The cast of "Shameless"

Chicago-style laughs: The Gallaghers are back, and this time there's even more of them. The hit dramedy "Shameless" returns for a ninth season on Sunday, Sept. 9, on Showtime, with a super-sized 14-episode season (up from the 12 that all of the previous seasons have had), and even more of the cringeworthy laughs that have made the series the most popular on the network.

Of course, as always, there's a catch. The jumbo-sized episode count also means that the season will be split into two halves, with the back seven planned to premiere in January. This season will also feature the show's landmark 100th episode.

Emmy winner William H. Macy ("Fargo," 1996) stars as Frank Gallagher, a deadbeat alcoholic father with six children and a dark outlook on life. Much of the show's drama springs from the fragile relationship that he has with his kids and the harebrained schemes that he's constantly coming up with to help him get ahead in life.

In the new season, things are getting political. With election fever gripping Chicago, Frank sees an opportunity to make some cash by campaigning for the little guy -- while pocketing much of the cash, of course. Meanwhile, his kids are dealing with their own personal struggles. Eldest child Fiona (Emmy Rossum, "The Phantom of the Opera," 2004), who owns an apartment building, decides to take an expensive gamble that could make or break her business, and Lip (Jeremy Allen White, "Movie 43," 2013) struggles to deal with sobriety.

"Shameless" is based on the British series of the same name, but, make no mistake, the humor on display here is definitely from this side of the Atlantic. Find out if the Gallaghers can start getting their lives together when the first half of season 9 premieres Sunday, Sept. 9, on Showtime.

A new Knight: It took a while, but History's "Knightfall" has finally been picked up for a second season, seven long months after its first one wrapped up. The medieval drama, which premiered last December, doesn't have an expected date for season 2 yet, but it does have a new actor signed up, and he already has experience as a knight -- a Jedi Knight, that is.

"Star Wars" star Mark Hamill has turned in his lightsaber for a sword, joining Tom Cullen ("Downton Abbey") and Pádraic Delaney ("The Tudors") in the drama as veteran crusader Talus, a member of the legendary Knights Templar who's survived years in captivity. Hamill's face won't be the only new one on screen. Genevieve Gaunt ("The Royals") and Tom Forbes ("The Royals") have also come aboard, and behind the cameras the show also has a new showrunner in Aaron Helbing ("The Flash").

"Knightfall" tells the dramatic tale of the fall of the Knights Templar at the hands of France's King Philip IV (Ed Stoppard, "The Pianist," 2002) during a conflict over possession of the Holy Grail. It's a tale ripped straight out of history with a healthy dose of fiction -- Philip's actions really did lead to the destruction of the order, although the Holy Grail didn't actually factor in.

A king taking on a military order over matters of finances and debt would probably make for dull viewing, though, and "Knightfall" is anything but dull. Its second season is currently in the works at History.

Into the 'Bull' pen: A CBS drama that's set to have its third season premiere in just a few days has lost one of its main actors, but there's no reason to feel bullish: a new cast member is filling the empty spot.

"Bull" returns to CBS on Monday, Sept. 24, with MacKenzie Meehan as a new face on screen. The "Wolf of Wall Street" (2013) actor will play Taylor, a former colleague of Marissa's (Geneva Carr, "It's Complicated," 2009) and a new addition to the Trial Analysis Corporation team. Unlike most of the team, the coder, hacker and single mother sees her new job as just a way to make ends meet and expects to have evenings and weekends free.

Meehan fills a void left by Annabelle Attanasio ("The Knick"), who played the company's research and information expert Cable McCrory. She left the series after its last season had wrapped up, leaving the hole in the team that's been filled by the newcomer.

"Bull" stars Michael Weatherly ("NCIS") as Jason Bull, a psychologist and head of a jury consulting firm who uses his expertise to advise his clients and their lawyers about how best to win over jurors and win their trials. The character is loosely based on talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw's early career as a trial consultant, lending the show a special kind of behind-the-scenes look that's unique among legal dramas.

Welcome MacKenzie Meehan to the team when "Bull" returns Monday, Sept. 24, on CBS.