4. Justified (FX): Is there a sexier man on television these days than Timothy Olyphant's Marshal Raylan Givens? We'd probably watch the show (and love it) even if Raylan just spent the whole hour shooting beer cans off of fence posts, but lucky for us, there's more than that in store this season. Raylan faces off with a family of murderous marijuana growers—by the way, we count at least two Lost alums (Jeremy Davies, Brad William Henkes) in the family tree, so hallelujah for that—while trying to figure out what Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) is really up to, even though he claims to have gone straight. Meanwhile, Raylan and his beloved ex-wife Winona (flinty beauty Natalie Zea) are trying to figure out if they can make a relationship work. (Come on, guys! You can do it!) Justified is just about everything we fans dream of finding in a scripted series (smart, funny, specific), so do your part to reward FX's good choices and watch when Justified returns Feb. 9, won't you?







3. Parks and Recreation (NBC): How far this little show has come! They say that great stories come from great characters, and thankfully, this show now has a veritable surplus of that valuable comic resource. For starters, Chris Pratt's Andy, Aubrey Plaza's April, Adam Scott's Ben and Jim O'Heir's perpetually put-upon Jerry have all come into their own as dense, fully drawn personalities. But it's Leslie Knope and her work husband Ron Swanson who really make the show so irresistible. For example, in one of the first six upcoming episodes, Leslie gets the flu (all the better to hide Amy Poehler's second pregnancy, of course) and as you watch the usually Hillary Clinton-esque bureaucrat try to do her job through delirium and lots of drugs, you will realize, as we did, that Poehler's comic timing is impeccable. How did this woman not have her own half-hour comedy a decade ago? Similarly, when Nick Offerman's Ron Swanson reconnects with his succubus ex-wife (real-life bride Megan Mullally), their unbridled passionate excess is nothing less than delightfully out of character for the otherwise self-possessed alpha male. (Imagine if Jack Donaghy suddenly became a porny True Blood-style vampire-groupie—it's that outrageous, strange and funny.) And did we mention that the always dreamy Rob Lowe is now part of the cast? If you opted out of Parks and Recreation at any point, this season's Jan. 20 premiere is the time to jump back in. You will not regret it!


2. Glee (Fox): Come Feb. 6, 2011, Fox airs what will very possibly be the year's biggest single episode of scripted television: the Glee Super Bowl episode. Producers are stuffing the episode, which Jane Lynch calls a "huge extravaganza," with everything from the USC Marching Band to a "Thriller" mashup to a guest appearance by Katie Couric. Would you expect anything less when the most flamboyant show on TV meets the highest-rated TV event of the year? Storywise, Lea Michele revealed to us exclusively that the ep features some major Finchel relationship developments. Sounds like a "Thriller" indeed!



1. American Idol (Fox): As it turns out, Idol fans, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler are brilliant additions to the judges' lineup. We were worried that Lopez's and Tyler's celebrity would be valued over their musical expertise, but heck, we should have just trusted the producers. We've seen a few "selected auditions" before the Jan. 19 premiere, and Jennifer Lopez's crackling intelligence and shrewd critical instincts instantly make her the show's new thought leader, while fuzzy-wuzzy Steven Tyler is the fun uncle who makes everyone in the room feel welcome and appreciated. (He even jams with contestants who inspire him musically!) But it's Lopez who comes out the biggest winner here. When a contestant's story or sound cracks the star's shell, we all get to see her soft gooey center—and those moments are going to do wonders for J.Lo's own reputation and career. All in all, if the early previews are any indication, this might just be the best season of American Idol in years.

Want more winter TV? Don't miss our calendar of premiere dates, and be sure to check out our first five picks if you missed them yesterday.