It took away some 100 days of prime-time viewing, putting a bloody gash in the side of the industry. Series' whole seasons were stopped cold, and there will be fewer pilots for next fall.

But for the writers and those of us who supported them, the pain was worthwhile. The entertainment scribes accomplished two of their three goals: residuals for content written for the Internet and other new media, and profits for any older content that earns money through new media distribution like the Internet or iTunes. The only thing they didn't get was profits from reality TV and animation work.

The hole punched in this year's season of shows by the strike is unprecedented in television history. Many shows won't even return until fall.

But that's a good thing. Let's look at why the glass is half full.

The interlude will provide more time to map out the next season of stories.

The best example is Fox's "24," which the network already announced is not returning until next January due to the strike. Since it's not airing for an entire year, here's hoping the action series' writers will take the time to carefully plan the story arc, something this heavily serialized show needs to succeed. That's especially critical in the wake of what's widely considered the show's worst season ever last year.

In fact, all series could benefit from the fresh perspective these days walking the picket lines have probably produced.

The expectation now should be that storylines for "The Office" will be much more original next season, the character interactions in "Mad Men" will be even more captivating and "House" will tackle more provocative medical issues.

For the most part, writers got what they wanted, and they deserve every contract consideration and every penny they make from creating our entertainment.

Next TV season will be one of the most anticipated in history as the networks pick up the pieces and prepare a new fall lineup. This is the writers' chance to prove how critical they are to the process of crafting good television stories. They can't let us down.

Series returning: Now that the strike is over, networks are announcing plans for the rest of the season.

CBS says 14 of its series will return between March 17 and April 14 with fresh episodes.

"How I Met Your Mother," "The Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men" return March 17 with nine new episodes each. "CSI" and "Without a Trace" return April 3 with six new episodes.

Meanwhile, ABC announced nine of its series will return for new seasons in the fall. They are "Brothers & Sisters," "Desperate Housewives," "Dirty Sexy Money," "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Private Practice," "Pushing Daisies," "Samantha Who?" and "Ugly Betty."

At NBC, the Peacock network has renewed "Chuck," "Life" and, of course, "Heroes" for new seasons. And many NBC shows, including the Thursday lineup of "The Office," "My Name Is Earl" and "30 Rock," are coming back with new episodes in April.

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* VINCE HORIUCHI'S column appears Mondays and Fridays. He can be reached at vince@sltrib. com or 801-257-8607. For more television insights, visit Horiuchi's blog, "The Village Vidiot," at blogs.sltrib.com/tv/. Send comments about this column to livingeditor@sltrib.com.