Here we are: Fall TV premiere week.

There are some exciting shows slated for fall, including 'Person of Interest' (CBS' Michael Emerson-Jim Caviezel procedural with a twist), 'Up All Night' (NBC's relatable new comedy starring Will Arnett, Christina Applegate and Maya Rudolph), 'Pan Am' (ABC's swinging '60s drama set in the world of mile-high espionage), 'Secret Circle' ('The Vampire Diaries' boss Kevin Williamson's answer to witches) and 'Terra Nova' (Fox's ambitious time-travel dinosaur drama, pictured), just to name a few.

But some of the most buzzed-about shows are being held for January 2012 and beyond, and we're not the only ones taking note.

We gathered a group of esteemed critics to pick their favorite new dramas and comedies -- check out all our videos here -- and the conversation changed completely when we opened the selection up to include midseason offerings as well.

So, as much as people are probably over this common fill-in-the-blank statement, I'm saying it: This year, midseason is definitely the new fall. Check it out ...

With the new comedy 'Episodes,' Showtime seemingly has a potential hit a la 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' on its hands. But instead of 'Seinfeld' creator Larry David playing "Larry David," 'Friends' star Matt LeBlanc will be playing "Matt LeBlanc." Sort of.

"It's not really myself. It's a character that David [Crane] and Jeffrey [Klarik] wrote that happens to have the same name as me," he said. "There are some similarities, but for the most part it's a fictitious character."

LeBlanc, Crane, Klarik joined stars Tamsin Greig, Stephen Mangan, John Pankow, Mircea Monroe and Kathleen Rose Perkins, as well as co-producer John Mulville, to answer questions from TV critics about their new show.

For decades, networks and television fans have looked to the fall for the unveiling of new shows, new seasons and new ideas. In recent years, though, more and more premieres have been taking place at the beginning of the year, with groundbreaking classics like 'The Sopranos' and 'Lost' favoring January or February debuts. Which begs the question: Has winter finally become television most important season?

Showtime, at least, seems to think so: according to The Hollywood Reporter, the influential cable network has announced premiere dates for three of their most anticipated shows -- 'Shameless,' 'Episodes' and returning fan favorite 'Californication' -- and all three will be hitting the airwaves in January.

Today NBC announced its midseason and post Olympic schedule including the much-anticipated Jan. 10 return of 'Chuck.' The season starts off with a two hour premiere and then moves to its home, Mondays at 8PM ET.

Created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak, 'Chuck' is a mixture of action and comedy, following the tale of an average computer geek (Zachary Levi ) who gets his brain literally encoded with spy secrets.

More and more of your favorite shows are premiering midseason these days than ever. But with the upcoming run of the 2010 Winter Olympics from Feb. 12-28 on NBC and its subsidiary channels, the rest of the network and cable pack will have to vie for the attention of viewers already glued to their seats watching the peacock network -- hoping to catch a glimpse at the next Michelle Kwan or Apolo Anton Ohno.

Below you'll find the majority of premiere dates for returning and new network and cable shows airing throughout the midseason TV schedule of Dec. 2009 - Mar. 2010. Check back regularly for updates.