With the BCS ending Monday night, your pigskin-obsessed peers will soon return the remote to your hands and release you of obligations to spend your nights with the middle-aged announcers on ESPN. Simultaneously, scripted television will slowly come out of hibernation to offer you a cornucopia of the new, the beloved and even the long forgotten. Yes, J.Lo and Steven Tyler are crusading to rehabilitate their careers on the new season of “American Idol,” and Brad Womack is doing the dame on the latest installment of “The Bachelor.” But the fact that “Idol” has moved to Wednesdays because of a pubescent giant named “Glee” attests to the power of the characters and alternate worlds we wait to reunite with for 22 or 42 minutes each week.

Here’s a syllabus of series and season premieres for the next two months, intended to indulge your inner teenager, sci-fi obsession or attraction to law enforcement officials.

“Pretty Little Liars” (ABC Family, Mondays at 8 )

My favorite new show of summer 2010, “Pretty Little Liars” is both absurd in its lack of reality – 25-year-old actresses playing teenagers, for one – and addictive in that exaggeration of ephemeral high-school friendships. Aria, Emily, Spencer and, yes, Hanna continue their quest to find A and exorcise Alison’s ghost.

“Greek” (ABC Family, Mondays at 9)

This incongruous piece of ABC Family programming enters its final season of romanticizing hangovers and the cleanliness of fraternity and sorority houses.

“V” (ABC, Tuesdays at 9)

If you gave this attempt to fill the void of “Lost” a chance last spring, it’s back for another season of schizophrenic alien invaders.

“Southland” (TNT, Tuesdays at 10)

This cop procedural set in the diverse Los Angeles neighborhoods rose like a phoenix from cancellation and has found a new home at the on-the-rise cable network TNT. Benjamin McKenzie from “The O.C.” returns to television with his characteristic furrowed brow.

“Cape” (NBC, Sundays at 9)

NBC is pulling out all the stops to sell this fusion of cop drama and live-action comic book. Vince Faraday, a cop framed and assumed dead, assumes the persona of a superhero when former circus magicians train him to use a cape to fight evil; essentially, it has all the makings of camp, which doesn’t bode well for its longevity.

“Californication” (Showtime, Sundays at 9:30)

David Duchovny returns as every English major’s favorite author father and sex addict. Having finally revealed his one-night stand with a 17-year-old to Karen, the mother of his sassy Goth daughter Becca, Hank will face serious consequences for the first time in his life.

“Shameless” (Showtime, Sundays at 10)

William H. Macy anchors this adaptation of a British series of the same name about a hopelessly scruffy single dad and the children who prop him up, including the now-sassy Emmy Rossum. The previews make it look like a hilarious yet heart-breaking counterpoint to network blue-collar family sitcoms.

“Lights Out” (FX, Tuesdays at 11)

With the success of “The Fighter” at the box office, I’m sure viewers will flock to this raw, violent tale of a boxer making a comeback.

“Parks and Recreation” (NBC, Thursdays at 9:30 beginning Jan. 20)

My rage at NBC for delaying this show’s return in favor of “Outsourced” has been replaced by utter jubilation at the return of Ron Swanson, Leslie Knope and Tom Haverford. The welcome addition of Adam Scott and Rob Lowe (the funniest I’ve ever seen him) suggests the show can shoulder both the narrative burden of last season’s finale and the task of living up to last season’s unparalleled humor.

“Archer” (FX, Thursdays at 10 beginning Jan. 27)

Everyone’s favorite animated, dirty-minded spy returns to his world of refreshingly retro espionage, as imagined by “Adult Swim” contributor Adam Reed.

“Mr. Sunshine” (ABC, Wednesdays at 9:30 beginning Feb. 9)

Matthew Perry and Allison Janney, icons from the most recent glory days of network television with “Friends” and “The West Wing,” respectively, team up in this black comedy about the manager and owner of an ice rink, again respectively. Perry co-created the series with executives familiar to the Sorkin sensibility – Thomas Schlamme and Jamie Tarses – but even the pilot script fails to shine.

I would even argue there’s more to look forward to this winter than there was this fall. If all else fails, there’s probably a rerun of “Seinfeld” or “Full House” on somewhere.