Mid-season TV schedule full of familiar faces

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time for our favorite shows to resurface. And along with our usual favorites, there’s always a new crop of mid-season shows hoping to capture our attention. This year, it’s all about the familiar faces.

Ashley Judd makes the leap to television — after a fairly prolific movie career — with “Missing” (Wednesday, March 15). “Missing” takes Judd’s character overseas to find her son after he disappears while studying abroad.

The entire original cast of 2004’s underground hit “Napoleon Dynamite” return (Sunday, Jan. 15) in an animated series on Fox. Should be friggin’ sweet.

Laura Prepon, best known as Donna on “That 70’s Show,” takes a stab (Wednesdays) at playing comedian and late night host Chelsea Handler (along with Handler, who plays the best friend, not herself) on NBC’s “Are You There, Chelsea?”

And who can forget about SNL vet, Mr. Deuce Bigalow himself, Rob Schneider. He’ll return (Thursdays on CBS) to television with aptly named comedy “Rob” — a sitcom that follows Rob’s newlywed life and the very close Mexican-American family he inherits, which includes cult-icon Cheech Marin.


Aside from those, here are five more shows that I think will fare well among viewers, all with a familiar face, or two, in the cast.

“Alcatraz” (Monday, Jan. 16 — Fox — 8 p.m.)

A J.J. Abrams-produced show that reunites him with former “Lost” actor Jorge Garcia, “Alcatraz” explores the mystery behind a group of criminals who begin to reappear after a supposed 50-year disappearance from the famed prison.

Abrams brought us “Alias,” “Lost” “Fringe” and most recently “Person of Interest,” and I have no worries that “Alcatraz” will bring forth the great storytelling that Abrams is known for.

“Luck” (Sunday, Jan. 29 — HBO — 9 p.m.)

The one-and-only Dustin Hoffman stars as the central character in HBO’s newest alongside Nick Nolte in a story about the world of competitive horse racing, the gamblers involved and the people who run the show. It’s an easy bet we can’t go wrong by watching.

“Smash” (Monday, Feb. 6 — NBC — 10 p.m.)

“Will and Grace’s” Debra Messing, and former “American Idol” contestant Katherine McPhee join forces in the newest sing-song sitcom “Smash.”

If you’re any fan of “Glee” I’m sure this will be right up your alley, as it follows the production of a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe and all the behind-the-scenes drama that ensues.

Veteran actress Anjelica Huston also stars, so you’ll be sure to get a big enough bang for your buck.

“GCB” (Sunday, March 4 — ABC — 10 p.m.)

Much like Diablo Cody’s newest film “Young Adult,” “GCB” tells the story of a former bully of a girl returning to her hometown after her marriage goes kapute, only to find she must make nice with the women she once played mean girl to in high school.

These women are all out for payback, including Miss Adorable “Wicked” star Kristin Chenoweth. Chenoweth’s character, once the ugly girl in high school, now has the picture-perfect life and the picture-perfect looks to go with it, and she’s not pleased to find her nemesis return.

“GCB” reads like a soap opera, but it combines the gossip and rumor-filled drama with the perfect amount of comedy. It’s sure to be a good fit now that “Desperate Housewives” is on its way out.

“Touch” (Monday, March 19 — Fox — 9 p.m.)

Kiefer Sutherland returns to Fox not as action-adventure man Jack Bauer of “24,” but as a widowed father whose autistic son can predict the future. “Touch” will follow a group of seemingly unrelated characters who eventually affect each other in one way or another. With Sutherland at the reigns, and a puzzle-like plot, “Touch” will surely grab our attention.