TEN heats up February

Dr Chris Brown stars in TEN's new reality
series, Bondi Vet.

Channel TEN has revealed its schedule for February ahead of channels Seven and Nine.

In a bold move, it has announced three full weeks of primetime shows and timeslots from February 1 to February 21. Traditionally, networks are highly secretive about their programming, particularly at the top of the ratings year.

Official ratings don't resume until February 8 but TEN will lead off with a number of its biggest shows in the preceding week. Expect Seven to do likewise...

New shows to kick off TEN's year include fast-tracked drama Lie to Me, the American version of Life on Mars and factual series Bondi Vet and Guerrilla Gardeners.

There are a number of major break aways from regular programming, with new episodes of The Simpsons and Medium switching to Friday nights, Dexter (series 2) to Mondays. Out of the Blue, removed from late weeknights, shifts to a mere weekly screening 6pm Sundays (beginning January 18).

Traditional favourites So You Think You Can Dance, The Biggest Loser, Rove and Good News Week are all back nice and early, plus new episodes of US dramas NCIS, House, Life, Law and Order as well as Futurama.

The biggest surprise is in TEN actually being so up front, so early in the year. Is this a sign of things to come?