We’re basically approaching the second half of our television season. It's getting to be crunch time, people.

After the networks have tried – and dumped – about half of the shows they debuted this fall, it’s time for viewers to taste a sample of what they held back for mid-season replacements.

Looking at the list, there’s very little I’m interested in here.

That being said, there are two shows I’m looking forward to a great deal and a handful of others I will check out while I’m waiting for my regular television schedule to resume after the holiday break.

This year’s mid-season replacements include:

1600 Penn: The show focuses on the first family – aka the president, his wife and their offspring. In this case, Bill Pullman takes up presidential duties (again). His wife is played by Jenna Elfman. I’m on the fence on this one. I love Pullman, but this will probably be pretty uninspired. It premieres at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 10 on NBC.

The Americans: Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters) and Keri Russell star as Russian operatives in the Reagan-era 1980s spy extravaganza. The longer they’re on assignment, the more real their arranged marriage seems. And what about those kids? FX has quality television. And who doesn’t want to see Mad Mags herself, Margo Martindale in another FX drama? The show premieres at 10 p.m. on Jan. 30.

Banshee: If cable is the home for quality television, then Cinemax is the exception. The pay channel's shows are usually pretty bad. This one looks no different. It’s from Alan Ball (True Blood) and Greg Yaitanes (House). It stars Anthony Starr as an ex-con and master thief who assumes the identity of a small town sheriff. Starr is attractive, but this looks too stupid for words. It premieres at 10 p.m. on Jan. 11.

Boston’s Finest: Even if TNT weren’t dead to me after cancelling ‘Leverage,’ I wouldn’t care about this reality show about police officers in Boston. It debuts at 9 p.m. on Feb. 27.

Buckwild: MTV continues rotting the minds of today’s youth with backwoods young adults. It debuts at 10 p.m. on Jan. 3.

The Carrie Diaries: I loved ‘Sex and the City’ and I’m actually a fan of AnnaSophia Robb, but this show has train wreck written all over it. Even if it’s bad, though, I have a feeling it will live to get a second season. It debuts on the CW at 8 p.m. on Jan. 13.

Celebrity Diving: The only way I would watch this is if it was D-list celebrities jumping out of planes without parachutes. It debuts at 9 p.m. March 19 on ABC.

Continuum: This futuristic series stars Rachel Nichols and Erik Knudsen. It’s about a group of eight terrorists who are facing execution when they manage to flee – by going back in time. Syfy is hit or miss with television. Still, I might at least give this one a shot. It debuts at 8 p.m. on Jan. 14.

Cult: This is one of the few shows I’m genuinely interested in. It stars Matt Davis as an investigative journalist looking into the fans of a television series which may or may not be recreating the crimes seen on the program in real life. Jessica Lucas and Robert Knepper also star. It’s on the CW, though, which probably means it’s bad. It debuts at 9 p.m. on Feb. 19.

Deception: I would watch Victor Garber read the newspaper. Still, this NBC rip-off of ‘Revenge’ is probably going to be a big old dud. It debuts at 10 p.m. on Jan. 7.

Do No Harm: This is an update of Jekyll & Hyde, staring Steven Pasquale. Apparently, one of his personalities is just great and the other is a sociopath. This has cancelled after three episodes written all over it. It debuts at 10 p.m. on Jan. 31 on NBC.

The Following: This is the show I have the most interest in this mid-season. Kevin Bacon stars as a retired FBI agent who is called back when a serial killer – James Purefoy – escapes and starts killing again. This show is kind of a mystery. I’ve heard different things – including that it’s set up to be a limited run series right from the get-go. Either way, I love serial killer stories and I love Kevin Bacon. I’m in. It debuts at 9 p.m. Jan. 21 on Fox.

Golden Boy:  Walter William Clark Jr. stars as the youngest police commissioner in the history of New York City. Sounds like ‘Doogie Howser’ – without the ironic acceptance. This won’t last beyond a couple of episodes. It debuts at 10 p.m. on Feb. 26 on CBS.

House of Cards: This is an interesting situation. This is a Netflix show. Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright adapt this BBC drama into a modern political tale. It sounds interesting – but I honestly don’t know if it will work. It debuts Feb. 1.

King of the Nerds:  This just looks stupid. Its 11 contestants vying for $100,000 and the title of the greatest nerd of all time. It debuts at 10 p.m. on Jan. 17 on TBS.

Legit: I like FX, but I don’t have a lot of interest in this. This story uses Jim Jefferies as a comedian who makes a lot of misguided attempts to become legitimate. It debuts at 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 17.

Monday Mornings: This is a medical drama that follows the lives of doctors – including Ving Rhames and Jennifer Finnigan. It sounds boring. Although, to be fair, I’m over medical dramas for the time being. It debuts at 10 p.m. on Feb. 4 on TNT.

Red Widow: Radha Mitchell stars as a mother of three dealing with the death of her husband, a marijuana dealer. Now, the character has inherited a mountain of debt and an FBI problem. Goran Visnjic also stars. It debuts on ABC at 9 p.m. on March 3 – and I can already hear people complaining that ABC cancelled ‘Last Resort’ for this.

Ripper Street: This is the other mid-season show I’m completely interested in. It’s done by BBC America – so you know it’s better quality than most shows. It stars Matthew Macfadyen and Jerome Flynn as two British police officers caught up in the Jack the Ripper murders. It debuts at 9 p.m. on Jan. 19.

Zero Hour: This ABC show – taking the time slot of ‘Last Resort’ – is kind of like the ‘Da Vinci Code.’ Anthony Edwards stars as Hank Foley, a magazine editor that gets caught up in a centuries-old conspiracy after his wife is kidnapped. It debuts at 8 p.m. on Feb. 14.

What do you think? What are you looking forward to the most?