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Refilling the DVR

Something weird happened over my holiday break. No, I'm not talking about bad gifts, or odd family reunions or even the advent of a strange holiday tradition.

I mean, instead, that I cleared out my DVR (that's Digital Video Recorder for the technologically-challenged).

At least I cleared out most of my DVR. I still have a few random documentaries on sex trafficking that I can't bring myself to watch as well as more than a few episodes of a cartoon version of "Star Wars" that, for reasons unclear to me, my household is required to save for all time.

But the bulk of my shows are gone. I even broke down and tried to give ON DEMAND another chance, blowing through the whole series of "True Blood" before I turned to (gasp) reading books as a source of entertainment. Now I can check the "True Blood" books along with the entire "Twilight" series off my list and now I'm bored. Bored, bored, bored -- and in desperate need of replenishing my DVR.

Luckily the mid-season premieres are about to start and the holiday hiatus is almost over for the existing shows. So fire up the DVR, it's time to refuel.

This Week  

" Scrubs " is back for its 8th season at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 6 on … ABC? Apparently NBC was going to cancel the show at the end of last season but due to the writers'' strike the show didn't get to conclude. So it's ABC to the rescue and this wildly under-watched show gets to go out in style.

 

" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit " kicks off Season 10 at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 6 on NBC. I couldn't bring myself to finish watching the last season, but I really hope the new episodes are dedicated to something other than the main characters brooding.

 

" Ugly Betty " is back at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8 on ABC. Ditto for " Grey's Anatomy " at 9 p.m.

 

Thursday night comedy night is back on NBC this week too with " My Name is Earl " at 8 p.m., " The Office " at 9 p.m. and " 30 Rock " at 9:30 p.m. I think the other two crappy shows they air on Thursdays are back too.

 

And for the fanatics out there, Season 3 of " Friday Night Lights " premieres at 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9 on NBC. Who'd thought it would last this long?

 

Over in cable land, " Nip/Tuck" starts back on FX at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 6 and " Monk " and " Psych " bring all new episodes back to USA on Friday, Jan. 9 at 9 and 10 p.m. respectively.

 

Next Week  

Hold on to your hats because this week is a big one. " 24 " begins Season 7 at 9 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12 on FOX, followed by " American Idol's " premiere the next night at 8 p.m.

 

" Bones ," a show that desperation has led me to start DVRing, continues its season on Thursday, Jan. 15 on FOX at 8 p.m. and " CSI " is back at 9 p.m. on CBS.

 

But forget about all that crap because FOX's Sunday Night lineup starts up again with new episodes on Jan. 18 with " The Simpsons " at 8 p.m., " American Dad " at 9:30 p.m. and, most importantly, " Family Guy " at 9 p.m.

 

Of course, if you prefer dramedy to animated shows then the subscription channels are rolling out the big guns. " Big Love " begins Season 3 on HBO on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. followed by " Flight of the Conchords ," a show I wish I was smart enough to understand, at 10 p.m.

 

But it's Showtime, again, giving HBO a run for its money in the original series with the premiere of one of the year's most anticipated new shows, " The United States of Tara ," which starts at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18. " The L Word " and " Secret Diary of a Call Girl " also premiere that night.

 

Finally, " Battlestar Galactica ," a show that every critic loves and no who lives outside of their parents basement has ever seen, is back at 10 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16 at 10 p.m. It really is supposed to be very, very good, if only there was some service, like ON DEMAND, where people could watch the series from the beginning.

 

Week of Jan. 19

" House " is back in a new timeslot at 8 p.m. beginning Monday, Jan. 19 on FOX and " Lie to Me ," a new series centered on a human lie detector that critics are saying is fabulous, premieres on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 9 p.m. on FOX.

 

Oh yeah, and " Lost " is back. That's right, forget about setting your DVR, you might as well cancel your Wednesday because Season 5 of " Lost " premieres with two hours of fantastic " Lost " fun at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21 on ABC.

 

Week of Jan. 26  

" Trust Me ," the new show featuring Will of "Will & Grace" that TNT has been advertising the life out of, premieres on Monday, Jan. 26 at 10 p.m. on TNT. " Life on Mars ," a show that's actually supposed to be quite good, returns to ABC on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 10 p.m.

Further Down the Road  

" Heroes " is back on Monday, Feb. 2 at 9 p.m. (along with " Chuck " and " Medium " on the same night, but who cares about that?). " Life " also comes back the same week on Wednesday.



" Dancing with the Stars " fans will have to wait till March 17 to see new episodes of the wildly popular (and overrated) reality show.

 

" Law & Order: Criminal Intent " fans will have to wait a little longer to see new episodes on USA. The show's website says that new episodes, originally scheduled for fall 2008, will now start in the first quarter of 2009; some sources say Feb. 5 others March 5. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

And since we're on the subject I'll just mention that we'll have to wait a long time for my private obsession shows. " Real Time with Bill Maher " should be back sometime in Feb. 2009, but " Mad Men " isn't back until July 2009 and " True Blood " fans won't have to wait till fall for new episodes, the show will be back in "summer '09."