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LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - While ABC won't officially announce its fall schedule until May, "Alias" star Jennifer Garner says that she and the spy series will be part of the line-up.
"We are coming back for next year, which we are thrilled about," Garner tells Zap2it.com. "I don't know if it's been announced, but I'll be back. We hired new writers, we hired new cast members, so it's happening."
"Alias" has been a critical favorite since its premiere and has a devoted fan following. However, its ratings have never been more than mediocre, earning it the dubious honor of being a "cachet show" -- one that might not perform well overall, but a good project for a network to be associated with as well as the lone program viewers who don't normally visit the alpahbet network will make a point of watching.
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SPOILER </td></tr><tr><td id='SPOILER'><!--spoilerbe-->One of the new cast members is Mia Maestro ("Frida") who will play the sister of Garner's character in the last three episodes of this season and will more than likely be a regular come fall. <!--spoileres--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--spoileree--> The additions to the writing staff will also help "Alias" creator J.J. Abrams manage his time, since he currently has two pilots in the works for the network: "Lost" revolves around a group of plane crash survivors building new lives and stars Dominic Monaghan ("The Lord of the Rings"), Matthew Fox ("Party of Five"), Ian Somerhalder ("Smallville") and Daniel Dae Kim ("24," "Angel"); "The Catch" (for midseason) follows the adventures of a bounty hunter played by "Alias" supporting cast member Greg Grunberg.
Garner, who is currently promoting her upcoming romantic comedy "13 Going on 30" and training for "Elektra" based on her character from last year's "Daredevil" film, admits that the last three seasons on the show have been grueling, but changes have been made to accomodate the need for her to deliver a convincing performance as CIA agent Sydney Bristow and keep up with the physical demands.
"I was so tired I was falling asleep between set-ups, so I was crying 'Uncle,' and I've never asked for anything before," Garner explains, saying that she rarely has a day off during the TV season and often has to be back on the set in less than 12 hours. "They redoubled efforts to be protective of me after that."
Not that she's complaining, nor will the show lose any of its trademark action sequences. "Next week I'm rappelling out of a helicopter 200 feet off the ground, and I know that two weeks ago I was barreling across the desert on horseback," she smiles. "I love 'Alias,' we're all so much like a family. I'm with the show until the end."
