Television

11:27 AM CST on Tuesday, January 3, 2006

By ED BARK / The Dallas Morning News

We're at halftime, not only in the myriad college football bowl games but in the long, winding march through the 2005-06 TV season. January as always will be home to a small army of notable new and returning series on broadcast and cable networks. Look for some show shuffling, too. Ready for all the see changes? Here are your road maps .

FIRST-TIMERS

Rollergirls (9 p.m., A&E) – "America's newest roll models" – woo hoo! – skate through this rough-and-tumble, 13-episode reality series highlighting Austin's Lonestar roller derby league. Tough-talking, hard-partying competitors include Punky Bruiser, Miss Conduct, Witch Baby and Jail Bait.

Dallas SWAT (9 p.m., A&E) – The perilous careers and "tempestuous personal lives" of the Dallas PD's Tactical Unit are chronicled in a six-episode reality show whose first hour features "Hottie SWATie" Rich Emberlin and hard-driving old-timer Robert Cockerill.

Four Kings (7:30 p.m., NBC) – From the creators of Will & Grace comes a sitcom about a quartet of young buds sharing a Manhattan apartment in this attempted "honest exploration of life-term friendship."

The Book of Daniel (7 p.m., NBC) – Aidan Quinn (bottom right) stars as troubled Episcopal priest Daniel Webster in an irreverent drama full of family travails. Garret Dillahunt, formerly a prostitute mangler on HBO's Deadwood, segues to NBC as a robed Jesus who periodically chats and commiserates with vexed Rev. Webster.

In Justice (8 p.m., ABC; regular time-slot premiere following Sunday's sneak preview at 9 p.m.) – A new "procedural" crime drama whose heroes right wrongs caused by a triple threat of "sloppy police work, false testimony and biased juries."

Murder 101 (8 p.m., Hallmark Channel) – Dick Van Dyke's back as "slightly bumbling" criminology professor Jonathan Maxwell in this first in a series of mystery movies. Son Barry Van Dyke assists in the crime solving as private eye Mike Bryant.

Emily's Reasons Why Not (8 p.m., ABC) – Jenny McCarthy-esque Heather Graham (Boogie Nights) stars in her first TV series (above) in this comedy centered on single and single-minded author Emily Sanders. SMU grad and Dallas theater veteran Khary Payton co-stars.

Anything to Win (8 p.m., GSN) – The network of grand-prize game shows tries a new tack with a13-part documentary series on both cheaters and fair-playing champs. Subjects range from Boston Marathon rule-breaker Rosie Ruiz to oddball chess champ Bobby Fischer.

South Beach (7 p.m., UPN) – Two horndog Brooklyn-bred pals head to Miami and quickly dive into the "glamorous local scene at the Hotel Soleil's hip club Nocturnal." Vanessa Williams plays the hard-driving hotel owner, with Giancarlo Esposito as her sometimes shady partner.

Crumbs (8:30 p.m., ABC) – TV vets Jane Curtin, William Devane and Fred Savage (left) star as Suzanne, Billy and Mitch Crumb in yet another sitcom built on the shaky foundation of a fractured family.

Love Monkey (9 p.m., CBS) – Tom Cavanagh (Ed) plays another newly jilted dude, only this time he's record company exec Tom Farell instead of attorney Ed Stevens. Beverly Hills, 90210 alumnus Jason Priestly is also in the mix as best buddy Mike Freed, who's married to Tom's pregnant sister.

Skating With Celebrities (8 p.m., Fox before moving to regular 7 p.m. Monday slot) – Slippery semistars such as Todd Bridges and David Coulier are put on ice with professionals in this retort to ABC's Dancing With the Stars and NBC's upcoming Winter Olympics telecasts.

Bleak House (8 p.m., PBS) – An ambitious six-chapter adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel is presented under the Masterpiece Theatre banner.

Courting Alex (8:30 p.m., CBS) – Four years removed from ABC's Dharma & Greg, Jenna Elfman returns to sitcom-ville as a "semi-alcoholic" single attorney looking for true love without sacrificing her day job.

STAR RETURNEES

Wildfire (7 p.m., ABC Family) – Second-season premiere of the cable network's most popular drama.

Scrubs (8 p.m., NBC) – The Zach Braff comedy at last returns for its fifth season, with back-to-back new episodes each Tuesday.

Dancing With the Stars (7 p.m., ABC) – Second-season premiere, with a new collection of celebs hoofing and puffing for your amusement and amazement. Participants include Jerry Rice, Tatum O'Neal, George Hamilton and Giselle Fernandez. Results shows on Fridays at 7 p.m.

Battlestar Galactica (9 p.m., Sci Fi Channel) – Third-season premiere of the acclaimed follow-up to ABC's short-lived 1978 original.

The L Word (9 p.m., Showtime) ­ Third-season premiere of the lesbian-driven drama.

Antiques Roadshow (7 p.m., PBS) – Here comes the 10th-season premiere of public television's answer to The Price Is Right.

Jake in Progress (8:30 p.m., ABC)– Second-season premiere of the revamped John Stamos comedy.

The Bachelor (9 p.m., ABC) – A rose is a rose is a rose is a ... Sorry, lost count. Anyway, this latest edition originates from Paris, with a 33-year-old ER doc named Travis playing the field.

American Chopper (9 p.m., Discovery) – Father and son Paul Teutul Sr. and Jr. return for new adventures in bike building.

The Shield (9 p.m., FX) – Fifth-season premiere of the rogue cop drama, with Forest Whitaker joining the cast and Glenn Close leaving.

Beauty & the Geek (8 p.m., The WB) – Second-season premiere of the nerds-meet-bimbos reality competition.

Monk (9 p.m., USA) – Tony Shalhoub returns for his fourth season as "defective detective" Adrian Monk.

24 (7 p.m., Fox; two more hours follow on Jan. 16 before the real-time drama moves to its regular 8 p.m. Monday slot) – Agent Jack Bauer returns from the presumed dead to save the world for a fifth successive season. It's all in a day's work.

American Idol (7 p.m., Fox; results shows on Wednesdays at 7 p.m.) – Fifth-season premiere of the Fox smasheroo, with the top 12 finalists scheduled to perform together for the first time on March 14. This year's talent searches took the show to Austin, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Chicago, Denver and Greensboro, N.C.

Miss America Pageant (7 p.m., CMT) – Desperate Housewives star James Denton hosts from the Aladdin Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Yes, you read that right. ABC, Atlantic City and September are out of the picture.

January invariably is a jigsaw puzzle of schedule changes and long-awaited new episodes of popular shows after a seeming eternity of reruns. We can help: Here's an alphabetical listing of what's where and when.

America's Next Top Model (UPN) –Cycle 6 begins in the spring; in the interim, South Beach inherits its 7 p.m. Tuesday spot on Jan. 11.

The Amazing Race (CBS) –It goes on hiatus until a ninth edition premieres sometime in March.

The Apprentice (NBC) – The Donald Trump original has been evicted from Thursdays, but a fifth edition is due on another night sometime after February's Winter Olympics telecasts on NBC

Bones (Fox) –It moves to a higher-profile slot on Jan. 25, following results editions of American Idol at 8 p.m. Wednesdays.

Desperate Housewives (ABC) – Jan. 8 brings a new episode, the first since Dec. 4.

Everwood (The WB) – It goes on hiatus until sometime in March, with the second season of Beauty & the Geek temporarily taking the 8 p.m. Thursday slot.

Invasion (ABC) – It's been struggling in the ratings, but the first-year creature feature will return with a new episode on Jan. 11 after briefly bequeathing its post-Lost slot to Alias, which goes on hiatus until spring.

Lost (ABC) – After a six-week layoff, new episodes resume on Jan. 11.

My Name Is Earl (NBC) – The acclaimed freshman comedy goes to Thursdays at 8 p.m., beginning this week.

The Office (NBC) –It's also moving to Thursdays this week, following Earl at 8:30 p.m.

Prison Break (Fox) – It resumes second season with new episodes on March 20.

Supernanny (ABC) –It's on hiatus, replaced at 7 p.m. Fridays with a Dancing With the Stars results show and Hope & Faith, which moves up a half-hour to 7:30.

Survivor (CBS) – A new 12th edition is scheduled for March at 7 p.m. Thursdays.

That '70s Show (Fox) –Back-to-back episodes will air on Thursdays from 7 to 8 p.m., beginning Jan. 12. The O.C. moves back an hour to 8 p.m. Thursdays, supplanting the canceled Reunion .

Will & Grace (NBC) –It moves up a half-hour to 7 p.m. Thursdays this week, with Joey going away until sometime after the Olympics telecasts.

E-mail ebark@dallasnews.com