Out with the old and in with the new for the new year.

Similarly, when it comes to television, it’s out with the low-rated shows such as FOX’s Vanished and the CW’s Runaway – both aptly named – and in with the new hopefuls. Unfortunately, the mid-season replacements aren’t that promising.

The reality show premises are getting weaker and weaker.

Grease: You’re the One that I Want, on NBC on Mondays at 8 p.m., is yet another American Idol rip off where viewers vote for who they want to play Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson on Broadway.

Armed and Famous, on CBS Wednesdays at 8 p.m., has five washed-up “celebrities” becoming police officers. The real question isn’t “do the celebrities actually have what it takes to become police officers?” It is, “who the heck gave the guy from Jackass a gun?”

Meanwhile, the CW has The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll, where the Billboard Music Award-winning group looks for a new member for their already packed, six-member group. Viewers can expect short skirts and not many “Buttons.” Talent appears to be optional. It premieres on March 6 at 9 p.m.

A few shows have interesting premises, though they may not stand the test of time. ABC’s The Knights of Prosperity, on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m., starring Donal Logue of Grounded for Life, is a sitcom about a group of people who are planning to rob Mick Jagger’s apartment. The funny part is they aren’t the best thieves. The plot is intriguing, but one wonders how long it’ll take until planning gets old or the Knights wind up in jail.

Another show with the same problem is FOX’s Drive. It premieres April 15 at 8 p.m., starring Firefly’s Nathan Fillion and Killer Instinct’s Kristin Lehman. Drive follows strangers who race across the country for different reasons. What happens to the show when the race is over? Will there be another? Or will the writers try to elongate it to the point that viewers get tired of it?

Maybe both shows can pull a Prison Break and engage audiences with a whole new plot after the characters conquer their first main obstacle.

It will probably be safer and less painful to stick with some old returning favorites. The Emmy award-winning 24 is back at 9 p.m. on FOX, and more gripping than ever. The season erupted with a shocking start, as a nuclear explosion knocked out part of California. It focuses more on Jack Bauer’s (Kiefer Sutherland) past, including his relationship with his brother and father. American Idol is as addictive as ever with its sixth season. The country-wide auditions are still going strong with a new group of wannabes channeling their inner-Pussycat Doll, belting out “Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?” and Simon monotonically answering “no.” American Idol is on FOX Tuesdays at 8 p.m. and Wednesdays at 9 p.m.

The CW’s critical darling Veronica Mars is back from winter hiatus with a new mystery: who murdered the college dean? Veronica Mars is on Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

The new shows get an ‘A’ for effort, but they fall short in everything else. One can only hope that the fall season will bring bigger and better shows.