To get everyone up to speed before Somerset premieres, here are some teasers from creator Steve Ungrey about what to expect in the future weeks.

"Don't be surprised by the show's slow pace," Ungrey said. "From our premiere Monday, I want to establish the characters and slowly lay the groundwork for some good stories in the months to come."

With that in mind, here are some coming attractions.

"The town is the star," Ungrey said. "It's changed a lot since viewers last saw it in 1976. Delaney Brands is gone. Parts of Somerset fell on hard times after that. Jack Martin (Lane Davies), one of our characters, made a lot of money from selling Delaney to a worldwide conglomerate, but he had no idea the parent company would gut the business and drive it out of town. Jack's made up his mind that he wants to reshape Somerset in his vision to make up for what he did. His nemesis in business, George Cleypool (John Beck), only remembers what Jack's sale did to Somerset and he's determined to put a stop to it. George's son Zachary (Kyle Brandt) appears to be just as cool and uncaring as George, but we'll soon see he has a softer side to him."

Politics will play a big role in the show's first several months. Don't expect many references to the upcoming election, though.

"Nick Barclay (Don Jeffcoat) is Somerset's youngest city manager ever. He's dedicated his life to being a good public servant, although we'll soon find out he had a previous relationship that didn't turn out well in the end. That's not to say love isn't around the corner for him, though."

Somerset's main core family, the Petterinos, run Giovanni's, a down-home Somerset restaurant with some of the best Italian cooking this side of the Amalfi Coast.

"Giovanni (Frank Runyeon) made up his mind that he wanted to get a business degree so he would have some background in the event his dreams failed," Ungrey said. "Luckily they didn't. He met Rose (Susan Pratt) in college and they had three wonderful children. Only Tori, short for Victoria (Melissa Gallo), is on the canvas at the moment, but we'll see Annabella (Michelle Ray Smith) in the opening weeks as she returns from modeling in Italy. Annabella is quite attractive and headstrong, but in the end she's daddy's girl and she wants anything to please her father. Tori isn't jealous; she is a beginning nurse at Somerset Hospital and is on the verge of fulfilling her dreams."

As for the two characters with previous ties to Somerset, Susannah Lucas (Stacy Edwards) and Patrick Kurtz (Matt Crane), they will spend some time together but don't anticipate romance -- not yet, anyway.

"Susannah and Patrick briefly socialized when their respective families would meet," Ungrey said. "Patrick is very happy to have Susannah back in Somerset, but there's something not quite right going on. Viewers will see down the line what that problem is, but we won't have a clue at first."

Now that you know the characters and what to expect in the first months, get ready for the return of a 1970s soap with a new twist.

Somerset. Monday on SONBC.