ABC will launch three new dramas and four comedies in
the fall, including an entirely new — and risky — lineup of shows on
Wednesday.
New comedies starring Kelsey Grammer (Hank) and
Patricia Heaton (The Middle) will lead off Wednesday, followed by
laughers featuring Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) and Courteney Cox (Cougar
Town) starting at 9 p.m. ET. The new drama Eastwick — a new take on the John
Updike tome The Witches of Eastwick — will air in the 10 p.m. slot. "We
really wanted to get back to family comedies," explains Stephen
McPherson, ABC’s entertainment president, of the 2-hour comedy block.
"We needed the next generation."
The new crime drama Forgotten airs at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays
behind Dancing With the Stars. Ugly Betty moves to Fridays at 9 p.m., behind
Supernanny, and the new Flash Forward — a high-concept drama about the
aftermath of a 2-minute blackout — leads off Thursdays. A reality show
from Mark Burnett called Shark Tank bows on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. (though it’ll
get an early launch this summer after the 10th anniversary of Who Wants
to Be a Millionaire). Scrubs and the sophomore show Better Off Ted
will air on Tuesdays after Dancing With the Stars completes its fall run
in November.
Gone is In the Motherhood, The Unusuals, According to Jim, Cupid,
and Samantha Who?. "I feel really responsible for that show," concedes
McPherson of the fledging sophomore laugher. "Christina Applegate is a
giant TV star. It was really frustrating. It launched well but ran out
of steam."
Midseason dramas include legal series The Deep End
and V, a re-imagining of the miniseries about the world’s encounter
with aliens. As for the new comedies, Hank‘s about a powerful
CEO-cum-family man who loses his job; The Middle is about a blue-collar
family in the midwest; Cougar Town is about a divorced mom living with
her teenager; and Modern Family focuses on several crazy clans.
Shark Tank gives would-be entrepreneurs a chance to turn their inventions into reality.
ABC’s fall primetime schedule:
MONDAY
8:00 p.m. Dancing With the Stars
10:00 p.m. Castle
TUESDAY
8:00 p.m. Shark Tank
9:00 p.m. Dancing With the Stars the Results Show
10:00 p.m. The Forgotten
WEDNESDAY
8:00 p.m. Hank
8:30 p.m. The Middle
9:00 p.m. Modern Family
9:30 p.m. Cougar Town
10:00 p.m. Eastwick
THURSDAY
8:00 p.m. Flash Forward
9:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy
10:00 p.m. Private Practice
FRIDAY:
8:00 p.m. Supernanny
9:00 p.m. Ugly Betty
10:00 p.m. 20/20
SATURDAY
8:00 p.m. Saturday Night College Football
SUNDAY
7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos
8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives
10:00 p.m. Brothers & Sisters
The Bachelor will air Monday nights from 8:00-10:00 p.m. following the run of Dancing With the Stars, and Scrubs and Better Off Ted will air at 9:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., respectively, following the run of Dancing with the Stars The Results Show.
More TV news:
Fox announces fall schedule, acknowledges Whedon fans
The Ausiello Files
Ausiello’s Fall TV cheat sheet
CBS picks up four new dramas, new Jenna Elfman comedy
Gallery: Inside the ‘NCIS’ spinoff
Q&A: Catching up with Alex O’Loughlin
Ugly Betty on Fridays at 9PM? That doesn’t sound promising.
Ugly Betty on Fridays? RIP. I wont be watching
Samantha Who did not run out of steam…the man who feels “personally responsible” (and should) shuffled the show from the only time slot it had ever known to a time slot against Survivor and Bones—two of the highest rated shows on TV–and expected it to thrive follwing a dud of a new show (In The Motherhood). All of this AFTER a lengthy hiatus. Its time for ABC programmers to shift the blame SOLELY to themselves, because time and time again, its all their fault.
Launching an entirely new lineup for Wednesday night? ABC did the same thing two years ago and two of the three shows got canceled! Ugly Betty moving to Friday nights is easily a kiss of death. Excited for Flash Forward!
I think moving Ugly Betty to Fridays is not a good idea. It fits really well on Thursday before Grey’s.
They should consider moving those new comedies to Friday. There was a time when ABC dominated Friday night with comedies…they could try to re-establish that brand.
Also, it sounds like Flash Forward would be a great lead-in to Lost. Considering next year is the last season of Lost, putting Flash Forward as the lead in (and eventual successor to Lost’s time slot) means you might be able to keep that audience on the new show.
What about the new Shonda Rhimes series?? Wasn’t it supposed to air on abc this fall?
Not a fan of Patricia Heaton anyway, and “The Middle” sounds like “Rosanne”, but interpreted by people that have never actually lived in the Midwest. One less thing to watch!
“We needed the next generation.”
Kelsey Grammer? Patricia Heaton? Courtney Cox? I guess Stephen McPherson is one of the Losties stuck in 1977.
Kelsey Grammer’s Hank precedes Patricia Heaton’s The Middle, eh?
Sort of a back-to-back Back To You?
So they have thrown everything off the network that I used to Tivo. So its Castle and LOST. Nothing new. Good job ABC. Looks like you have screwed up Wednesday (or Whensday?), again.
So they have thrown everything off the network that I used to Tivo. So its Castle and LOST. Nothing new. Good job ABC. Looks like you have screwed up Wednesday (or Whensday?), again.
Looks like i wont be turning on channel 7 until Sundays at 9pm. At least until the bachelor starts again.
OH well, more time to do something productive. Thanks ABC!
That’s it….
Are you kidding me????
I won’t be tuning in to ABC till midseason when Better Off Ted, Scrubs and Lost are on.
The band is playing ABC are you are taking on water fast!
Bring back Pushing Daisies!
What happened to Lauren Graham’s new show? I was excited for that. Oh well, I guess it’s just Castle for me on ABC.