Wrinkles in time

"Desperate Housewives" isn't the only show to play with time. The characters on "One Tree Hill" zipped through college in one summer hiatus, "Mad Men" took a two-year jump between seasons and when Jack Bauer returns to "24" in January, he will have aged four years since the last time he saved the world. But fiddling with the clock can be tricky business. Here are four decisions that would make H.G. Wells' head spin:

"Battlestar Galactica 1980" (1980): Time travel in sci-fi land is nothing new, but this "Star Wars" ripoff went too far with its poorly received attempt to rejuvenate a series that had just been canceled. The show, originally set in mid-20th century, shot ahead 30 years, a move represented by the growth of a long, white beard on Lorne Greene's chin. It would take almost 30 real years for the show to become a hit on the Sci Fi Channel.

"Dallas" (1986): In a feat that would impress David Blaine, Bobby Ewing took the world's longest shower. When Patrick Duffy left the hit soap opera in 1985, writers killed off his character in a hit-and-run accident. When a personal appeal from star Larry Hagman brought Duffy back, it was explained that wife Pam had either dreamed an entire season or Bobby had used up enough hot water in the bathtub to brew all the tea in China.

"Family Ties" (1987): Alex P. Keaton may have been a genius, but he had nothing on little brother Andrew, who shot up from adorable baby to an annoying 4-year-old faster than you can say "Ronald Reagan." Actor Brian Bosnell was supposed to add some cuddly-kid charm to the aging series. Instead, he came across as the least desirable addition since the Bradys adopted Oliver.

"Alias" (2003): When Sydney (Jennifer Garner) woke up on the streets of Hong Kong, she had a huge headache -- and so did we. Fans were asked to believe that she had been unconscious for two years, during which time her lover married another agent, her archenemy began running a charity and Ben Affleck was still with Jennifer Lopez. She soon put a stop to all of that.