If you’re at all like me, you dread the holiday season for one reason, and one reason only…bad television. Nothing sucks more after a long day of shopping at the mall, and wresting for parking places, than coming home, curling up on your couch, and being forced to watch Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer. Granted, there are some classics I look forward to, but I’d take a Fringe or Lost holiday special over them all any day of the week (and holiday specials almost always suck!).
So, naturally I figured it was time to start talking about the quickly approaching midseason or winter premiere dates of our favoriate shows. A few of the shows just left us a day or two ago, while others have been missing for some time. So take a look at the list, block out some time on your blackberry or iphone, and don’t forget to set your DVRs. January is going to be FANTASTIC!
| Sunday, January 4 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | ABC | Desperate Housewives | Season 5 returns |
| 9 PM | 1 hr | ABC | Brothers & Sisters | Season 2 returns |
| – | ||||
| Monday, January 5 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | ABC | The Bachelor | Season 13 premieres |
| 1 hr | NBC | Superstars of Dance | Series Premiere | |
| 1 hr | CW | Gossip Girl | Season 2 returns | |
| 9 PM | 1 hr | CW | One Tree Hill | Season 6 returns |
| 10 PM | 1 hr | ABC | True Beauty | Series Premiere |
| – | ||||
| Tuesday, January 6 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | ABC | Homeland Security USA | Series Premiere |
| 1 hr | NBC | The Biggest Loser: Couples | Season 7 premieres | |
| 1 hr | CW | 90210 | Season 1 returns | |
| 9 PM | 1 hr | ABC | Scrubs | Season 8 premieres |
| 1 hr | CW | Privileged | Season 1 returns | |
| 10 PM | 1 hr | ABC | Primetime | Series Premiere |
| 1 hr | NBC | Law & Order: SVU | Season 10 premieres | |
| 1 hr | FX | Nip/Tuck | Season 5 returns | |
| – | ||||
| Wednesday, January 7 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | NBC | Knight Rider | Season 1 returns |
| 1 hr | CW | Fear is Real | Series Premiere | |
| 10 PM | 1 hr | FX | Damages | Season 2 premieres |
| – | ||||
| Thursday, January 8 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | ABC | Ugly Betty | Season 3 returns |
| 30 min | NBC | My Name Is Earl | Season 4 returns | |
| 8:30 PM | 30 min | NBC | Kath and Kim | Season 1 returns |
| 9 PM | 1 hr | ABC | Grey’s Anatomy | Season 5 returns |
| 9:30 PM | 30 min | NBC | 30 Rock | Season 3 returns |
| 10 PM | 1 hr | ABC | Private Practice | Season 2 returns |
| 1 hr | NBC | ER | Season 15 returns | |
| – | ||||
| Friday, January 9 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | CBS | Ghost Whisperer | Season 4 returns |
| 1 hr | NBC | Howie Do It | Series Premiere | |
| 1 hr | FOX | Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader | Season 3 returns | |
| 30 min | CW | Everybody Hates Chris | Season 4 returns | |
| 8:30 PM | 30 min | CW | The Game | Season 3 returns |
| 9 PM | 1 hr | CBS | Flashpoint | Season 2 premieres |
| 1 hr | NBC | Friday Night Lights | Season 3 premieres | |
| 1 hr | FOX | Don’t Forget The Lyrics | Season 2 returns | |
| 1 hr | USA | Monk | Season 7 returns | |
| 10 PM | 1 hr | CBS | Numb3rs | Season 5 returns |
| 1 hr | USA | Psych | Season 3 returns | |
| – | ||||
| Sunday, January 11 | ||||
| 8 PM | 2 hr | FOX | 24 Premiere Event -Recap | Season 7 preview |
| – | ||||
| Monday, January 12 | ||||
| 8 PM | 2 hr | FOX | 24 | Season 7 premiere |
| – | ||||
| Tuesday, January 13 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | FOX | American Idol | Season 8 premiere |
| – | ||||
| Thursday, January 15 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | FOX | Bones | Season 4 returns |
| 1 hr | CW | Smallville | Season 8 returns | |
| 9 PM | 1 hr | CBS | CSI | Season 9 returns |
| 1 hr | FOX | Kitchen Nightmares | Season 2 returns | |
| 1 hr | CW | Supernatural | Season 4 returns | |
| 30 min | NBC | The Office | Season 5 returns | |
| 10 PM | 1 hr | CBS | Eleventh Hour | Season 1 returns |
| 1 hr | A&E | The Beast | Series Premiere | |
| – | ||||
| Friday, January 16 | ||||
| 10 PM | 1 hr | SciFi | Battlestar Galactica | Season 4 returns |
| – | ||||
| Sunday, January 18 | ||||
| 8 PM | 30 min | FOX | The Simpsons | Season 20 returns |
| 8:30 PM | 30 min | FOX | King of the Hill | Season 13 returns |
| 9 PM | 30 min | FOX | Family Guy | Season 7 returns |
| 1 hr | SHO | The L Word | Season 6 premiere | |
| 1 hr | HBO | Big Love | Season 3 premiere | |
| 9:30 PM | 30 min | FOX | American Dad | Season 4 returns |
| 10 PM | 30 min | SHO | The United States of Tara | Series Premiere |
| 30 min | HBO | Flight of the Conchords | Season 2 premieres | |
| – | ||||
| Monday, January 19 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | FOX | House (new timeslot) | Season 5 returns |
| – | ||||
| Tuesday, January 20 | ||||
| 9 PM | 1 hr | FOX | Fringe | Season 1 returns |
| – | ||||
| Wednesday, January 21 | ||||
| 9 PM | 2 hr | ABC | Lost | Season 5 premiere |
| 1 hr | FOX | Lie to Me | Series Premiere | |
| – | ||||
| Thursday, January 22 | ||||
| 10 PM | 1 hr | USA | Burn Notice | Season 2 returns |
| – | ||||
| Monday, January 26 | ||||
| 10 PM | 1 hr | TNT | Trust Me | Series Premiere |
| – | ||||
| Wednesday, January 28 | ||||
| 10 PM | 1 hr | ABC | Life on Mars (new timeslot) | Season 1 returns |
| – | ||||
| Thursday, January 29 | ||||
| 9 PM | 1 hr | FOX | Hell’s Kitchen | Season 5 premieres |
| – | ||||
| Monday, February 2 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | NBC | Chuck | Season 2 returns |
| 9 PM | 1 hr | NBC | Heroes | Season 3 returns |
| 10 PM | 1 hr | NBC | Medium | Season 2 premieres |
| – | ||||
| Wednesday, February 4 | ||||
| 9 PM | 1 hr | NBC | Life | Season 2 returns |
| – | ||||
| Friday, February 13 | ||||
| 8 PM | 1 hr | FOX | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (new timeslot) | Season 2 returns |
| 9 PM | 1 hr | FOX | Dollhouse | Series premiere |
