2009 TV midseason

January 3, 9:56 AMDC Pop Culture ExaminerPaula Cee

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Are you ready?

It's 2009, baby.  And that means new network television prime time.  Finally.

We've long lamented about the paltry fall offerings this year.  We're not sure what the excuses were -- some say last year's writer's strike prevented a quick relaunch of quality shows but we don't buy it -- but they haven't got any more excuses if they don't show up this month.

Our friends over at Zap2It.com have a nice slide show the series we can look forward to this month.  You can check it out here.  AOLTV also takes a look at the new season here.

As we've said several times, our favorite new show is "The Mentalist" on CBS.  They seem to be just about the only network who tried in the fall and the ratings show it.  This winter, they've got a couple of offerings:  on January 9, "Flashpoint" returns to the airwaves (Channel 9 locally) and "Survivor's" back on February 12.  They've also got some new show in April called "Harper's Island" which is a wedding murder mystery on a remote island.   Huh?

Networks are looking forward to being competitive again as they relaunch known successes.

Ratings behemoth "American Idol" kicks off on lucky January 13th with a new judge and a new attitude.  Fox is also offering up a hot new batch of "24" next Sunday, which they hope will be buoyed by the ratings strength of November's movie.  Spoiler alert:  Tony Almeida is alive and angry.

Another ratings Goliath is "Lost" on ABC.  You can catch our sneak peeks at the new season here.  Or you can wait until it launches on Wednesday, January 21.

Two long-time fan darlings will be returning.  "Friday Night Lights" will be on NBC thanks to some creative advertising negotiations.  "Scrubs" is back but will be on ABC (Channel 7 locally) this time.  If you're worried that it won't be as funny, don't be.  You can even see free webisodes on ABC.com every week (this week's right here).  Don't worry.  We don't have to wait long for the gang from Sacred Heart.  "Scrubs" launches on Tuesday.

We're most looking forward to the relaunch of "Monk" and "Psych" on USA.  Yes, we know it's cable, but we love 'em.  Somehow their holiday episodes weren't enough so we are chomping at the bit for the new seasons next Friday.

"Battlestar Galactica" and "Damages" are both also hotly anticipated new seasons on Sci-Fi and FX respectively.  "The L Word" will be returning to Showtime too.

So, fear not Washington.  It may be cold outside, but you can stay warm by the tube and this time you may just be entertained!

Thanks to Cinemablend we've got a calendar for you summing it all up.  (This way if we've forgotten your favorite show you can't be mad at us.)  Get your DVRs ready.  We've cut and paste it for you below or you can get it yourself here. 

Broadcast Networks

January 3rd
8-9 PM GAME SHOW IN MY HEAD - Series premieres (CBS)
8-9 PM Cops - Season 21 returns (FOX)
9-10 PM America’s Most Wanted - Season 22 returns (FOX)

January 5th
8-9 PM The Bachelor - Season 13 premieres (ABC)
8-9 PM SUPERSTARS OF DANCE - Series premiere (Previews on January 4th) (NBC)
8-9 PM Gossip Girl - Season 2 returns (CW)
9-10 PM One Tree Hill - Season 6 returns (CW) 10-11 PM TRUE BEAUTY - Series premiere (ABC)


January 6th
8-9 PM HOMELAND SECURITY USA - Series premiere (ABC)
8-9 PM The Biggest Loser: Couples - Season 7 premieres (NBC)
8-9 PM 90210 - Season 1 returns (CW)
9-10 PM Scrubs - Season 8 premieres (ABC)
9-10 PM Privileged - Season 1 returns (CW)
10-11 PM PRIMETIME - Series premiere (ABC)
10-11 PM Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Season 10 premieres (NBC)

January 7th
8-9 PM Knight Rider - Season 1 returns (NBC)
8-9 PM 13: FEAR IS REAL - Series premiere (CW)

January 8th
8-9 PM Ugly Betty - Season 3 returns (ABC)
8-8:30 PM My Name Is Earl - Season 4 returns (NBC)
8:30-9 PM Kath & Kim - Season 1 returns (NBC)
9-10 PM Grey’s Anatomy - Season 5 returns (ABC)
9-9:30 PM The Office - Season 5 returns (NBC)
9:30-10 PM 30 Rock - Season 3 returns (NBC)
10-11 PM Private Practice - Season 2 returns (ABC)
10-11 PM ER - Season 15 returns (NBC)

January 9th
8-9 PM Ghost Whisperer - Season 4 returns (CBS)
8-9 PM HOWIE DO IT - Series premiere (NBC)
8-9 PM Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? - Season 3 returns (FOX)
8-8:30 PM Everybody Hates Chris - Season 4 returns (CW)
8:30-9 PM The Game - Season 3 returns (CW)
9-10 PM Flashpoint - Season 2 premieres (CBS)
9-10 PM Friday Night Lights - Season 3 premieres (NBC)
9-10 PM Don’t Forget The Lyrics! - Season 2 returns (FOX)
10-11 PM Numb3rs - Season 5 returns (CBS)

January 12th
9:30-10 PM Worst Week - Season 1 returns (CBS)
9-10 PM 24 - Season 7 premieres (Previews on January 11th) (FOX)

January 13th
8-9 PM American Idol - Season 8 premieres (FOX)

January 15th
8-9 PM Bones - Season 4 returns (FOX)
8-9 PM Smallville - Season 8 returns (CW)
9-10 PM C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation - Season 9 returns (CBS)
9-10 PM Kitchen Nightmares - Season 2 returns (FOX)
9-10 PM Supernatural - Season 4 returns (CW)
10-11 PM Eleventh Hour - Season 1 returns (CBS)

January 18th
7-8 PM Hole In The Wall - Season 1 returns (FOX)
8-8:30 PM The Simpsons - Season 20 returns (FOX)
8:30-9 PM King of the Hill - Season 13 returns (FOX)
9-9:30 PM Family Guy - Season 7 returns (FOX)
9:30-10 PM American Dad - Season 4 returns (FOX)

January 19th
8-9 PM House - Season 5 returns, New timeslot (FOX)

January 20th
9-10 PM Fringe - Season 1 returns (FOX)

January 21st
9-10 PM Lost - Season 5 premieres (ABC)
9-10 PM LIE TO ME - Series premiere (FOX)

January 28th
10-11 PM Life on Mars - Season 1 returns, New timeslot (ABC)

January 29th
9-10 PM Hell’s Kitchen - Season 5 premieres (FOX)

February 2nd
8-9 PM Chuck - Season 2 returns (NBC)
9-10 PM Heroes - Season 2 returns (NBC)
10-11 PM Medium - Season 2 premieres (NBC)

February 4th
9-10 PM Life - Season 2 returns (NBC)

February 13th
8-9 PM Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season 2 returns, New timeslot (FOX)
9-10 PM DOLLHOUSE - Series premiere (FOX)

March 1st
9-10 PM The Apprentice - Season 8 premieres (NBC)

March 17th
9-10 PM Dancing with the Stars - Season 8 premieres (ABC)
9-10 PM Reaper - Season 2 premieres (CW)

March 19th
10-11 PM KINGS - Series premiere (NBC)

March 24th
10-11 PM CUPID - Series premiere (ABC)

Cable Networks

January 5th
8-9 PM The Secret Life of the American Teenager - New timeslot(ABC Family) 10-11 PM No Reservations - Season premiere (TLC)

January 6th
10-11 PM Nip/Tuck - Season 5 returns (FX)

January 7th
9-10 PM Ghost Hunters International - Season 2 premieres (SciFi)
10-11 PM Damages - Season 2 premieres (FX)
10-11 PM The Real World - Season 21 premieres (MTV)

January 9th
9-10 PM Monk - Season 7 returns (USA)
10-11 PM Psych - Season 3 returns (USA)

January 15th
10-11 PM THE BEAST - Series premiere (A&E)

January 16th
10-11 PM Battlestar Galactica - Season 4 returns (SciFi)

January 18th
9-10 PM The L Word - Season 6 premieres (Showtime)
9-10 PM Big Love - Season 3 premieres (HBO)
10-10:30 THE UNITED STATES OF TARA - Series premiere (Showtime)
10-10:30 PM Flight of the Conchords - Season 2 premieres (HBO)
10:30-11 PM Secret Diary of a Call Girl - Season 2 premieres (Showtime)

January 22nd
10-11 PM Burn Notice - Season 2 returns (USA)

January 26th
10-11 PM TRUST ME - Series premiere (TNT)