Winter is the new fall for TV

Are you ready for a prime-time "do-over"? Network programmers hope so. Thanks to the writers' strike, TV's annual fall rollout featured a paucity of fresh fare. And what did make it into our homes was mostly met with groans and yawns.

Now, as the new year unfolds, the networks are bringing out some of their big guns along with a vast array of new shows. Suddenly, winter is the new fall. Here's a rundown of the midseason madness:

The heavy hitters

--"Damages" (10 p.m. Wednesday, FX): What can Glenn Close and this spooky, suspenseful legal drama do for an encore?

--"24" (8 p.m. Sunday, Fox): Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is back on the clock and terrorists everywhere tremble.

--"American Idol" (8 p.m. Jan. 13, Fox): With a new judge and a few tweaks, TV's No. 1 show attempts to hit the high notes.

--"Battlestar Galactica" (10 p.m. Jan. 16, Sci Fi): Only 10 episodes left of this sci-fi spectacular.

--"Lost" (9 p.m. Jan. 21, ABC): We can hardly wait to get back to that island.

Familiar favorites

--"Scrubs" (9 p.m. Jan. 6, ABC): TV's zaniest medics take their act to a new network.

--"The Closer" (9 p.m., Jan. 26, TNT): Kyra Sedgwick and the gang return for five new episodes.

--"Big Love" (9 p.m. Jan. 18, HBO): Things promise to get even weirder for television's polygamous family.

--"Medium" (10 p.m. Feb. 2, NBC): Allison (Patricia Arquette) is back to take on more strange cases.

--"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (9 p.m. Feb. 5, USA): Jeff Goldblum's in for Chris Noth, but can he ever be Mr. Big?

Oh, the (new) drama

--"The Beast" (10 p.m. Jan. 15, A&E): Dirty dancer Patrick Swayze takes on some dirty dealers as an FBI agent.

--"Lie to Me" (9 p.m. Jan. 21, Fox): A scientist (Tim Roth) reads body language and voices to solve criminal cases.

--"Trust Me" (10 p.m. Jan. 26, TNT): Eric McCormack ("Will & Grace") and Tom Cavanagh ("Ed") are best pals working in a Chicago ad agency.

--"Dollhouse" (9 p.m. Feb. 13, Fox): Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") spins a tale about a secret band of operatives who have had their memories and personalities wiped clean.

--"Castle" (10 p.m. March 9, ABC): Bored mystery novelist Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), investigates murders.

--"Kings" (10 p.m. March 12, NBC): Ian McShane ("Deadwood") stars in a modern David-vs.-Goliath saga.

--"Harper's Island" (10 p.m., April 9, CBS): A murder mystery about a wedding on a secluded island that goes awry.

--"The Unusuals" (10 p.m. April 8, ABC): Amber Tamblyn ("Joan of Arcadia") plays a N.Y. rookie homicide detective.

Just for laughs

--"Meet the Browns" (10 p.m. Wednesday, TBS): A Tyler Perry-produced sitcom about the owner of a raucous retirement home (David Mann).

--"Howie Do It" (8 p.m. Friday, NBC): Howie Mandel plays pranks on unsuspecting citizens.

--"United States of Tara" (10 p.m. Jan. 18, Showtime): Toni Collette ("Little Miss Sunshine") plays a woman with multiple personalities.

--"Cupid (10 p.m. March 24, ABC): A romantic dramedy about a quirky guy (Bobby Cannavale) who thinks he's the Roman god of love.

A dose of reality

--"True Beauty" (10 p.m. today, ABC): Babes and hunks compete to see what makes a person "truly beautiful." Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher are executive producers.

--"Homeland Security USA" (8 p.m. Tuesday, ABC): A behind-the-scenes look at agents assigned to safeguard us.

Return engagements

--Today: "The Bachelor" (8 p.m., ABC) and "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" (8 p.m., ABC Family).

--Tuesday: "The Biggest Loser" (8 p.m., NBC), "Dirty Jobs" (9 p.m., Discovery). "Nip/Tuck" (10 p.m. Jan. 6, FX).

--Friday: "Flashpoint" (9 p.m., CBS), "Monk" (9 p.m., USA), "Psych" (10 p.m., USA).

--Jan. 12: "Kyle XY" (9 p.m., ABC Family).

--Jan. 16: "Friday Night Lights" (9 p.m., NBC).

--Jan. 18: "The L Word" (9 p.m., Showtime), "Flight of the Conchords" (10 p.m., HBO), "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" (10:30 p.m., Showtime).

--Jan. 22: "Burn Notice" (10 p.m., USA).

--Jan. 29: "Hell's Kitchen" (9 p.m., Fox).

--Feb. 12: "Survivor" (8 p.m., CBS).

--Feb. 15: "The Amazing Race" (8 p.m., CBS).

--March 1: "Celebrity Apprentice" (9 p.m., NBC)

--March 9: "Dancing With the Stars" (8 p.m., ABC).

--March 17: "Reaper" (9 p.m., The CW).

--March 30: "The Tudors" (10 p.m., Showtime).