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Glenn Close

"Patty Hewes"
"Damages" Wednesdays at 10pm on FX

When Glenn Close landed the role of ruthless litigator Patty Hewes on "Damages," and subsequently made her iconic madwoman characters -- Alex Forrest in "Fatal Attraction" and Cruella de Vil in "101 Dalmatians" -- seem like meek Girl Scouts, not only did she resurrect her career, she also racked up an Emmy and a Golden Globe, drove ratings for FX through the roof, and became the best baddie on TV -- no matter what the season.

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Patrick Swayze

"Charles Barker"
"The Beast" premieres Thursday, 1/15 at 10pm on A&E

Nobody puts Swayze in a corner! Despite being sidelined with a bout of pancreatic cancer, the hunk best known for his big screen roles as "Dirty Dancing's" Johnny Castle and as "Point Break's" Bodhi, has emerged as winter TV's toughest new kid on the block as a hard-nosed FBI vet with a sinister side and an unorthodox protocol on A&E's new detective drama, "The Beast."

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Toni Collette

"Tara Gregor"
"The United States of Tara" premieres Sunday, 1/18 at 10pm on Showtime

With Toni Collette's range of roles over the years -- from the awkward, Abba-obsessed Mariel in "Mariel's Wedding" to the middle-class American mom in "Little Miss Sunshine" -- it's no wonder the Australian actress landed the lead role in "The United States of Tara," the new Showtime comedy about a woman with multiple personalities. The "real" Tara is a down-to-earth wife and mother who paints nursery murals for a living, but thanks to her dissociative identity disorder, she can turn into a happy homemaker, a rebellious teen, or a beer-drinking biker dude with a penchant for strip bars. Her husband Max (John Corbett) and her two children never know who’s waiting at home for them, making this one interesting household.

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Tim Roth

"Dr. Cal Lightman"
"Lie To Me" premieres Wednesday, 1/21 at 9pm ET on Fox

After making a name for himself playing second fiddle in films like "The Incredible Hulk," "Reservoir Dogs," and "Pulp Fiction," Tim Roth jumps into a starring role on the small screen as Dr. Cal Lightman in Fox's new procedural "Lie To Me." Dr. Lightman (based on real life behavioral scientist Paul Ekman) is the world's foremost expert in a very niche category -- deception -- and can study facial expressions and body language to figure out if someone's lying and why. His skills are in high demand as law enforcement and government agencies turn to him to help crack cases and find out the often elusive truth.

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Eliza Dushku

"Echo"
"Dollhouse" premieres Friday, 2/13 at 9pm ET on Fox

Needless to say, Eliza Dushku's return to the small screen as a sexy programmable mercenary who battles evildoers in Joss Whedon's latest sci-fi extravaganza, "Dollhouse," is winter TV's most-anticipated happening. By re-teaming with her former "Buffy" mentor, the butt-kicking beauty will finally be given a fair shot to redeem herself after starring in the terrible "Tru Calling."

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Kiefer Sutherland

"Jack Bauer"
"24" Mondays at 9pm ET on Fox

Kiefer Sutherland has admitted that when people see him on the street, they no longer call him Kiefer; instead they'll shout out, "Jack Bauer." And we're not really surprised. Kiefer's turn as Jack Bauer, an agent in the U.S. Counter Terrorism Unit who works for 24 hours straight to avert a variety of national crises on Fox's heart-thumping action series "24" catapulted the once-forgotten actor into a household name and a multi-time Emmy and Golden Globe winner. Even though the writers' strike in early '08 delayed the show's seventh season, Kiefer returned to the small screen with a two-hour prequel, "24: Redemption." Picking up immediately where the television movie ended, Day 7 proves to be quite a challenge even for our favorite operative as the CTU has been disbanded and former good-guy Tony Almeida becomes a threat to national security. Whatever the crisis, we're confident Jack will come out on top, and even if torture is involved, we'll support his controversial tactics and continue to cheer him on!

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Katee Sackhoff

"Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace"
"Battlestar Galactica" returns Friday, 1/16 at 10pm on SciFi

When the SciFi Channel cast Katee Sackhoff as Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace in the revamped version of "Battlestar Galactica," fans were skeptical that a woman would be able to play the part of ace fighter pilot Starbuck because the character had actually been a man in the original series. Katee's performance – along with the show's exceptional writing – quickly changed doubtful minds and now, with the premiere of the last ten episodes of the series, the science fiction world and beyond all hail Katee as sci-fi queen of the fanboys this winter. As Season 4.5 begins, the "BSG" fleet will look to Starbuck for guidance as their hope for a life on Earth is shattered. But will she lead them to destruction? And is she the final Cylon?

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Kyle Chandler

"Coach Eric Taylor"
"Friday Night Lights" returns Friday, 1/16 at 9pm ET on NBC

Kyle Chandler's Coach Eric Taylor on "Friday Night Lights" is the ideal man every woman wants to be her husband and every man wishes he could be. Kyle has earned glowing reviews by fans and critics alike for his stellar and honest performance on this gritty football series which follows the trials and tribulations of the residents of small town Dillon, Texas and their love of high school football. The third season of the show just wrapped up on DirecTV, but for those who subscribe to other cable providers, Season 3 kicks off on NBC Friday, 1/16 at 9pm ET. Coach Taylor still has his hands full this time around as he juggles being a husband, a dad, and a coach. But whatever the role, we're behind the man with the signature squint 100 percent!

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Kyra Sedgwick

"Brenda Leigh Johnson"
"The Closer" returns Monday, 1/26 at 9pm on TNT

Leading lady Kyra Sedgwick is just one more reason why Cable TV rocks our world. Definitely one of the most popular cable shows, "The Closer" returns to TNT for its fifth season of murder investigations lead by the lovely Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (Sedgwick). In case you haven't yet met, Brenda is a southern-born workaholic who runs the newly minted Major Crimes Division and is best known for her ability to extract confessions and close cases. This season Brenda embarks on the planning of her wedding from picking out the perfect wedding dress to tasting cakes. But does this really mean the commitment-phobe detective will actually end up happily married?

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Julian McMahon

"Christian Troy"
"Nip/Tuck" Tuesdays at 10pm on FX

Despite the fact that “Nip/Tuck” is well past its prime, Ryan Murphy's razor-sharp romp is still the most outrageous, creepy, and enjoyable show on the air thanks to one man in particular: the greatest scalpel-handling hottie in the history of TV, Dr. Christian Troy. Between his constant bedding of post-op beauties, a rocky on-again/off-again relationship with partner-in-crime Sean, and his overall wicked ways, the naughty plastic surgeon retains his title as winter TV's sexiest scoundrel.

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Katherine Moennig

"Shane McCutcheon"
"The L Word" returns Sunday, 1/18 at 9pm on Showtime

Katherine Moening has become the (gorgeous) face of the sexy series "The L Word" since it premiered in 2004. As Shane, a self-destructive and sexually promiscuous hairdresser, she brings a string of perpetual troubles to this edgy series about a group of gay and bisexual women in L.A. Last season was a tough one for Shane. Her salon burned down (perhaps due to an act of arson), she had a series of relationships and flings that didn't work out, and Jenny accused her of a serious betrayal. Season 6 begins with Jenny's shocking murder as everyone tries to figure out who the killer is. Several of the ladies are considered suspects, Shane included. Could the androgynous beauty have actually pulled the trigger?

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Matthew Fox

"Dr. Jack Shephard"
"Lost" returns Thursday, 1/21 at 9pm ET on ABC

Matthew Fox broke young girls' hearts as bad-boy-trying-to-make-good Charlie Salinger on the '90s teen drama "Party of Five," but what really put Matthew on the map – and earned him a Golden Globe nomination in 2006 – as a leading man is his portrayal of the scruffy, take-charge hero Dr. Jack Shephard, one of the survivors of a plane crash on a strange and mysterious island, on ABC's drama/action-adventure/supernatural series "Lost." As the fifth season begins, Jack uncharacteristically teams up with Ben to urge the rest of the Oceanic Six to return to the island in order to save the friends they left behind. Can Jack continue to be the glue that holds everyone together? And more importantly, who will Jack eventually end up with: Kate or Juliet or someone else?

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Paula Abdul

"American Idol" Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8pm ET on Fox

Whether she's attempting to elucidate her incoherent thoughts, sobbing uncontrollably, adjusting her hairpiece, sipping an unknown beverage from her Coca-Cola-sponsored cup, unsuccessfully sparring with Simon, or simply telling the contestants how beautiful they are, Paula Abdul's presence on winter TV and at the "American Idol" judges' table is not only comforting, it's necessary. Should she be replaced by rumored successor/cold-hearted snake Kara DioGuardi come "Idol's" ninth season in 2010, America's favorite reality train wreck will undoubtedly jump the shark, and the boob tube's midseason will lose its most endearing character.

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Tony Shalhoub

"Adrian Monk"
"Monk" Fridays at 9pm on USA

Thanks to the popularity of the procedural, detectives outnumber just about every other occupation on television these days. But in a sea of "CSIs" and "Law & Orders," one quirky detective stands out: "Monk." Tony Shaloub's portrayal of the obsessive compulsive sleuth has turned the character into a modern-day Columbo, and one of TV's most peculiar leading men. This winter we'll get to see how Adrian Monk reacts to an injury on the job -- and let's just say those around him suffer far worse than he does.

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Patricia Arquette

"Allison Dubois"
"Medium" returns Monday, 2/2 at 10pm ET on NBC

Emmy-winner Patricia Arquette plays a true supermom in the NBC supernatural drama "Medium," which returns for its fifth season this winter. Allison Dubois (Arquette) is a dedicated wife and mother who just happens to be able to communicate with the dead in her dreams. She puts her gift to good use as a consultant to the Phoenix District Attorney's office, helping to solve violent crimes that have stumped authorities. Though Allison became quite wary of her husband's attractive business partner Meghan (Kelly Preston) last season, Meghan's gone and the couple is hopefully back to wedded bliss for good this season. In terms of blissful dreams for Allison, well, that's another story.

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Zach Braff

"John 'J.D.' Dorian"
"Scrubs" Tuesdays at 9pm ET on ABC

Zach Braff gained fame and critical acclaim after landing the lead role on the one-camera sitcom "Scrubs," which chronicles the experiences of John "J.D." Dorian (Braff), a doctor at Sacred Heart hospital. The unique fantasy-sequence musings of J.D. have garnered a legion of fans and Zach has been nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes for this breakout role. The move from NBC to ABC has revived the comedy series' ratings and viewers are tuning in again to see the goings-on of J.D. and the rest of the Sacred Heart gang. Zach has already assured us that this will be his last season on "Scrubs," so we're eager to watch him on our TV sets for as long as we possibly can -- no matter what the network.

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