Even the briefest glance at the slate of new shows coming down the pipeline this fall might be grounds for a sense of déjà vu, what with all the returning performers, characters and stories. They may be imports from other (or older) shows, from movies, from comics, from literature, or even a mix of sources. And while over eight in ten Americans wish there were more "new" ideas on TV (83%), that's not to say they aren't open to seeing familiar concepts revisited in new shows, as nearly three-fourths (73%) indicate that it excites them when a character, movie or story they like gets incorporated into a new series.

In fact, over six in ten Americans (62%) say there's at least one new or upcoming show that they're really excited about – a sentiment that resounds most strongly among Millennials (77%) and Gen Xers (70%), while Baby Boomers (53%) are more split and just one-third of Matures (33%) are on board.

Furthermore, six in ten Millennials (61%) and just over half of Gen Xers (52%) feel shows are getting better and better, while agreement on this point is lower among Baby Boomers (36%) and Matures (30%).

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,212 adults surveyed online between August 12 and 17, 2015.

Familiar faces

Whether they're returning to television or coming to the smaller screen in the midst of already flourishing careers in other mediums, there are many familiar faces headed for the Fall TV schedule. When asked which (from a provided list) they're most excited about, Jamie Lee Curtis is at the top of the list (26%), followed by Neil Patrick Harris (23%). Next up is John Stamos (20%), followed by Wesley Snipes (18%), David Duchovney (17%) and Rob Lowe (16%).

Following these are Kermit the Frog (15%) Gillian Anderson (13%) and Miss Piggy (11%). Just under one in ten are excited to see Fred Savage (9%), Jane Lynch (9%) and Mark-Paul Gosselaar (7%).

Of the stars tested, Jamie Lee Curtis is the one Americans are most excited to see across Urban, Suburban and Rural landscapes, throughout the political spectrum, in all four regions (albeit tied for first place with Neil Patrick Harris in the Midwest) and among both genders (though she ties with John Stamos among women).

Millennials are most excited to welcome Neil Patrick Harris back, while Jamie Lee Curtis tops other generations' lists.

What to watch?

What types of shows do people like to watch? Well, three in ten Americans (30%) count comedies or sitcoms among their two favorite types of shows, while just under three in ten (28%) say detective or crime shows are among their favorites and roughly one-fourth say the same of news (24%).

Just over two in ten point to dramas (22%), while just under two in ten select sci-fi/fantasy shows (18%) and just over one in ten each cite reality/competition shows (13%), DIY/home improvement shows (12%) and food/cooking shows (11%).

Millennials and Gen Xers both tune in to comedies/sitcoms first (followed by detective/crime shows among Millennials and dramas among Gen Xers), while news is number one and detective/crime shows come in second for Matures; those same two tie for the top spot among Baby Boomers.

Men are drawn most to comedies/sitcoms, followed by news and detective/crime shows, while for women detective/crime shows, comedies/sitcoms and dramas are the top draws.