MARIA Shriver returns to “Dateline” Friday – her first time back on the NBC newsmagazine since her husband Arnold Schwarzenegger declared his candidacy for California governor last June.

Shriver, who will co-anchor Friday’s broadcast with Stone Phillips (8 p.m./Ch. 4), is not expected to address her new status as California’s First Lady – or anything else related to Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Shriver had vowed not to return to NBC until after the November election, in which Schwarzenegger defeated incumbent Gray Davis in an historic recall vote.

Shriver has been with NBC since 1986.