2009 Returning Show Season Premieres

Let's just forget that drab fall TV season ever happened and prepare for the stellar lineup ahead.

Follow our midseason guide to find out what happened -- and what's going to happen -- on '24,' 'Battlestar,' 'Scrubs' and all your returning favorites.

Fox / ABC / HBO / ABC

'24'
Airs Mon., 9PM on Fox
Premieres Jan. 11 & Jan. 12

Last Season: Released from Chinese custody in the first episode, Jack saved the world (again!), and discovered that his father and brother were involved in terrorist activities. His dad, Philip (James Cromwell), was left for dead, but we suspect that he'll be back to villainize another day.

What's Next? Carlos Bernard returns as Tony Almeida (see what we mean about people left for dead returning?), and Jack will face a threat that's not nuclear and a baddie who's not a terrorist. Sounds like a whole new day.

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Fox

'American Idol'
Airs Tue./Wed., 8PM on FOX
Premieres Jan. 13

Last Season: Paula Abdul was loopier than ever and rocker David Cook trounced doe-eyed David Archuleta to take home the crown.

What's Next? The sing-off adds new judge Kara DioGuardi, cans its 'Idol Gives Back' charity show and shakes up the formula in hopes of keeping things fresh. Oh, and, of course, there's a batch of new contestants, too.

Related Links

More on 'American Idol'
Simon Dishes on Upcoming Season
2009 New Midseason Shows

Fox

'The Bachelor'
Airs Mon., 8PM on ABC
Premieres Jan. 5

Last Season: Jason Mesnick got his heart broken when DeAnna Pappas chose Jesse Csincsak in the 'Bachelorette' finale.

What's Next? Mesnick will hand out 25 roses of his own to women competing for both his heart and the chance to be mom to his son, Ty. Four of the women are single moms already, so the rest had better like kids, too.

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ABC

'Battlestar Galactica'
Airs Fri., 10PM on Sci-Fi
Premieres Jan. 16

Last Season: Cally was blown out the airlock by one of the final five Cylons. Later, Kara's Viper finally received a signal from planet Earth, only to find the planet's nearly been destroyed.

What's Next? The final 10 episodes of 'Battlestar' should answer questions posed in last season's cliffhanger -- you know, like what the frak happened to Earth?

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SCI FI Channel

'Big Love'
Airs Sun., 9PM on HBO
Premieres Jan. 18

Last Season: Bill struck up a flirtation with a waitress, causing Barb to question her choices. Things on the compound got weirder and more dangerous; Roman was poisoned, Alby made his move to take over, Bill's father returned to his mother -- to steal the money she was stowing in cans. Ben embraces the polygamist lifestyle, while Sarah becomes more rebellious of it.

What's Next? Margene will have her baby (bringing Bill's brood to eight), Bill will continue in his power play with the Juniper Creek crowd, and the gamble he's taking on Weber Gaming will either pay off ... or not.

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HBO

'Breaking Bad'
Airs Sun., 10PM on AMC
Premieres March 2009

Last Season: Bryan Cranston won an Emmy for his role of Walter White, a high school science teacher who opens a meth lab when he's diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He goes from law-abiding citizen to drug kingpin to murderer when he makes the decision to kill a dealer who threatens him. His brother-in-law, Hank, is a DEA agent on his trail (though he doesn't know he's hunting for his wife's sister's husband).

What's Next? Walter and Skyler now have baby Holly to care for. And Hank's search for the new kingpin in town will find him dangerously close to discovering Walter's dark secrets.

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AMC

'The Celebrity Apprentice'
Airs Sun., 9PM on NBC
Premieres March 1

Last Season: Celeb contestants clawed and hustled their way to the top of the heap, leaving 'America's Got Talent' judge Piers Morgan sitting pretty.

What's Next? Duking it out this time are stars like Andrew Dice Clay, Dennis Rodman and Melissa and Joan Rivers. And two-hour expanded episodes mean more boardroom drama.

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Justin Stephens, NBC

'Curb Your Enthusiasm'
Airs Sun., 10PM on HBO
Premieres this spring

Last Season: Art imitated life and Larry David's on-screen wife, Cheryl, sent him packing; in a season finale shocker (which also could've possibly been a dream), Larry hooked up with Loretta (Vivica A. Fox) and became surrogate dad to his sponsored hurricane relief family, the Blacks.

What's Next? Who knows! As always, David keeps show details very hush-hush -- even his friends don't get much notice about when and what they'll be filming -- but as last season proved, anything goes.

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HBO

'Damages'
Airs Wed., 10PM on FX
Premieres Jan. 7

Last Season: Ellen (Rose Byrne) finally got to the bottom of who killed her fiancé, Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) had something of an emotional breakdown after having tried to kill Ellen, Tom (Tate Donovan) was finally made a partner and Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson) was shot ... but word is he's not dead.

What's Next? Ellen's still working for Hewes & Associates, but she's a lot less naïve than last season, so expect the tables to be turned on Patty, who's back to trying big, headline-grabbing cases. Plus, William Hurt, Timothy Olyphant and Marcia Gay Harden join the cast.

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