Benz (Dexter) will star in the ABC drama No Ordinary Family

And this year even familiar titles are finding their way back into your living room.  Since the 1980s, the idea of rebooting a TV franchise has sort of been the domain of cinema, but with ABC’s V already in full swing and a relaunch of Knight Rider thankfully in the grave, TV is becoming familiar with copying itself.  For pilot season 2010, The Rockford Files is planning a return to NBC.  This time the show will star Dermot Mulroney (who’s previous TV work was a three episode arc on Friends) and Firefly‘s Alan Tudyk based on an idea from House mastermind David Shore.  Sounds like some serious firepower is in line to reboot the James Garner classic and off the mainland it will be joined by CBS’ new version of Hawaii Five-0.  The surfing infused cop show will feature Scott Caan (a recurring spot on HBO’s Entourage) in the role of Detective Danny Williams of the popular culture catch phrase “book ‘em Danno.”  As a fan of Tudyk and shows that feature Hawaii, I have high hopes for both of these pilots.

The list goes on and on as thousands of TV’s finest spring to action during pilot season.  Get it? Spring!  Maybe I should write a pilot…..  But seriously, keep an eye out for some of these new shows which of course you will hear all about right here on Real TV Addict.