The sidewalks are treacherously icy, the air is bitterly cold, but luckily, the networks have a cornucopia of season premieres this month to keep you entertained indoors.
Series new and returning mix up the primetime line-up this month as the TV midseason begins. Finding quality programming between the Deal or No Deal's and Kath and Kim's out there can be a daunting task indeed, so check out the shows below for your best bets this winter.
Big Love
Our favorite polygamists are at it again, getting into more schemes and double-crossings in the third season of HBO's Big Love.
The show centers on the Henricksons, a wholesome, white-bread family living in the 'burbs in Utah that just happens to include three wives.
At the end of season two, Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) is beaming with pride over his newest business acquisition, a company that manufactures casino gaming machines, and is courting a potential fourth wife. Meanwhile, at the polygamist compound headed by Bill's business rival/father-in-law, Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton) was arrested for marrying off underage girls.
Just in case that's not enough drama, season three's got plenty more to dish out to the characters. Third wife Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin, Walk the Line) attempts to gain more authority in the Henrickson household, while Nicki, wife number two, schemes to help her father, Roman, out of his legal quagmire. And poor Barb, once Bill's only wife, experiences a cancer scare.
With Big Love, Six Feet Under's Alan Ball has created another strange and strangely loveable family of outcasts. The drama's third season is a winter must-see.
Big Love airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
Flight of the Conchords
The musical/comedy duo from New Zealand returned to HBO this month to kick off season two of their hilarious half-hour series.
Last year, the Conchords, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, surprised American TV-watchers with the revelation that New Zealand is responsible for more than just the Lord of the Rings films and kiwi birds.
The series blends quick, dry wit with songs written and performed by the talented duo, yielding a unique product that's refreshing for this country's generally dull, unimaginative shows. The musical premise may at first be off-putting to some, but rest assured, the Conchords pull it off way better than Cop Rock did.
Last season ended with Jemaine and Bret feeling neglected by their manager, Murray, who recently struck it big with his other band, the Crazy Dogggz, a keytar-bongo duo.
Judging from what we've seen so far, the sophomore season will be just as full of subtle humor, bizarre characters and oddly catchy tunes as the first. Flight of the Conchords boasts a specialized type of humor, but lucky for you, it seems largely specialized for the college-age demo.
Flight of the Conchords follows Big Love Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO.
Scrubs
After eight years and a couple of false alarms, the medical comedy series Scrubs will finally seal off the hospital for good this season.
The last two seasons have been a little bumpy and a lot whacky, but, according to show creator/unequivocal genius Bill Lawrence, the final season harkens back to the heyday of the series. From what has aired so far, it seems he's telling the truth.
This year, the team at Sacred Heart Hospital encounters a new set of challenges with their new set of medical interns (among them red-hot rising comedian Aziz Ansari). On top of that, the hospital attempts to find a replacement for the retired chief of medicine, Dr. Kelso, initially enlisting the aid of Friends star Courteney Cox Arquette.
Otherwise, viewers can expect storylines to be wrapped up for all of the show's characters, from the on-again-off-again drama between JD and Elliot to the lives of the minor characters like Ted the lawyer.
The biggest change for the show this season is its switch from NBC to ABC (the latter has actually always produced the show), which has proven profitable for both the network and the series in terms of ratings. Because season eight began mid-season, ABC plans to air two episodes a week, meaning an hour-long block of comedy goodness every Tuesday night.
Scrubs airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.
Lie to Me
Think you're a master of deception? Well, you might decide to brush up on your skills after watching Lie to Me, a new drama from Fox starring Tim Roth (The Incredible Hulk).
The series will follow Dr. Cal Lightman (Roth), who helps law enforcement to crack cases by telling them who among their witnesses and suspects is lying. But this isn't another sci-fi show: Lightman is a deception expert, and his sharp observations of body language make him the most accurate polygraph there is.
Lie to Me comes from creator Sam Baum, whose last series, the short-lived drama The Evidence, didn't make waves in the world of television. But this latest creative effort has some serious heavyweights working behind the scenes with executive producers Brian Grazer (24, Friday Night Lights, Frost/Nixon and about 150 more) and David Nevins (Friday Night Lights, Arrested Development).
Still, it's too soon to predict the path of this fledgling series, but with Kelli Williams (The Practice) co-starring as a psychologist who is Lightman's work partner and an intriguing twist on the unerringly popular crime drama theme, Lie to Me could hold strong in its Wednesday-night slot.
Catch Lie to Me on Fox Wednesdays at 9 p.m.
