In years past the Fox TV network would just start getting revved up during the winter months, in no small measure due to the inevitable ratings boost from a new season of “American Idol” that has always launched in January.

Though it is no longer news to anyone, Simon Cowell made a surprise appearance at the recent TV critics press tour to end all speculation about his future on “American Idol.” Most surprisingly, the brash Cowell humbly likened his departure to that of a good football player retiring, while noting “the team will continue to be successful.”

No sooner had Cowell, in what was totally out of character, taken an unassuming, self-effacing stance about his pivotal role, Fox Chairman Peter Rice stepped in to boost his flagging ego.

While expressing commitment to “American Idol” for as long as it lasts, Rice noted that “Simon is irreplaceable, but it’s going to be incumbent upon us to make sure the show remains vital and entertaining and compelling.”

Nobody knows, or nobody is saying, who will take over for Cowell, but someone other than Ryan Seacrest will just have to become available.

For his part, Cowell will be devoting himself after the end of this season’s “American Idol” to launching “The X Factor” in the fall of 2011.

Having created the show in the United Kingdom, Cowell seeks to duplicate “The X Factor” formula in the United States, bringing us another singing competition reality program, but one in which there is no upper age limit for contestants.

Cowell noted the logistical challenge of launching “The X Factor,” because in the United Kingdom the show generated 250,000 applicants every year. The program is not yet ready to accept applications but, as they stay in television, stay tuned.

I hate getting into the ratings business, but Fox Chairman Peter Rice insisted that his network was NO. 1 for the first time ever entering the month of January.

It used to be that Fox could only achieve that status during the winter due to the success of the show that Simon Cowell is soon abandoning.

Maybe with the success of “Glee” and “The Cleveland Show” Fox no longer has to rely on the whims of a maniacal British talent show judge. Nevertheless, television programming is never a static affair, and new programs always have to be in the pipeline.

One new series that just premiered is “Human Target,” based on the popular DC Comics graphic novel of the same name.

Mark Valley stars as Christopher Chance, a unique private contractor/security expert/bodyguard who literally turns himself into a human target for the benefit of his clients. He solves protection issues through unusual means. If, for example, you’re the president of a bank who’s been tipped off to a potential heist, Chance is your unassuming bank teller.

During each job, Chance gets help from his partner Winston (Chi McBride) and hired gun Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley), as he puts himself directly in the line of fire to save the lives of his clients.

Family comedy “Sons of Tucson” has an interesting premise. Three brothers hire a charming, wayward schemer to stand in as their father when their real one goes to prison.

The kids wisely don’t want to end up in foster care, but their dad-for-hire Ron Snuffkin (Tyler Labine) is not exactly qualified for parental duty.

A lovable slacker working at a sporting goods store, Ron has his hands full dealing with the brothers, one of which is a con man like his father, the oldest one is a committed optimist with a unique world view and the youngest is a loose cannon who doesn’t respond well to authority.

Have you ever experienced déjà vu or met someone you thought seemed familiar? Do you believe in karma, fate or love at first sight? Have you ever had an out-of-body experience?

I don’t know about you, but I might answer in the affirmative to at least two of these questions. In any case, these queries are set forth as a preface to the new drama series “Past Life,” which investigates the world of the unexplained through the eyes of a doctor and a former detective who must work together to solve decades-old mysteries.

In “Past Life,” Kelli Giddish’s Dr. Kate McGinn is a psychologist working at a world-renowned institute dedicated to the study of the science of the soul.

A believer in reincarnation, Kate uses therapy and her natural gift for reading people to solve the mysteries of her troubled clients.

Kate’s partner, Nicholas Bishop’s Price Whatley, is a different story. A former NYPD homicide detective, the pragmatic and cynical Price is a damaged soul who constantly battles grief and guilt over the accidental death of his wife.

Kate and Price make a formidable, albeit somewhat dysfunctional team that works with other colleagues in each episode to unravel a new mystery.

One show that I think sounds intriguing won’t be around until May and by then may have a new title other than its working one of “Code 58.”

For one thing, this new action comedy is produced by Matt Nix, who serves the same function with “Burn Notice,” one of the best shows running.

“Code 58” is about what happens when an old-school cop and a modern-day detective expose the big picture of small crime.

Once upon the 1970s, Bradley Whitford’s Dan Stark was a big-shot Dallas detective and local hero. Thirty years later, Dan is a washed-up detective who spends most of his time drunk or rehashing his glory days. A stranger to modern police work, Dan has the reputation of being a bit of a wild card.

Almost obligatory in cop shows, “Code 58” requires that Dan must have a partner, in this case a mismatch with Colin Hanks’ Jack Bailey, a younger, ambitious, by-the-book and overall good detective who is sometimes too snarky for his own good.

Jack’s habit of undermining himself has earned him a dead-end position in the department, so naturally he’s a good fit for Dan. Both of them are stuck solving annoying petty theft cases that nobody else wants.

But worse of all for Dan is that he has the thankless job of babysitting Dan, the drunk pariah who can never keep partners for long.

Fans of “24” are so dedicated that viewing parties are typically organized for each episode. So I don’t need to remind you that Season Eight just got under way, and Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer is once again doing what he does best.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.