RETURNING FAVORITES 2000
WHO GOT CLIPPED ON THE WEST WING? WHAT'S UP WITH NILES AND DAPHNE? AND WHERE'S DEWEY? WE'VE GOT THE REAL DEAL ON THE FALL SEASON IN OUR ANNUAL GUIDE AND A FEW CHOICE WORDS FROM TV GUIDE CRITIC MATT ROUSH

STARTS: October
WHERE WE LEFT OFF: New York deputy mayor Mike Flaherty (Michael J. Fox) resigned to become a lobbyist in D.C.
THE BIG NEWS: The new deputy mayor is none other than man-about-town Charlie Sheen (right, with Heather Locklear). As Charlie Owens, a burned-out political operative, Sheen’s colorful past will provide Spin City with much grist. "He’s a bad boy who’s a good guy," says executive producer Gary David Goldberg. Or, as Owens himself says in one episode, "Fun finds me."
WHO'S IN: Newcomer Lana Parrilla, as a Puerto Rican bicycle messenger who becomes an assistant to Charlie and Caitlin (Heather Locklear).
WHO'S OUT: Connie Britton (Nicole Faber), Alexander Chaplin (James Hobert III) and Victoria Dillard (Janelle Cooper).
MATT SAYS: The positive spin: Change is good. The reality: Spin revolved around the beloved Fox. Sheen has his work cut out for him, both as a comic actor and as the show’s nucleus.