November 24, 2012 04:00 AM PDT

20 Actresses You Want Back on TV Right Now

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Get More: Lists, Photo Gallery, Pilots

Last month, TVLine brainstormed a list of 20 TV stars we’re hoping will score big, juicy roles in fall 2013 pilots.

You responded with hundreds of suggestions of your own that were so intriguing, it gave us enough material for not one, but two spinoff galleries.

RELATED | Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on NCIS, Grey’s, Army Wives, Glee, Revenge, Shameless and More!

Today, we present a countdown of the 20 actresses whose return to the small screen is being championed by tastemaking TVLine readers. Tomorrow we’ll reveal their male counterparts.

RELATED | TVLine’s All-Star Pilot Season Wish List

So click through the photo gallery of underappreciated thespians below, then hit the comments with any names your fellow readers might’ve forgotten.

gal_Kandyse-McClure_Battlestar-Galactica
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Which other TV actresses need good, juicy roles for the 2013 pilot season? Start the discussion in the comments!

Kandyse McClure, Battlestar Galactica

Lizzy Caplan, Party Down

Billie Piper, Doctor Who

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Leslie Grossman, Popular

Elaine Cassidy, Harper's Island

Liza Weil, Gilmore Girls

Phylicia Rashad, The Cosby Show

Robin Weigert, Deadwood

Paget Brewster, Criminal Minds

Majandra Delfino, Roswell

Jennifer Beals, The L Word

Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Eureka

Ali Larter, Heroes

Jessalyn Gilsig, Glee

Evangeline Lilly, Lost

Linda Cardellini, Freaks and Geeks

Alia Shawkat, Arrested Development

Gillian Anderson, The X Files

Janel Moloney, The West Wing

Which other TV actresses need good, juicy roles for the 2013 pilot season? Start the discussion in the comments!

Kandyse McClure, Battlestar Galactica

Lizzy Caplan, Party Down

Billie Piper, Doctor Who

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Leslie Grossman, Popular

Elaine Cassidy, Harper's Island

Liza Weil, Gilmore Girls

Phylicia Rashad, The Cosby Show

Robin Weigert, Deadwood

Paget Brewster, Criminal Minds

Majandra Delfino, Roswell

Jennifer Beals, The L Word

Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Eureka

Ali Larter, Heroes

Jessalyn Gilsig, Glee

Evangeline Lilly, Lost

Linda Cardellini, Freaks and Geeks

Alia Shawkat, Arrested Development

Gillian Anderson, The X Files

Janel Moloney, The West Wing

Which other TV actresses need good, juicy roles for the 2013 pilot season? Start the discussion in the comments!



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Comments (261)

  • I very much miss seeing Paget Brewster on TV. Casting people, please fix this!!! Also, Liza Weil was always my favorite on Gilmore Girls. I’d check out any show she was on.

    Comment by Calanthe – November 25, 2012 10:37 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Jennifer Aniston – waiting for her to make it back to the small screen!

    Comment by Brock – November 25, 2012 01:39 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

    • Never gonna happen.

      Comment by TheColdTruth – November 26, 2012 12:33 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Ali Larter, Evangeline Lilly and Billie Piper – YES! Miss them all so much. I also want Allison Mack back. And I really hope Anna Torv doesn’t have to end up on a list like this after Fringe ends.

    Comment by Millie – November 25, 2012 01:41 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • How about Joanna Garcia? She got saddle with that damned monkey, she deserves a dramedy role somewhere.

    Comment by jericho – November 25, 2012 02:05 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • I miss Ali Larter.. and Eliza Dushku!!!

    Comment by PrincessD (@princessdeesha) – November 25, 2012 05:05 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • I miss Ali Larter,Rachel Griffiths,Eliza Dushku,Anna Friel and Kristin Chenoweth

    Comment by jcila – November 25, 2012 05:28 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Linda Cardelinni, Salli Richardson-Whitefield, Mary McCormack, Kyra Sedgewick (no, it’s not too soon)

    Comment by Lauren Kirsch – November 25, 2012 09:02 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • simply Jennifer Beals… only Jennifer Beals… always Jennifer Beals!

    Comment by elena – November 26, 2012 02:32 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • I would love to see Billie Piper back on TV! I miss her so much. I’d also be happy to see Sarah Michelle Gellar, Evangeine Lilly, and Robin Weigert. Also, what about Eliza Dushku or Catherine Tate?

    Comment by Cora – November 26, 2012 09:59 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Elaine Cassidy is in a BBC show called The Paradise that PBS is supposed to show next… so that’s done.

    Comment by Tinemi – November 26, 2012 03:06 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Sarah Michelle Gellar is a must! I want Ringer back so bad!

    Comment by Jena Marie – November 26, 2012 05:45 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

    • Bring SMG back but not Ringer. Kept waiting for that show to get better but it never did. SMG needs to get on a cable show. Something edgy. Like Homeland. Or maybe she could appear in The last episode of The Walking Dead and kill all those zombies.

      Comment by BOOYA – November 26, 2012 05:52 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Very excited to see Elaine Cassidy on here. <3 her.

    Comment by Dani – November 26, 2012 06:17 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • I don’t think you can make an underrated tv actresses list and not mention Maura Tierney, although you would continue the legacy that she is in fact UNDERRATED. This chick should have won an emmy for her performance on ER. She played Dr.Abby Lockhart for 8 1/2 seasons,and I don’t think a character had more crap happen to her than Abby. She is a fantastic actress and if you don’t believe me,check out the old seasons.
    Another you should mention,just because I don’t think anybody can act as emotional or cry on que as well as Holly Marie Combs.

    Comment by Dee – November 26, 2012 08:36 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Also have to mention Connie Britton from Friday night lights,and Molly Price from Third Watch.Both should have won emmys for their performances

    Comment by Dee – November 26, 2012 08:39 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

    • Connie Britton starred on American Horror Story last season and now she stars in Nashville. Don’t know why you mentioned her.

      Comment by TheColdTruth – November 27, 2012 05:25 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Miss Kandyse McClure, I loved BSG. Would be great to see her on screen again.

    Comment by Bobbie – November 26, 2012 10:58 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Evangeline Lilly with a side of Josh Holloway, please.

    Comment by Squeak – November 27, 2012 07:03 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Paget Brewster miss her sooo much on my tv!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Comment by kendall – November 27, 2012 09:58 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles provided Summer Glau with a really challenging role in that she has to play an AI being who is very, very close to reaching what Raymond Kurzweill and others have called the Singularity – when an AI becomes more intelligent than its human creators.

    In one episode in particular, Season 2, episode 4, entitled Allison From Palmdale, she falls into a disassociative fugue state in which she, the cyborg, cannot distinguish between her AI self and the human she is modelled on. Apart from being a tour de force of acting on Ms.Glau’s part, she provides a really interesting portrayal of the types of identity issues might arise with an AI that is so close to being “human”. And that is just one of many episodes.

    She is thrilling and compelling to watch throughout.

    Comment by Summer Glau admirer (@chrisdvanne) – November 27, 2012 03:27 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

    • Exactly! That was great work she did there. Still so mad that FOX cancelled it before the critical third season man they had such amazing stuff planned for that season! It did ok in the ratings and the writer’s strike came (which called almost every show that came out right before) and then went and put it against MNF and then they put it on Friday night! Never gave it a shot again! And this was before they even began to give any credence to DVR ratings and such. Still can’t believe that certain particular FOX exec canned the show in that way. You can never ever trust FOX to gives shows like this a chance, ever, these days.

      Comment by FreeHaley – November 27, 2012 04:06 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • I like the helpful info you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your weblog and take a look at again here frequently. I am relatively certain I’ll learn many new stuff right here! Good luck for the following!

    Comment by BestFightingStyle.com – November 28, 2012 12:41 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • omg Liza Weil!! Seriously, when is this gilmore girls movie going to happen. paris gellar forever!!!!!!

    Comment by emmilly – November 28, 2012 03:16 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • AMANDA TAPPING.

    Comment by Catherine – November 28, 2012 04:32 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

    • recurring on supernatural right now

      Comment by Alan – November 29, 2012 10:50 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Am I the only one who noticed that both Velma and Daphne from the live-action Scooby-Doo movies made this list?

    Comment by Jordan – December 9, 2012 08:29 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Bonnie Hunt.

    Comment by Lee – December 9, 2012 04:56 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Robin Weigert is on Sons of Anarchy as their attorney Lowen

    Comment by Holly Goodhead – December 10, 2012 03:05 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Robin Weigert is on ‘Sons of Anarchy’.

    Comment by Margaret – December 11, 2012 12:02 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • I want Lizzie Caplan to be The Mother on #HowIMetYourMother!!!

    Comment by Mich – December 11, 2012 03:33 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Um… Kandyse McClure but NOT Katee Sackhoff??? Granted, I get she’s on “Longmire” right now, but does any one actually watch that show? And what about Portia de Rossi? Did anyone see her on Mockingbird Lane– she was great!

    Comment by Bighairbf – December 20, 2012 06:50 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Definitely Yvonne Strahovski!!!

    Comment by Stef – January 29, 2013 08:32 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • I would love to see Terry Farrell again. She was Jadzia Dax from Deep Space Nine! She was great. She was also Reggie on Becker.

    Comment by Hope – January 29, 2013 10:43 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • So excited you guys didn’t forget Billie Piper! This list is awesome!

    Comment by Michelle – January 29, 2013 11:26 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Alyssa Milano, Rebecca Gayheart, Genie Francis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Pamela Sue Martin, Lauren Tewes, Charlene Tilton and Melissa Gilbert!!! Yes, I know a couple of these are soap stars, but my favorite of their roles were prime time…

    Comment by Mimi Hillegass – January 29, 2013 11:50 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • id take samantha mumba over kandyse…much better actress

    Comment by mike larry – January 29, 2013 12:20 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Janet Hubert..She played Vivian 1 from Fresh Prince and she did an awesome job in bringing out the character! She would work well for any character where spiciness is required.

    Comment by Mario – January 29, 2013 01:12 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Where the heck is Janel Maloney? I miss her so much!!

    Comment by Luis – January 30, 2013 10:46 AM PDT  Reply To This Post
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