Wild winter preview

A decade ago, Fox began airing the biggest show on television, “American Idol,” in January. That scheduling move was unheard of — until then, the TV season strictly started in fall — but it permanently changed the way people watched TV.

This year, networks made big deals of their “winter finales” with popular shows such as ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” and “Revenge” and AMC’s “The Walking Dead” promoting big December finishes, wrapping up storylines and setting the stage for their seasons’ second halves, which start in the next month or two.

Likewise, mid-season no longer is relegated to shows that weren’t good enough to launch in the fall, and the networks have plenty of new fare to roll out over the next couple of months, from Fox’s ultra-scary serial killer show, “The Following,” to FX’s over-the-top comedy, “Legit.”

Here’s an early look at what’s coming up, just in case your DVR isn’t full yet.

Cult

Tuesday, Feb. 19, 9 p.m., The CW

What happens when a TV show becomes reality? That’s the question asked by “Cult,” when journalist Jeff Sefton (Matt Davis) investigates the disappearance of his brother, who has been worrying aloud that his favorite TV show, “Cult,” has become dangerous.

Creator Rockne O’Bannon first came up with the idea when he was producing SyFy’s “Farscape,” which had a rabid fan base.

“I started thinking about what it would be like if those were fans of a much darker show,” says O’Bannon. “What would it be like if that show were a magnet for folks who could reach out to each other via social media?”

That train of thought led O’Bannon to “Cult,” which is about a show by the same name, starring Billy Grimm (Robert Knepper), and the cult of fans who have embraced that show.

Says O’Bannon: “The intent of this show is to create an emotional and creepy experience for the audience, something that gets under their skin.”

Do No Harm

Thursday, January 31, 10 p.m., NBC

In this modern take on “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Steven Pasquale (“Rescue Me”) stars as Dr. Jason Cole, neurosurgeon by day, and Ian Price, a man far more concerned with slaking his own lust for pleasure. Both Ian and Jason are still in love with Jason’s ex-fiancee, Olivia (Alana De La Garza) and his divided self.

“This is not a dark, brooding physical drama,” says creator and executive producer David Schulner. “It’s a fun roller-coaster ride. The fun, the pace and the energy of the show come from Jason waking up every morning with no idea of what he did the night before.”

1600 Penn

Thursday, January 10, 9:30 p.m., NBC

The idea for NBC’s new sitcom, “1600 Penn,” wasn’t — as you might suspect — grabbed straight from the headlines. Instead, it was born from the desire of “Modern Family” producer/director Jason Winer and “Book of Mormon” star Josh Gad trying to figure out how best to work together.

Gad and Winer met when Gad was auditioning to play Eric Stonestreet’s part on “Modern Family,” but ended up heading to Broadway instead. But the rapport between the two was already established.

“The idea for the show originated from knowing that Josh’s sweet spot is playing an idiot,” says Winer. “He often plays a well-meaning guy who messes up really bad, and we thought about where he could cause the most damage. That led us directly to the White House.”

“1600 Penn” stars Bill Pullman as the American President (and any comparisons to the Aaron Sorkin-penned movie by the same name are welcome, says Winer) and Jenna Elfman (“Dharma & Greg”) as Emily Gilchrist, the political operative who has become his second wife.

Together, the two are raising his four kids: Skip (Gad), who causes all sorts of chaos, as well as “Miss Perfect” Becca (Martha MacIsaac) and the twins, Xander (Benjamin Stockham) and Marigold (Amara Miller).

“Part of what’s special about ‘Modern Family’ is its lack of cynicism,” says Winer, “and that’s the DNA that this show shares. There’s a lot of warmth at its core.”

The Carrie Diaries

Monday, January 14, 8 p.m., The CW

Who knew that when Carrie Bradshaw burst on the scene as quintessential New York girl on “Sex and the City” in 1998 that she would become a bit like Batman, spawning films, sequels and now, prequels?

Like “SATC,” “The Carrie Diaries” is based on a book by Candace Bushnell. It’s also being shepherded to TV by an “SATC” producer: Amy B. Harris, who worked on the comedy series from the very beginning and remains close friends with Bushnell.

In the prequel, young Carrie has just lost her mother and she’s getting ready to start a new school year in 1984. She’s now a 16-year-old growing up with just her dad (Matt Letscher) and her sister, Dorritt (Stefania Owen).

“We always wondered why Carrie was so wonderfully dysfunctional about relationships and also such a romantic,” says Harris. “Candace’s book explains that Carrie wanted great big romances because her parents’ marriage became this beautiful, untouchable thing because her mom had passed.”

AnnaSophia Robb (“Soul Surfer”) has the tough job of filling Parker’s Manolos, but we’ll be bereft of seeing Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte for a while, although the show has a diner set where Carrie and her high school friends meet.

In the meantime, fans will have to make do with Carrie’s high school gang, composed of Mouse (Ellen Wong), Maggie (Katie Findlay, whose career survived the debacle of “The Killing,” where she played Rosie Larsen) and Sebastian (Austin Butler).

Oh, and of course Carrie’s true love, Manhattan, which she meets in the pilot.

Golden Boy

Tuesday, February 26, 10 p.m., CBS

CBS programs yet another procedural, and the twist on “Golden Boy” is that after growing up as a street kid, Walter William Clark Jr. (Theo James, “Downton Abbey”) has just become the youngest ever police commissioner in the history of New York City. He’s partnered with nearly retired Detective Don Owen (Chi McBride), but he’d rather work with First Grade Det. Christian Arroyo (Kevin Alejandro), an ambitious cop.

This motley crew also includes the squad’s only female detective, Deborah McKenzie (Bonnie Somerville), and Det. Joe Diaco (Holt McCallany).

At home, Clark shows a softer side, caring for his sister, Agnes (Stella Maeve), who’s caught up in the dangerous world that surrounds her.

Legit

Thursday, January 17, 10:30 p.m., FX

“The best quote I’ve heard about the show so far is ‘it’s so wrong yet so right,’ ” says Peter O’Fallon, executive producer of FX’s new comedy entry, “Legit.”

“Legit” stars Australian stand-up comic Jim Jefferies, who’s not a far cry from Ricky Gervais, as a man marching through life with no verbal filter. Jim has two buddies — his far more reserved roommate Steve (Dan Bakkedahl) and Steve’s brother, Billy (DJ Qualls), who suffers from advanced muscular dystrophy and is confined to a wheelchair. Together, the three get into all sorts of misadventures, beginning with a trip to a brothel on Billy’s behalf. Says O’Fallon, “It’s ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ meets ‘The Hangover.’ ”

Deception

Monday, January 7, 10 p.m., NBC

A super-rich family faces a crisis when their party-girl daughter, Vivian Bowers, is discovered dead at the age of 32. FBI agent Will Moreno (Laz Alonso) suspects everything is not what it seems with the Bowers family. He turns for help to his former partner, Joanna Locasto (Meagan Good), who is also Vivian’s childhood best friend. The Bowers family doesn’t know that she is an NYPD detective and she is welcomed back into the fold. Vivian’s gorgeous brother, Julian (Wes Brown), even tries to rekindle their old romance.

“No one in this show is really who they seem, and everybody has secrets,” says executive producer Liz Heldens. “We keep changing the puzzle.”

Zero Hour

Thursday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m. ABC

Anthony Edwards (“ER”) makes his return to series TV in this “National Treasure”-like thriller.

As Hank Galliston, publisher of Modern Skeptic Magazine, Edwards finds himself in the middle of a global conspiracy when his wife, Laila (Jacinda Barrett), and the owner of a clock shop, goes missing.

“It all starts with a treasure map hidden inside of one of her clocks,” says Zack Estrin, one of the show’s executive producers. “There are a number of clocks that have been hidden around the world and they all have a clue inside for a reason. If the people who are after the secret at the end of that hunt are able to obtain it, it could forever change the course of history.”

The Following

Monday, January 21, 9 p.m., Fox

In the scariest pilot that’s perhaps ever aired on network TV, Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy go head to head as a washed-up FBI agent and a charismatic but terrifying serial killer in “The Following.”

Bacon plays Ryan Hardy, the only agent who was able to nab Joe Carroll (Purefoy), a literature professor turned mass murderer. Eight years later, Carroll has managed to escape his ultra-high-security prison. Hardy is called back into service, but what he learns is far more frightening than trying to apprehend one psychopath on the loose.

“In order to show you the horrific nature of the man we are dealing with, sometimes you have to go there and really scare an audience,” says Kevin Williamson, the show’s creator and executive producer, best known for helming such teen-friendly fare as “Dawson’s Creek” and “Vampire Diaries.” “My happy place is emotional horror. It all means nothing if you as the audience don’t care.”