Winners include "Friday Night Lights," "Scrubs," "Brotherhood," "Baghdad ER," "Boondocks," "Ugly Betty," more …

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I can't tell you if Tuesday's return of "Scrubs" is any good, because NBC didn't send out those episodes for review. It DID send out two episodes airing on Jan. 10, along with a selection of scenes from coming episodes.

The highlight reel is very funny,  and it gets around my problem with "Scrubs."

While the show is nominally a sitcom, structurally it's a sketch-comedy show, with bits of varying length. You could argue that the sketches are bound by a semblance of a plot, but to me that's not much different from Tracey Ullman tying together her "Tracey Takes On … " sketches with an overall theme.

Trying to follow the "Scrubs" narrative through the goofy asides and rapid-fire scenes makes me feel like an old person trying to watch MTV in, oh, 1981, when that viewer's whole approach to TV was based on following a more extended narrative. Or having that same person watch "Sesame Street" after a childhood that consisted of "Ding Dong School" and "Captain Kangaroo."

So, as storytelling, "Scrubs" is too jumpy for me. And that's frustrating, since I have come to like the cast and characters. It takes talent to be funny while being pummeled by dozens of tennis balls, but Zach Braff carries it off.

So I have decided to treat "Scrubs" as the new century's "Laugh-In," paying attention to some bits, shrugging off others — and finding laughs long after I have stopped thinking about the plot.

In today's TV mailbag I have a reader question about "Scrubs" and its possible return. Didn't have an airdate for it then, but I do now, since NBC has announced mid-season plans, including the much-speculated-about move of "My Name Is Earl" from its Tuesday stronghold to Thursdays, and the benching of "Joey."

These are short-term fixes, since NBC will toss things aside to make room for Olympics coverage beginning Feb. 10, and we'll have to see how the lineup looks when the Olympics are done. But here's what the network plans for January and early February:

Monday — A pat hand of "Surface," "Las Vegas" and "Medium."

Tuesday — "Fear Factor" at 8 p.m. (returning Dec. 6), with telecasts of "Scrubs" from 9 to 10 p.m. beginning Jan. 3. "L&O: SVU" stays at 10 p.m.

Wednesday — "E-Ring" remains at 8 and "L&O" at 10. In between, "The Biggest Loser: Special Edition," free-standing specials with the "Biggest Loser" theme, starting Jan. 4.

Thursday — "Will & Grace" moves to 8 p.m., followed by new comedy "Four Kings," then "My Name Is Earl," "The Office" and old warhorse "ER." The new comedy block begins Jan. 5.

Friday — "Most Outrageous TV Moments" (now a weekly series) at 8, "Dateline" at 9 and "The Book of Daniel," a new drama, at 10. "Book of Daniel" was one of the most intriguing pilots I saw last summer, and I'm eager to see how it works as a series — and how audiences take to the physical presence of Jesus as a sounding board for the main character, a minister. It will get a two-hour premiere on Jan. 6 at 9 p.m., pre-empting "Dateline" that week, before settling in at 10 p.m. on Jan. 13.

Saturday — Still movies, specials and reruns.

Sunday — Still "Dateline," "West Wing," "Criminal Intent," "Crossing Jordan."

And, as I did with Fox, here's a show-by-show rundown of things that are moving, getting benched or new to the schedule:

"The Apprentice" — benched until after the Olympics.

"The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" — finished for good once the current series ends.

"The Biggest Loser: Special Edition." Self-contained episodes on the "Biggest Loser" theme beginning  Jan. 4.

"Book of Daniel" — promising and unpredictable drama about a minister (Aidan Quinn), his family, his work and his personal relationship with Jesus. Two-hour premiere on Jan. 6 at 9 p.m., then regular episodes on Fridays at 10 p.m. beginning Jan. 13.

"Fear Factor" — Returns on Dec. 6.

"Four Kings" — new comedy about four childhood friends, now adults, with Seth Green. Premieres Jan. 5.

"Joey" — benched until after the Olympics.

"My Name Is Earl" — moves to 9 p.m. Thursdays on Jan. 5.

"Most Outrageous TV Moments" — Specials become a weekly series on Jan. 6.

"The Office" — moves to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays as of Jan. 5.

"Scrubs" — back on Jan. 3, with two episodes per night.

"Will & Grace" — moves to 8 p.m. as of Jan. 5.