Special Edition: The Premiere List

So here we are folks: the last edition of Tube Talk for the year. This week things are a little different - think of it as the Tube Talk equivalent of the TV clip show, if you will.

Everwood / Veronica Mars

Two shows that have tickled your fancy more than most this year are the wholesome US drama Everwood and the clever mystery series Veronica Mars.

Both are shown on Living TV and both have left you yearning to see the respective new seasons. As of yet there is no definitive word on Everwood season three - I'm told Living haven't yet bought it but I'm convinced they will. I'd put bets on Spring/Easter time. As for Veronica Mars, season two is likely to air from June or July but in the meantime, you can catch the first again from January 8.

Upcoming Premieres

The one question I'm asked more often than not is when a certain season of a particular US series premieres on this side of the pond. The answer is almost always January or February time; the reason being that most shows premiere in the US in September or October but run through the following May. The show will typically "go on pre-emption" (be replaced by repeats) multiple times during that period. This practice is not observed in the UK so, in order to air the season without breaks, we wait a few months to premiere it.

Naturally there are some exceptions to this: often channels will want to spread their acquired shows out across the year (for example, Channel 4 airs Lost on rotation with Desperate Housewives, resulting in an unholy delay of almost a year for the former).

Over the past few months on Tube Talk I've been gradually unveiling these UK premiere dates. On request, here's a consolidated list of all shows starting in January and February:

Show name	Season	Date / Time	Channel
24	5	Sun, Feb 20 @ 9pm	Sky One
American Idol	5	Fri, Jan 20 @ 8.30pm	ITV2
America's Next Top Model	5	Mon, Jan 16 @ 9pm	Living TV
Battlestar Galactica	2	Thu, Jan 10 @ 9pm	Sky One
Chapelle's Show	2	Thu, Jan 24 @ 10pm	FX
Charmed	8	Thu, Jan 5 @ 8pm
CSI	6	Tue, Jan 31 @ 9pm	Five
CSI: New York	2	Sat, Feb 4 @ 10pm	Five
Desperate Housewives	2	Wed, Jan 18 @ 10pm	Channel 4
ER	12	Thu, Jan 5 @ 9pm	E4
House	2	Thu, Jan 19 @ 10pm	Five
Malcolm in the Middle	7	Sun, Jan 8 @ 7pm	Sky One
Rescue Me	2	Sun, Feb 26 @ 10pm	Sky One
Smallville	5	Mon, Jan 9 @ 9pm	E4
The O.C.	3	Tue, Jan 10 @ 9pm	E4
The O.C.	3	Sun, Jan 15 @ 1.50pm	Channel 4
The Wire	3	Tue, Jan 17 @ 9pm	FX
Third Watch	2	Wed, Feb 1 @ 7pm	FX

New for 2006

Also in the new year, we usually get the first taste of the new shows to have begun in the US. These year has seen the revival of sci-fi and drama, largely thanks to the successes of Lost and Desperate Housewives last season.

Here's a guide of what to look out for in the coming weeks:

Supernatural (airs on ITV2 from January)
Two brothers travel the US in search of their missing father, battling numerous evil spirits along the way. One of the best new shows of the season, not to be missed.

The Comeback (airs on Living TV from Thu, Jan 5 at 9.30pm)
Starring Friends actress Lisa Kudrow, this already-axed sitcom follows Kudrow's character as she ironically attempts to revive her sitcom career.

Bones (airs on Sky One from Thu, Jan 12 at 10pm)
Follows a forensic anthropologist who aids murder investigations by deducing facts from the bones of the unfortunate victims. David Boreanaz (Angel) stars.

My Name Is Earl (airs on Channel 4 from Fri, Jan 6 at 10pm)
Comedy about a loser who, having been knocked down by a car, has an epiphany and decides to change his ways.

Surface (airs on ITV2 from Mon, Jan 9 at 9pm)
Sci-fi drama about a wave of mysterious creatures that begin to emerge from the sea.

Invasion (airs on Channel 4 from Sun, Jan 8 at 8.30pm)
One of the few sci-fi series to do well this season, this show tackles the much-mooted theory that intelligent life already exists amongst us on earth. As with Surface, it's probably worth giving the first few episodes a go before making your mind up.

Prison Break (airs on Five from January)
The most addictive show of the season, Prison Break follows one man as he deliberately gets himself incarcerated in order to break out his deathrow brother, who has been framed as part of a government conspiracy.

That concludes this edition of Tube Talk and indeed, for 2005. It's business as usual again from next Saturday, January 7: check back then for an all-new instalment!