10 TV Shows You Didn't Know Were Returning Soon

Between HBO's mammoth marketing budget and the never-ending fan hype on social media, it's almost impossible to miss a Game of Thrones season premiere.

The same is true of other TV behemoths such as Walking Dead, House of Cards and - across the Atlantic - Doctor Who, but not all quality series enjoy this level of fanfare.

Television is going through something of a boom period right now, and the number of shows quietly plotting a return is higher than you might think.

All eyes are on the small screen, and studios the world over want a piece of the lucrative pie, with many placing their old favourites on the comeback trail in the hope of finding a new audience in addition to the fanbases they left behind.

From yesteryear greats to modern classics on extended hiatus, the airwaves will see some surprise returns during the 2017-18 season, which hopefully spells exciting adventures for characters old and new and, with any luck, a fresh idea or two.

Everyone loves a good comeback, and here are a bunch you may not have been expecting to see over the next 12 months.

It seems Steve Coogan has enjoyed more success scoring another BBC series than his alter ego Alan Partridge, as he's been asked to reprise his role as the inept broadcaster for the Beeb next year.

Maybe he rammed a block of cheese in somebody's face or gave them a creepy lapdance, because the network has given Alan a 25th anniversary special this year followed by a new series in 2018.

Whether this is a third season of the much-loved and hugely influential I'm Alan Partridge they're talking about remains to be seen, but it's a safe bet fans will be in for a lorryload of faux pas and Partridgeisms either way.

Coogan has confirmed Alan will serve as the BBC's voice of Brexit in the new series, which makes a whole lot of sense considering the self-professed Little Englander is also the unofficial mouthpiece of the Daily Mail.

Alan's dedicated assistant Lynn Benfield will no doubt be along for the ride too, providing he still has the means to cover her £9,500-a-year salary, and let's hope his Geordie chum Michael also gets the nod.

Partridge made his big-screen debut in 2013's Alpha Papa and has followed it with a spattering of TV appearances since, notably in last year's Sky Atlantic special Alan Partridge's Scissored Isle and a second series of Mid-Morning Matters.