ABC Upfront: Fall 2008

[Pavan]

This is only a ROUGH schedule. It is a leaked one, but could see changes by the morning when the official one is announced...so don't take it as official until you see the one in the morning:

Fall 2008

Sundays
7:00PM America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00PM Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00PM Desperate Housewives
10:00PM Dirty Sexy Money

Mondays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars
9:30PM Samantha Who?
10:00PM Boston Legal

Tuesdays
8:00PM Opportunity Knocks (NEW!)
9:00PM Dancing with the Stars: The Results
10:00PM Eli Stone

Wednesdays
8:00PM Pushing Daisies
9:00PM Private Practice
10:00PM Brothers & Sisters

Thursdays
8:00PM Ugly Betty
9:00PM Grey's Anatomy
10:00PM Life on Mars (NEW!)

Fridays
8:00PM Wife Swap
9:00PM Supernanny
10:00PM 20/20

Saturdays
8:00PM College Football

NOTES: Opportunity Knocks would launch in early September and wrap by late November/early December. Scrubs/Miss Guided would likely take over in January.
The Dirty Sexy Money and Brothers & Sisters nights could be switched...it is still tough to say. Same goes for Eli Stone/Life on Mars, but that might be a better chance.
The Bachelor would come in January, possibly in its Monday at 10pm slot.
Lost returns in February on Thursdays at 10. While many new series would start launching mid-season, such as Bad Mother's Handbook, Good Behavior, Prince of Motor City, etc. Old Christine is also possible still if CBS drops it.

We might have another leaked schedule, if any changes, later tonight. Official schedule around 9am ET tomorrow! You'll probably see it here first...I usually get ABC's before anyone else does in the media.

[tvcrazed]

It's being reported that MISS GUIDED has been canceled (unfortunately). It's mostly a good schedule with an exception. Why would BL get a high profile slot when it gets no more than a 2.0 when Dancing is not its lead in. ABC will come in 3rd or 4th on a night they should come in no less than 2nd. Wife Swap won its time slot with a 2.5 last wednesday at 8pm in the spring which has lower viewing levels. Supernanny got a 4.0 last jan at 10pm on a wednesday (when not against Idol). in fact it usually gets a 2.2 AGAINST Idol. When Bl followed it on Wednesday it lost viewers and got a 1.9. To have those shows wasted on Friday and BL take Monday at 10 makes no sense. Boston Legal was almost cancelled. So now they add it to an important night? Boston legal should be at Friday at 9pm.

[Brent88]

I like this schedule. I really hope DSM after DH does happen and B&S moves. It's been after DH two seasons, it's time to stand on it's own(and plus post-DH has been ABC's biggest success the last 4 seasons).

[mtlguy]

It's being reported that MISS GUIDED has been canceled (unfortunately). It's mostly a good schedule with an exception. Why would BL get a high profile slot when it gets no more than a 2.0 when Dancing is not its lead in. ABC will come in 3rd or 4th on a night they should come in no less than 2nd. Wife Swap won its time slot with a 2.5 last wednesday at 8pm in the spring which has lower viewing levels. Supernanny got a 4.0 last jan at 10pm on a wednesday (when not against Idol). in fact it usually gets a 2.2 AGAINST Idol. When Bl followed it on Wednesday it lost viewers and got a 1.9. To have those shows wasted on Friday and BL take Monday at 10 makes no sense. Boston Legal was almost cancelled. So now they add it to an important night? Boston legal should be at Friday at 9pm.

The Monday 10pm has been for the last few season used for moderate hit returning, and that is exactly what BL now is. ABC was not planning on bringing it back and were probably thinking (sadly) bringing back The Bachelor on the night.

Because David E Kelley used his exit from Life on Mars to deal a 5th season, ABC put BL the only slot that they could really. Replacing Bachelor with Boston Legal may not be the best idea, but it is a big improvement over Bachelor.

As for Miss/Guided, all the trade media are reporting it as renewed or close to be. Nobody has it as canceled. yet anyway.

As for Supernanny and Wife Swap, these are old series that didn't did that bad when they were against repeat or strike programming. They belong to a night like Friday where nothing much works, the hut level is too low for expensive shows. They will bring the same demo on Friday or better than now and than what CBS drama will at a fraction of the cost.

[tvcrazed]

The LA Times and TV week are reporting MISS GUIDED as canceled.

The Bachelor was not coming back this Fall til midseason since they are running another edition starting next week plus this edition went down. yet the bachelor still outrates BL at a fraction of the cost. Last spring and this fall ABC was winning Monday night with The Bachelor thats not moderate programming.

Reruns of AFV would do as well on Fri night and they could use wife Swap and Supernanny during the week. WIfe Swap won the 8pm hour last week in 18-49. it's a self starter. AT 10pm Boston legal got a 1.9 - wife swap 2.5.

[Pavan]

As far as I hear, Miss Guided will return. Though we shall see.

Here is another leaked schedule, could have been from an earlier planning stage since it seems out of place.

Fall 2008

Sundays
7:00PM America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00PM Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00PM Desperate Housewives
10:00PM Brothers & Sisters

Mondays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars
9:30PM Samantha Who?
10:00PM Boston Legal

Tuesdays
8:00PM Scrubs
8:30PM Miss Guided
9:00PM Dancing with the Stars: The Results
10:00PM Eli Stone

Wednesdays
8:00PM Pushing Daisies
9:00PM Private Practice
10:00PM Dirty Sexy Money

Thursdays
8:00PM Ugly Betty
9:00PM Grey's Anatomy
10:00PM Life on Mars (NEW!)

Fridays
8:00PM Opportunity Knocks (NEW!)
9:00PM Just for Laughs
9:30PM According to Jim
10:00PM 20/20

Saturdays
8:00PM College Football

[Scoobiedoo30]

I think According To Jim will do well on Friday's at 8:30 pm Ct Time

[Pavan]

That is a rough schedule, not official one yet.

[Brent88]

As far as I hear, Miss Guided will return. Though we shall see.

Here is another leaked schedule, could have been from an earlier planning stage since it seems out of place.

Fall 2008

Sundays
7:00PM America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00PM Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00PM Desperate Housewives
10:00PM Brothers & Sisters

Mondays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars
9:30PM Samantha Who?
10:00PM Boston Legal

Tuesdays
8:00PM Scrubs
8:30PM Miss Guided
9:00PM Dancing with the Stars: The Results
10:00PM Eli Stone

Wednesdays
8:00PM Pushing Daisies
9:00PM Private Practice
10:00PM Dirty Sexy Money

Thursdays
8:00PM Ugly Betty
9:00PM Grey's Anatomy
10:00PM Life on Mars (NEW!)

Fridays
8:00PM Opportunity Knocks (NEW!)
9:00PM Just for Laughs
9:30PM According to Jim
10:00PM 20/20

Saturdays
8:00PM College Football

I don't like this one at all.

[Pavan]

Official Fall schedule is here:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2008/05/abc-and-cw-2008-09-upfronts-fall-2008.html

Same as the first rough but DSM and B&S is switched.

[Pavan]

Official press release:

ABC UNVEILS 2008-09 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

New Series Include “The Goode Family,” “Life on Mars,” “Opportunity Knocks,” “Scrubs”
And “Untitled Ashton Kutcher/Tyra Banks Project”

Returning Series on the Fall Schedule Include “America’s Funniest Home Videos,”
“Boston Legal,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Dancing with the Stars,”
“Desperate Housewives,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Eli Stone,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,”
“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Samantha Who?,”
“Supernanny,” “Ugly Betty,” “Wife Swap” and “20/20”


Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment, today outlined ABC’s plans for next season and unveiled the network’s 2008-09 fall schedule before the advertising and media communities at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.

Scheduled to debut this fall are new drama “Life on Mars,” and new alternative series “Opportunity Knocks” from executive producer Ashton Kutcher.

Returning series on the fall schedule are “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “Boston Legal,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Eli Stone,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Samantha Who?,” “Supernanny,” “Ugly Betty,” “Wife Swap” and “20/20.”

In addition, “Saturday Night College Football” will return for a fourth season.

New series for midseason include “The Goode Family,” “Scrubs” and “Untitled Ashton Kutcher/Tyra Banks Project.”

Other returning series include “According to Jim,” “The Bachelor,” “Lost” and ABC News’ “Primetime: What Would You Do?”

“We’re returning our dominant core group of shows from last fall,” said McPherson. “The few openings we had we’ve filled with the kind of quality programming viewers have come to expect from ABC, and we have a very strong bench. As always, our focus is on delivering the best stories and most memorable characters on TV every day of the week, every week of the year.”

For the 2007-08 TV season, ABC holds second place to an “American Idol” and “Super Bowl”-driven Fox among Adults 18-49. The ABC airs 6 of the Top 15 TV shows this season in the key Adult 18-49 sales demographic, including 3 of the Top 5 scripted series with “Desperate Housewives” (No. 1), “Grey’s” (No. 3) and “Lost” (No. 5). In addition, 4 of the Top 6 most-watched television shows are on ABC. ABC claims 5 of the Top 10 freshman series this season, including the No. 1 new comedy in “Samantha Who?” (also the most-watched new scripted series this season). For the 3rd straight season the Network remains a top destination for affluent viewers, delivering 5 of the Top 10 highest-rated TV series and each of the Top 3 scripted shows among Adults 18-49 in homes w/$100K+ annual income.

ABC was a standout performer during Fall '07, prior to the strike-related scheduling disruptions, leading its nearest competition (CBS) from the start of the season through the end of November by 11% on average in Adults 18-49. Furthermore, ABC delivered the No. 1 position among young adults on 7 of the first 10 weeks this season, and ranked either first or second on 6 of 7 nights of the week throughout the fall. ABC won the November Sweep in Adults 18-49, its third consecutive year to hold the top spot for the month in the key sales demo.

Shows picked up but not listed on the schedule will debut later in the 2008-09 season.



ABC’s fall primetime schedule is as follows (all times listed are Eastern, with new shows in bold):

DAY TIME SERIES


MONDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
9:30 p.m. “Samantha Who?”
10:00 p.m. “Boston Legal”


TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Opportunity Knocks”
9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 p.m. “Eli Stone”


WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Pushing Daisies”
9:00 p.m. “Private Practice”
10:00 p.m. “Dirty Sexy Money”


THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Ugly Betty”
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10:00 p.m. “Life on Mars”


FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Wife Swap”
9:00 p.m. “Supernanny”
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”



NEW FALL SERIES



DRAMA



“LIFE ON MARS”
“Life on Mars” is based on the BBC series created by Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan and Ashley Pharoah. The series revolves around Sam Tyler, a modern-day police detective who, after a car crash, mysteriously finds himself transported back to 1973 and still working as a detective.

“Life on Mars” stars Jason O’ Mara as Sam Tyler, Rachelle LeFevre as Annie Cartwright, Colm Meaney as Gene Hunt, Stephanie Jacobsen as Maya, Lenny Clarke as George Randall, Patrick Wenk-Wolff as Colin Raimes and Richard Benjamin as Milton Kornboll.

The series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television and ABC Studios. Josh Applebaum, Andre Nemec, Scott Rosenberg, Jane Featherstone, Stephen Garrett and David E. Kelley are the executive producers. The pilot episode of “Life on Mars” was executive-produced by David E. Kelley, Tommy Schlamme, Bob Breech, Jane Featherstone and Stephen Garrett, and was produced by David E. Kelley Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television.



ALTERNATIVE



“OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS”
“Opportunity Knocks” is a new show that breaks the mold of typical game and reality shows. We will be showing up on America’s doorstep and testing how well they know their family. Our mobile team will arrive at “Anywhere, America” in a semi-truck that is full of flat screen TVs, new furniture and big cash prizes that the family can win right there. We will take the action of a game show directly into our contestants’ homes, setting up shop in a family’s front lawn. The instant our host, JD Roth, knocks on the front door, the game will begin. Hollywood will invade a suburban neighborhood, and each week one lucky family will play the game of a lifetime in front of all their friends and neighbors.

The host poses trivia questions to family members based directly on their lives, each other and articles found in and around their home. If they’re able to prove they know their family inside and out, they’ll win the prizes of their dreams.

Executive producers for “Opportunity Knocks” are Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg, Karey Burke, J.D. Roth and Todd A. Nelson. “Opportunity Knocks” is produced by Katalyst Films and 3 Ball Productions.



RETURNING FALL SERIES



DRAMA



“BOSTON LEGAL”
Led by an Emmy Award-winning cast, “Boston Legal” returns for a fifth season to tell the professional and personal stories of a group of brilliant but often emotionally-challenged attorneys. Fast-paced and wildly comedic, the series confronts social and moral issues, while its characters continually stretch the boundaries of the law.

“Boston Legal” stars James Spader as Alan Shore, John Larroquette as Carl Sack, Christian Clemenson as Jerry Espenson, Gary Anthony Williams as Clarence/Clarice Bell, Tara Summers as Katie Lloyd, Saffron Burrows as Lorraine Weller, Taraji P. Henson as Whitney Rome, with Candice Bergen as Shirley Schmidt and William Shatner as Denny Crane.

“Boston Legal” was created by David E. Kelley. Kelley and Bill D’Elia are executive producers. The series, which premiered October 3, 2004, is produced by David E. Kelley Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television.



“BROTHERS & SISTERS”
“Brothers & Sisters” continues to follow the California-based Walker family through the complicated maze of American life today. The compelling one-hour drama series is about a collection of five enmeshed and somewhat damaged adult siblings and their strong but passionately devoted mother, Nora Holden (Oscar and Emmy Award winner Sally Field).

The Walkers’ lives have not been without challenge; romance, parenting, divorce, infidelity, addiction, war and even death have pushed each of them to the limit, but they continue to work toward living their lives as individuals, while loving each other unconditionally and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy after the loss of their larger-than-life family patriarch, William Walker.

“Brothers & Sisters” stars Dave Annable as Justin Walker, Maxwell Perry Cotton as Cooper Whedon, Kerris Lilla Dorsey as Paige, Sally Field as Nora Holden, Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker, Balthazar Getty as Thomas Walker, Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon, Rob Lowe as Senator Robert McCallister, Sarah Jane Morris as Julia Walker, Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker, Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden, Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper and Patricia Wettig as Holly Harper.

The series is executive-produced by Ken Olin (“Alias,” “thirtysomething”), Greg Berlanti (“Dirty Sexy Money,” “Everwood”), Monica Owusu-Breen (“Lost,” “Alias”) and Alison Schapker (“Lost,” “Alias”). It’s produced by ABC Studios.



“DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES”
A primetime soap with a contemporary take on the “happily ever after,” “Desperate Housewives” takes a darkly comedic look at suburbia, where the secret lives of housewives aren’t always what they seem.

“Desperate Housewives” stars Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Van De Kamp, Eva Longoria Parker as Gabrielle Solis, Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt, Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young, James Denton as Mike Delfino, Doug Savant as Tom Scavo, Ricardo Antonio Chavira as Carlos Solis, Andrea Bowen as Julie Mayer, Shawn Pyfrom as Andrew Van De Kamp, Joy Lauren as Danielle Van De Kamp, Rachel Fox as Kayla Huntington, Dana Delany as Katherine Mayfair, Lyndsy Fonseca as Dylan Mayfair, Zane Huett as Parker Scavo and Brent and Shane Kinsman as Porter and Preston Scavo.

Marc Cherry is executive producer and creator. Sabrina Wind, George Perkins, Larry Shaw and David Grossman are executive producers. “Desperate Housewives” is produced by ABC Studios and is the winner of both the 2005 & 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.


“DIRTY SEXY MONEY”
Power, privilege and family money are a volatile cocktail. Living proof of this are the Darlings of New York City, so absurdly wealthy, they put the “upper” in Upper East Side. This preeminent family are always getting mixed up with the wrong people and finding themselves in the middle of bad situations. It’ll take a miracle to take care of the legal and sometimes illegal needs of the Darlings. That miracle comes in the form of Nick George.

“Dirty Sexy Money” stars Peter Krause as Nick George, Donald Sutherland as Tripp Darling, William Baldwin as Patrick Darling, Natalie Zea as Karen Darling, Glenn Fitzgerald as Rev. Brian Darling, Seth Gabel as Jeremy Darling, Zoe McLellan as Lisa George, with Blair Underwood as Simon Elder, and Jill Clayburgh as Letitia Darling and Lucy Liu as Nola Lyons.

“Dirty Sexy Money” was created by Emmy-nominated Craig Wright (“Brothers & Sisters,” “Lost,” “Six Feet Under”). Wright, Greg Berlanti (“Brothers & Sisters,” “Everwood”), Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated Matthew Gross (“Day Break,” “Across the Universe”), Bryan Singer (“House,” “Superman Returns,” “The Usual Suspects”) and Daniel Cerone (“Dexter”) are executive producers. The series is produced by ABC Studios.



“ELI STONE”
Eli Stone is a partnership-track associate lawyer with a beautiful fiancée and a forgotten dream to change the world, when one day a vision of George Michael singing his song "Faith" leads him to a case defending the rights of a college sweetheart and her son. Propelled on a journey of self-discovery and guided by more mysterious visions, Eli is either suffering from delusions associated with a brain aneurysm…or receiving a call from God to become a modern-day prophet.

“Eli Stone” stars Jonny Lee Miller as Eli Stone, Victor Garber as Jordan Wethersby, Natasha Henstridge as Taylor Wethersby, Loretta Devine as Patti, Sam Jaeger as Matt Dowd, James Saito as Dr. Chen, Matt Letscher as Nathan Stone and Julie Gonzalo as Maggie Dekker.


Greg Berlanti (“Brothers & Sisters,” “Dirty Sexy Money,“ “Everwood”) and Marc Guggenheim (“Brothers & Sisters,” “Law & Order,” “The Practice”) are co-creators and executive producers. Chris Misiano (“The West Wing”) also serves as executive producer and director. The series is produced by ABC Studios.



“GREY’S ANATOMY”
“Grey’s Anatomy” is the recipient of the 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Television Series and multiple Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series for the past two years.

The doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital deal with life-or-death consequences on a daily basis – it’s in one another that they find comfort, friendship and, at times, more than friendship. Together they’re discovering that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey.

“Grey’s Anatomy” stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd, Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang, Katherine Heigl as Isobel “Izzie” Stevens, Justin Chambers as Alex Karev, T.R. Knight as George O’Malley, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens, Jr. as Richard Webber, Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres, Eric Dane as Mark Sloan, Chyler Leigh as Lexie Grey and Brooke Smith as Erica Hahn.

“Grey’s Anatomy” was created and is executive-produced by Shonda Rhimes (“Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”). Betsy Beers (“Casanova”), Mark Gordon (“Saving Private Ryan”), Krista Vernoff (“Law & Order”), Rob Corn (“Chicago Hope”) and Mark Wilding (“Jake: 2.0”) are executive producers. “Grey’s Anatomy” is an ABC Studios production.



“PRIVATE PRACTICE”
Having left behind Seattle Grace Hospital for Los Angeles and a new life full of promise, Addison Montgomery has joined the medical team at Oceanside Wellness Center, where the doctors are dedicated pros; it’s their private lives that need a little practice.

“Private Practice” stars Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, Tim Daly as Dr. Pete Wilder, Audra McDonald as Dr. Naomi Bennett, Paul Adelstein as Dr. Cooper Freedman, KaDee Strickland as Dr. Charlotte King, Chris Lowell as William Dell Parker, with Taye Diggs as Dr. Sam Bennett and Amy Brenneman as Dr. Violet Turner.

“Private Practice” was created and is executive-produced by Shonda Rhimes (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”). Betsy Beers (“Grey’s Anatomy,“ “Casanova”), Mark Gordon (“The Hoax,” “Saving Private Ryan”), Mark Tinker (“St. Elsewhere,” “NYPD Blue”), Robert Rovner and Jon Cowan are executive producers. “Private Practice” is an ABC Studios production.



“PUSHING DAISIES”
From Bryan Fuller (“Heroes,” “Wonderfalls”) and Barry Sonnenfeld (“Men in Black”) comes a series with an unprecedented blend of romance, fantasy and mystery, “Pushing Daisies,” a forensic fairytale about Ned, a young man with a very special gift. As a young boy Ned discovers that he can return the dead briefly back to life with just one touch. But his random gift isn’t without deadly consequences… as he soon finds out. In its first season, this critically-acclaimed series received three Golden Globe nominations.

Golden Globe nominee Lee Pace (“The Good Shepherd,” “Soldier’s Girl”), Golden Globe nominee Anna Friel ( the upcoming “Land of the Lost,” “Rogue Trader”), Chi McBride (“The Nine,” “Boston Public”), Tony nominee Ellen Greene (“Little Shop of Horrors”), Emmy and Tony winner Swoosie Kurtz (“Huff,” “Sisters”) and Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth (“The West Wing”) star in the visually stunning series from the Jinks/Cohen Company, in association with Warner Bros. Television. Tony winner Jim Dale, reader of the “Harry Potter” series of audio books, is the narrator.

In addition to Fuller and Sonnenfeld, Dan Jinks & Bruce Cohen (Academy Award winning producers of “American Beauty”) and Peter Ocko serve as executive producers.



UGLY BETTY”
In the superficial world of high fashion, image is everything. Styles come and go, and the only constants are the super thin beauties who wear them. How can an ordinary girl from Queens possibly fit in?

If you took a moment to get to know Betty Suarez, you’d see how sweet, intelligent and hard-working she is (if a bit fashion-challenged). When publishing mogul Bradford Meade handed the reigns of Mode, the bible of the fashion industry, over to this son, Daniel, he specifically hired Betty as his son’s new assistant – mostly because she was the only woman Daniel wouldn’t sleep with. Both outsiders in their own way, Daniel and Betty form an unlikely team, each helping the other navigate the choppy waters of NYC’s fashion scene.

“Ugly Betty” stars America Ferrera as Betty Suarez, Eric Mabius as Daniel Meade, Tony Plana as Ignacio, Ana Ortiz as Hilda, Ashley Jensen as Christina, Becki Newton as Amanda, Mark Indelicato as Justin, Michael Urie as Marc, Judith Light as Claire Meade, Christopher Gorham as Henry, Rebecca Romijn as Alexis and Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater. Freddy Rodriguez is a recurring guest star as Gio. Lindsay Lohan will appear in a five-episode arc as Kimberly.

Based on “Yo Soy Betty La Fea,” the groundbreaking Colombian telenovela that became an international phenomenon, “Ugly Betty” is from ABC Studios. This past two seasons the series has been awarded three Emmy Awards, two GLAAD Awards, as well as Golden Globe, Peabody, DGA, NAACP, ALMA, CDG and Imagen Awards. Academy Award-nominee and Emmy Award winner Salma Hayek is executive producer, along with Jose Tamez (“The Maldonado Miracle”), Silvio Horta (“Urban Legend”) and Joel Fields (“Dirt”).



COMEDY



“SAMANTHA WHO?”
What if you had the chance to start over, to do it all again? For Samantha Newly (Christina Applegate), this fantasy becomes a reality after a hit-and-run accident leaves her in an eight-day coma. When she awakens in the hospital, she is surrounded by family and friends. The only problem is that she has no idea who they are – or who she is. In medical terms, Sam has retrograde amnesia, which allows her to fully function in the world but leaves her with no personal memories. Most people would deem this disorder a curse. But Sam has come to call it a miracle.

“Samantha Who?” won the People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy, and Applegate was nominated for a Golden Globe and SAG Award for her role.

“Samantha Who?” stars Christina Applegate as Samantha, Jennifer Esposito as Andrea, Kevin Dunn as Howard, Melissa McCarthy as Dena, Tim Russ as Frank, with Barry Watson as Todd and Jean Smart as Regina.

“Samantha Who?” was created by Cecelia Ahern and Donald Todd. Todd and Peter Traugott serve as executive producers. “Samantha Who?,” which is filmed in Los Angeles, is from ABC Studios.



ALTERNATIVE



“AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS”
Currently in its 18th season, and the longest-running primetime show in ABC history, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” features adults, children, pets and even inanimate objects at their spontaneous best. Tom Bergeron is the host. In its 18 seasons to date, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” has given away over $10 million in prize money and evaluated more than half a million videotapes from home viewers.

Vin Di Bona is executive producer, with Todd Thicke and Michele Nasraway serving as co-executive producers. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” which premiered on January 14, 1990, is from Vin Di Bona Productions.



“DANCING WITH THE STARS”
Hosted by Tom Bergeron (“America’s Funniest Home Videos”) and Samantha Harris (“E! Entertainment”), the celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which are judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

“Dancing with the Stars” is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, “Strictly Come Dancing.” ABC’s version is produced in America by BBC Productions. Conrad Green serves as executive producer.



“EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION”
Put together one very run-down house, a deserving family, several opinionated designers, seven days and what do you get? The answer is “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The show has won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality Program, as well as the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show/Makeover and the Family Television Award for Best Alternative/Reality Program.

Beginning this season, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” began featuring green elements on every episode with eco-friendly, low energy and recyclable sources being incorporated into the builds. Concluding the show’s two-year, 50-state tour will be a two-hour Season Finale on May 18 featuring three homes for a family (all on the same lot) and a church in Louisiana. In a first-ever effort to put together a coalition of past builders from all over the country, the show has called on the Building Industry to join forces and help with what might be the toughest challenge yet. In addition, the popular Australian vocal group, The Ten Tenors, will pay musical tribute to the builders at the church reveal, performing an emotionally charged version of “Here’s to the Heroes,” the title track to their most recent album.

The design team includes team leader Ty Pennington, with designers Paul DiMeo, Paige Hemmis, Michael Moloney, Ed Sanders, Tracy Hutson, Tanya McQueen, Eduardo Xol, John Littlefield, Rib Hillis and Didiayer. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is President of Endemol USA. The new season will be executive-produced by Anthony Dominici. The series premiered December 3, 2003, on the ABC Television Network.



“SUPERNANNY”
Jo Frost criss-crosses America taking on some of its toughest parenting challenges. Hailed by the New York Times as “fascinating” and “required viewing,” praised by Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman and Kelly Ripa, acclaimed by such publications as Newsweek, Hollywood Reporter and The New Yorker, and lauded by parents and nannies across America, “Supernanny” is a hit. Jo Frost, as Supernanny, can tame the wildest toddler, soothe the most savage six-year-old and get even the most difficult child to overcome problems with behavior, sleep, mealtime, potty training and other challenges that have vexed parents around the world for centuries. After just three episodes of the show aired in the U.K. in
summer 2004, Jo Frost became Britain’s hottest new TV star and a godsend to desperate parents who were dazzled by her amazing results with unruly children. She debuted in America in early 2005 and captivated Americans as well with her practical, no-nonsense style, honed over 20 years of nannying. “Supernanny” is now an international phenomenon; it airs in 58 territories, almost all of them with Frost as Supernanny. The series was nominated for a People’s Choice Award, and fans loved her first two books, Supernanny: How to Get the Best from Your Children -- a national bestseller -- and Ask Supernanny. Her new book, Jo Frost’s Confident Baby Care: What You Need to Know for the First Year from America’s Most Trusted Nanny, was published in May 2008.

Nick Powell is the creator and executive producer of both the American and British versions of the show. Nick Emmerson and Holly Wofford are executive producers of the American version. “Supernanny” is produced by Ricochet, Ltd.



“WIFE SWAP”
“Wife Swap,” the critically-acclaimed unscripted reality show that takes us into the intimate heart of the American family home, revealing the extraordinarily different ways families live their lives, is currently airing its fourth season.

Each week from across the country, two families with very different values are chosen to take part in a two-week long challenge. The wives from these two families exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover just what it’s like to live another woman’s life. It’s a mind-blowing experiment that often ends up changing their lives forever.

In the first week of the swap, the wives move in with their new family and adopt their very different lifestyle. They agree to follow a manual written by the departing wife that sets out the rules of their new household -- how they parent, shop, do the housework, manage their budgets and their social life. But then, in the second week, everything changes. The new wives take charge. They introduce their own set of rules and get to run the new household their way. It’s a radical shock to both families. The results are explosive, enlightening and often very funny. This is a show about the things that really matter to families across America.




NEW MIDSEASON SERIES



COMEDY



“THE GOODE FAMILY”
A new animated series from Mike Judge, creator of “King of the Hill.” “The Goode Family” is obsessed with doing the “right” thing, whether it’s environmentally, politically or socially. Unfortunately their efforts often have unintended comic consequences.

“The Goode Family” is voiced by Mike Judge as Gerald, Nancy Carell as Helen, Dave Herman as Ubuntu and Abby Elliot as Bliss.

Executive producers for “The Goode Family” are Mike Judge, David Krinsky, John Altschuler, Michael Rotenberg and Tom Lassally. The series is produced by MRC and 3 Arts Entertainment.



“SCRUBS”
“Scrubs” focuses on the strange experiences of Dr. John Dorian, or “J.D.,” a medical resident, as he continues on his healing career in a surreal hospital, crammed full of unpredictable staffers and patients -- where humor and tragedy can collide at any time.

“Scrubs” received two consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2005 and 2006. In its debut year, “Scrubs” was nominated for two Emmy Awards and a People's Choice Award. It has received a total of 10 Emmy nominations, and in 2005 the series won the Emmy for Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing. In 2004 “Scrubs” was honored with a prestigious Humanitas Prize. Beginning that same year, the series received three consecutive Producers Guild Award nominations from 2004-2006.

“Scrubs” stars Zach Braff as Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian, Donald Faison as Chris Turk, Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reid, Judy Reyes as Carla Espinosa, John C. McGinley as Dr. Perry Cox, Ken Jenkins as Dr. Bob Kelso and Neil Flynn as The Janitor.

“Scrubs” executive producer and creator is Bill Lawrence. The series is produced by ABC Studios.



ALTERNATIVE



“UNTITLED ASHTON KUTCHER/TYRA BANKS PROJECT”
A beauty pageant unlike any you’ve ever seen, from executive producers Ashton Kutcher and Tyra Banks.



OTHER RETURNING SERIES



DRAMA



“LOST”
Awarded the 2005 Emmy and 2006 Golden Globe for Best Drama Series, “Lost’s” action-packed mystery and adventure continues to bring out the very best and very worst in the people who are lost.

“Lost” stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, Michael Emerson as Ben, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet, Terry O’Quinn as Locke and Harold Perrineau as Michael.

“Lost” was created by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof. Abrams, Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Jack Bender and Carlton Cuse serve as executive producers. “Lost,” which is filmed entirely on location in Hawaii and premiered on September 22, 2004, is from ABC Studios.



COMEDY



“ACCORDING TO JIM”
“According to Jim” returns for its eighth successful season as the macho “Everyman” who adores his family.

Jim (Jim Belushi) has it all: a gorgeous wife, Cheryl (Courtney Thorne-Smith), whom he challenges with his stubborn manliness but contagious charm; three precocious kids, Ruby (Taylor Atelian), Gracie (Billi Bruno) and Kyle (Conner Rayburn); and his brother-in-law, Andy (Larry Joe Campbell), his best friend, business partner and “partner in crime.”

“According to Jim” stars Jim Belushi as Jim, Courtney Thorne-Smith as Cheryl, Larry Joe Campbell as Andy, Taylor Atelian as Ruby, Billi Bruno as Gracie and Conner Rayburn as Kyle.

Executive producers are Jim Belushi, Warren Bell, Suzanne Bukinik, Jonathan Stark, Marc Gurvitz, John D. Beck, Ron Hart, John Peaslee and Judd Pillot. “According to Jim” is from ABC Studios.



ALTERNATIVE



“THE BACHELOR”
ABC’s “The Bachelor” is the original primetime romance reality series that offers one lucky man and 25 lucky women the unique opportunity to find true love.


The new Bachelor will get to know 25 women via a series of social gatherings and exotic, romantic dates – some in groups, some individually. He will introduce some of the women to his family, and will visit their hometowns for a slice of their lives in an effort to determine the woman with whom he is most compatible.

The series follows a gradual process of elimination each week, until the Bachelor ultimately decides on the one woman who has captured his heart. However, at any point along the way, should a woman decide that she is no longer interested in him, she may reject his invitation to continue dating. At the end of the journey, this gentleman will quite possibly have found true love. But the big question is: After all of this, if he pops the question, will she accept?

Hosted by Chris Harrison, “The Bachelor” is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss, David Bohnert and Martin Hilton are the executive producers.



ABC NEWS



“PRIMETIME: WHAT WOULD YOU DO?”
Using hidden cameras, “Primetime: What Would You Do?” sets up everyday scenarios and then captures people’s reactions. Whether people are compelled to act or mind their own business, John Quiñones reports on their split-second – and often surprising – decision-making process.

People often talk about how they think they would act in a difficult situation, but this series looks at how they actually do in the face of everyday dilemmas that test their character and values. According to the Columbia Journalism Review essay, “Primetime: What Would You Do?” is “the flip side of reality TV…rather than show how people act in manufactured situations when they know they’re being watched, they show us how people act when they don’t.”

David Sloan is the executive producer of “Primetime: What Would You Do?.” Robert Lange is the senior producer.

[tvcrazed]

Did they really not renew "Newlyweds". it probably cost pennies and it ended with a 3.2. What????????????

[Pavan]

Newlyweds is not done likely, it'll probably return NEXT summer. The only reason it aired during the season was because of the strike.

[catsrule]

“Desperate Housewives” stars Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Van De Kamp, Eva Longoria Parker as Gabrielle Solis, Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt, Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young, James Denton as Mike Delfino, Doug Savant as Tom Scavo, Ricardo Antonio Chavira as Carlos Solis, Andrea Bowen as Julie Mayer, Shawn Pyfrom as Andrew Van De Kamp, Joy Lauren as Danielle Van De Kamp, Rachel Fox as Kayla Huntington, Dana Delany as Katherine Mayfair, Lyndsy Fonseca as Dylan Mayfair, Zane Huett as Parker Scavo and Brent and Shane Kinsman as Porter and Preston Scavo.

“According to Jim” stars Jim Belushi as Jim, Courtney Thorne-Smith as Cheryl, Larry Joe Campbell as Andy, Taylor Atelian as Ruby, Billi Bruno as Gracie and Conner Rayburn as Kyle.Is Orson leaving DH and is Kimberly Williams-Paisley leaving Jim? I hope not. :(

[Pavan]

Not sure about Orson, but I think Kimberly Williams will be recurring only. She hasn't been seen much this season, especially lately.


Just viewed extensive clips on Life on Mars, Opportunity Knocks, Scrubs and Goode Family.

Life on Mars - interesting story about a man being run over and coming back i the early 70s...clips had a lot of funny stuff too, might work out of Grey's, could be procedural based though
Opportunity Knocks - Seems feel good type, like EM: HE. Surprising since it comes from Kutcher. Host looks like Donny Most from Happy Days, lol. Could work.
Scrubs - No explanation needed.
Goode Family - Didn't see actual clips, but saw images and this show has similar animation style as Beavis & Butthead and King of the Hill. Comes from Mike Judge. Saw crew interviews and they introduced the show. Could work with Scrubs in January. New animated comedy is needed outside of Fox.

Upfront presentation is at 4pm ET...I'll be giving my thoughts on it when it is over. Maybe we'll learn something new, if so, I'll let you know.

[Brent88]

WOW, that was very boring.

[Pavan]

Boring because the leaked schedule nearly matched the actual schedule (minus the DSM and B&S switch). The mid-season line-up will feel more like a fall schedule. ABC will present more pilots then, such as most likely Bad Mother's Handbook (sitcom), Good Behavior (drama), Alyssa Milano's comedy (sitcom), Prince of Motor City (drama), and more. We should know by July or so when TCA Summer Tour comes. The pilots should all be shot by then. 17 shows still have a chance to make it. I'd say 4-5 of them.

[Pavan]

For mid-season I'd do this to Mondays and Tuesdays:

Mondays
Jan-Feb
8:00pm Ashton/Tyra Reality (confirmed)
9:00pm TBD Reality (maybe Oprah's second project)
10:00pm The Bachelor
March
8:00pm Dancing with the Stars
9:30pm Bad Mother's Handbook/Old Christine(?)
10:00pm Good Behavior

Tuesdays
Jan-Feb
8:00pm Samantha Who?
8:30pm Alyssa Milano
9:00pm Scrubs
9:30pm The Goode Family
10:00pm Eli Stone
March
8:00pm Comedies (Scrubs/Milano?)
9:00pm Dancing with the Stars: The Results
10:00pm Prince of Motor City

Mondays will be easy to schedule, but Tuesdays is a toughy.

[Pavan]

Just saw a closed circuit feed of the ABC upfront presentation. Some good stuff, like usual. I love watching the upfronts. Kimmel was hilarious and McPherson did a great job explaining the schedule. It ended with a preview of the Lost finale (wow! what a clip!). Here is an outline of what happened:

* Started with an Intro video of ABC shows 4:08pm
* Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair Disney, President Disney-ABC TV Group 4:10
* Kimmel intro Video 4:17
* Jimmy Kimmel Monologue 4:19
* Mike Shaw, President of Sales & Marketing on ABC 4:25
* Video of ABC Shows 4:37
* Steve McPherson, President of ABC Entertainment 4:39
He discusses the schedule; clips of Opp. Knocks, Eli, Life on Mars are shown; Mid-Season discussion; Mid-Season Dvlopmt: clips of Four Play, Goode Family, In The Motherhood; Summer clips of The Bachelorette, The Mole, I Survived a Japanese Game, High School Musical, Wipeout (huge preview clip for this)
* Lost finale clip
* End 5:17
(Everyone races to The CW party!)

[Pavan]

Due to the strike, I didn't have the annual SitcomsOnline.com ABC Pilot Preview. But guess what? Now I do!

Here are the ABC pilots in development for mid-season. Please take a look at them and tell me what you think will make it. My comments will be below.


COMEDIES


18 TO LIFE
Half Hour

CAST
Stacey Farber: Jesse
Michael Seater: Tom
Ellen David: Judith
Al Goulem: Phil
Angela Asher: Tara
Tommie-Amber Pirrie: Larisa
Jessie Raph: Carter
Tilo Horn: Monica

CREDITS
Production Companies: Galafilm, CBC
Executive Producers/Writers: Derek Schreyer, Karen Troubetzkoy
Executive Producer: Arnie Gelbart
Director: Peter Wellington

PLOT
Eighteen year-olds shouldn't get married, right? That would be crazy. But when a dare between lifelong best friends turns into a serious proposal, next-door neighbors Jessie Hill and Tom Bellow suddenly find themselves engaged. To outsiders, it may seem like a crazy move, but Jessie and Tom know that what they've got is real. Now, all they have to do is convince their parents.

The Bellows and the Hills have shared a fence for 12 years, but they couldn't be more different. The Bellows are a traditional family, Jewish only so far as they can lay guilt their son. They have a meticulous house and a detailed plan for their son that doesn't include marriage at 18. On the other side on the fence, the Hills are a couple of carefree hippies who believe family should run wild like weeds. Not embracing the "institution of marriage," the Hills are united by love and have never tied the knot legally. About the only common ground the two sets of parents share is that Tom and Jessie are too young, too different and so not ready to make the big leap. Even the kids' best friends, Carter and Larisa, are skeptical of their chances at happily ever after. But, against all the odds, Jessie and Tom know they've got what it takes, so they say "I do" in a quickie city hall ceremony. Surprise! Too bad their parents won't let them spend their wedding night together.

A comedic take on Romeo and Juliet, this co-production with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation spins these star-crossed lovers into the new millennium. Degrassi: Next Generation star Stacey Farber and Michael Seater (Life with Derek), lead the cast in a heartwarming and laugh out loud funny look at the ups and downs of young love.




BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK
Single-Camera
Half Hour

CAST
Alicia Silverstone: Karen
Alia Shawkat: Charlotte
Horation Sanz: Matt
Dorian Missick: Dr. Stoller
Megan Mullaly: Nan
Kelvin Yu:

CREDITS
Production Companies: ABC Studios, Kaboom Inc.,
Executive Producers/Writers: Jennifer Konner, Alexandra Rushfield
Executive Producers: Stu Bloomberg, Paul Trijbits (Ruby Films), Faye Ward (Ruby Films), Alison Owen (Ruby Films)
Director: Richard Shepard

PLOT
Having a kid while you're a teenager is never easy. The upside is, you're that much closer to your child's age and are bound to have lots in common. The downside: you can't tell your daughter not to start a family as a teenager, because that's just what you did…

Meet Nan, Karen, and Charlotte: grandma, mother, and daughter, ages 48, 32, and 16. Do the math and you'll see Nan had Karen at 16. And Karen had Charlotte at the same age. And if history repeats (as it always seems to), Charlotte's about to follow suit – which means that Mom and Grandma have their work cut out for them. Happily, they all live together in one happy, hectic household, which means they can keep an eye on one another.

And there's a lot to look out for. Nan has had a glorious career as a Hollywood performer… if you define glorious as being an extra on one of the biggest movies ever. And even though Karen knows she's not really the big movie star's secret daughter, she can't help but wonder: what if she is? Karen's peers are a bunch of lackadaisical teachers and the self-important Principal Stoller, to whom she may be a little too attracted. Young Charlotte is the only sensible one in the household, which comes in handy as she's trying to stave off the amorous attentions of her classmate Paul: "he says he loves me, but would he give me his kidney?" Matt, Charlotte's father and Karen's boyfriend (for about 20 minutes) is also on the scene. After offering kind words and friendly advice to Charlotte, he likes to celebrate by doing doughnuts in the parking lot.

Alicia Silverstone (Clueless feature film, Batman and Robin) stars as Karen and Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) is Charlotte in this wry, wistful, single-camera comedy. Writer/producers Jennifer Konner and Alexandra Rushfield (Help Me Help You and Undeclared), executive producer Stu Bloomberg (Life As We Know It) and the Emmy® Award-winning director of the Ugly Betty pilot Richard Schickel, demonstrate exactly how crazy life can be when you have to play mother and daughter at the very same time. You'll see just how much three generations of women can learn from one another – if they don't kill each other in the process.



BETTER OFF TED
Single-Camera
Half Hour

CAST
Jay Harrington: Ted
Andrea Anders: Linda
Portia De Rossi: Verónica
Jonathan Slavin: Phil
Malcolm Barrett: Lem
Maz Jobrani: Dr. Bhamba

CREDITS
Production Companies: 20th Century Fox Television, ABC Studios
Executive Producer/Writer/Director: Victor Fresco

PLOT
For the team at Veridian Technologies, no achievement is too far-fetched. Need a suicidal turkey? Done. Need a metal that's as hard as steel, but bounces – and is edible? Done and done.

The head of the research and development department, Ted Crisp loves his job. He loves everything about it. He loves his super human boss, Veronica. He loves his colleagues, Lem, Phil and Linda. Especially Linda. But most of all, he loves what they do. Straddling the threshold between science and imagination, the R & D crew consistently turn the ridiculously impossible into the hilariously plausible.

The only problem with Ted's job is that ethics are not a part of company policy. As Ted says, "Work's not a question of right or wrong. It's only about success or failure." Luckily Ted has his precocious daughter, Rose to set him straight. But what happens when you start to take a closer look at your seemingly perfect job? Why is the company trying to cryogenically freeze one of Ted's scientists? What's with the new itchy chairs? Who's been stealing all of the creamer?

The new comedy from Emmy-Award nominated writer/producer, Victor Fresco (Mad About You, My Name is Earl) proves that it's not easy being a single father and a middle manager, but somebody's got to do it. After all, what would the world be without exploding pumpkins?



FIVE YEAR PLAN
Single-Camera
Half Hour

CAST
Steve Rosen: Doug
Brooke D'Orsay: Darcy
Joy Osmanski: Judy Flatherty
Will Sasso: Glen Simon
Lee Thompson Young: Mutabi
Steve Howey: Mickey Simon

CREDITS
Production Company: Universal Media Studios
Executive Producers/Writers: Joe Port and Joe Wiseman
Director: Gail Mancuso

PLOT
As a Beatle once said, "Life is what happens to us while we're busy making other plans." Don't believe him? Take a look at these five twenty-somethings – plus one who wishes he was – living in Chicago. Filled with naivety and undeterred confidence, they've all got their next five years all mapped out to a 'T'. Of course, for each one, "life happens." And that's where the fun begins.

Fresh out of law school, Mickey wants to move to the Chicago suburbs and settle down, while Darcy, his health-nut girlfriend, is determined to save the planet as long as she doesn't have to miss any meals. Darcy's brother Doug plans to do as little as possible for as long as possible, even though control-freak Judy sees him not as a boyfriend but as a fun makeover project. Mickey's divorced 35-year-old brother Glen is desperately trying to live the twenties he never had, while his roommate Mutabi, a student from Africa, is always on hand to offer Glen deep wisdom and incredible lamb chops. These three sometimes-odd couples hang out together as friends, lovers, roommates, or rivals. And when one plan meets another, the sparks really fly.

From writers Joe Port and Joe Wiseman (The Office, Just Shoot Me, Son of the Beach) comes an energetic, freewheeling ensemble comedy that's set very much in the present, but always looking towards the future. As this group of (mostly) twenty-somethings gets caught between who they think they are and who they are yet to become, there is a lot for them to discover. And as they learn, when the best-laid five-year plans go astray, you can always laugh about it later.



NEVER BETTER
Single-Camera
Half Hour

CAST
Damon Wayans: Keith
Nicole Ari Parker: Allison
Jane Lynch: Linda
Kathleen Rose Perkins: Claire
Matt Winston: Doug

CREDITS
Production Companies: ABC Studios and The Littlefield Co.
Executive Producer/Writer: David Walpert
Executive Producers: Warren Littlefield, John Heyman (World Productions)
Director: Marc Buckland

PLOT
For recovering alcoholic Keith, being the perfect husband and father is a sobering ambition. Despite his best, misguided efforts, Keith always finds himself at least 12 steps away from doing the right thing... and just around the corner from complete chaos.

Based on the addictive BBC series of the same name, Never Better introduces us to a family unlike any other. Wife Allison, Keith's college sweetheart, is a former party girl-turned-mother. Now, she's busy raising three children… ages four, seven and 33.

When he's not causing trouble at home, Keith's wreaking havoc with his second family -- his AA group. No-nonsense sponsor Linda keeps him on his toes, but his occasional missteps are a hard habit to break. With a mix of warmth, humor and heart, Keith acquires a real thirst for life... flaws and all.

Damon Wayans (My Wife and Kids) stars as a charming-but-challenged dad hooked on life's sweetest addiction… family. Never Better is an intoxicating single-camera comedy from executive producers David Walpert (Sports Night), Warren Littlefield and John Heyman and Emmy award-winning director Mark Buckland (My Name is Earl).



ROMAN'S EMPIRE
Single-Camera
Half Hour

CAST
Nick Thune: Leo
Kelsey Grammer: Roman
Christine Woods: Nikki
Brad Beyer:
Carla Gallo:
Zachary Knighton:
Laura Leigh:

CREDITS
Production Companies: Katalyst Films & Television, Tiger Aspect, CBS Paramount Television
Executive Producer/Writer: Al Higgins
Executive Producers: Karey Burke, Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg, Andrew Zein, Ben Cavey
Director: Marc Buckland

PLOT
You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family. What happens when your family picks you? Ask Leo Park. Leo gets caught up in a whirlwind that is the Pretty family. This family, who seemingly has everything, just doesn't work without Leo. He is the one thing that keeps the Prettys just this side of crazy. Leo also comes to realize that he doesn't quite work without the Prettys either.

For the last 10 years Leo and Nikki (the middle of three Pretty daughters) have been in love. Everything changes when Nikki dumps Leo for Seb. Roman, the patriarch of the family and one of the richest men in America feels bad for Leo, but can see why Seb has won her over. Seb is interestingly bizarre and entertaining. Even though Leo is no longer dating his daughter, Roman won't let Leo out of his life. Roman insists on smothering Leo with his wonderful, crushing love. The rest of the family can't bear to lose him either. Leo has always been the brother they've never had. He set up his good friend Jace with the eldest daughter Jenny. He also counsels the smartest and youngest daughter Kelly who is desperately trying to be a tabloid star. Perhaps most importantly Leo is a protector for a family that isn't equipped to protect themselves.

From Executive Producer Ashton Kutcher (Miss Guided, Beauty and the Geek, Punk'd) and Tiger Aspect (Mr. Bean). Based on a 2007 BBC series that instantly achieved cult like status.



THE MORE THINGS CHANGE
Single-Camera
Half Hour

CAST
Chris J. Johnson: Rick
Tom Parker: Blair
Reno Wilson: Wayne
Paulo Costanzo: Nesby
Aimee Garcia: Diana
Sasha Barrese: Madeline

CREDITS
Production Companies: Regency, ABC Studios
Executive Producers/Director: Todd Phillips
Executive Producers: Allan Loeb, Steven Pearl

PLOT
Friendship is constantly tested by little things we say or do. But it's how we respond to the big changes in life that shows whether friendship remains true.

Rick, Nesby, Wayne and Blair have been best friends since grade school. For 25 years they've been a solid team of guy's guys, surviving the bullies who taunted them, the girls who teased them, and the victories that eluded them. Everything they shared made them who they are today and they've got some pretty awesome memories to prove it. Now as thirty-somethings they've reached varying levels of success. Blair has the most financial success, with a net worth hovering at $13.2 million. Wayne has relationship success, having made it all the way to the altar. Nesby mostly enjoys his friends' success. And Rick has emotional success, having just come to terms with the fact that he's gay, even though he's never even kissed a man. Wow, they totally didn't see that one coming. Good thing they're such good friends. Friends who provide unconditional support through the bad choices they make, the dumb things they do, and the significant others no one likes. Because they'll be there for you when you need them most.

From the writer of 21 and New Amsterdam and the director of Old School comes an ensemble comedy that examines how we strain and test the bonds of friendship. And how they hold up when they're thrown for a loop.



THIS MIGHT HURT
Single-Camera
Half Hour

CAST
Tom Amandes: Dr. Mitch Malinow
Josh Dean: Dr. Ethan Malinow
Missi Pyle: Dr. Sandy Kiernan
Hayes MacArthur: Reid Traveiso
Vanessa Lengies: Lily Birdsall
Alex Meneses: Sofia Venezuela

CREDITS
Production Company: 20th Century Fox Television
Executive Producer/Writer/Director: Jason Winer
Executive Producers: Matt Weinberg, Todd Komarnicki

PLOT
The legendary Dr. Mitch is back! Los Angeles' most in-demand pediatrician has made a triumphant return to his practice after months of world travel, and the appointment books are already full. Lugging didgeridoos and totems, and still bereaved over the death of a baby yak, Mitch has returned to dispense his patented blend of wisdom, charm, and medical advice. Never mind that the entire staff wants him to take a drug test before going back to work – everybody's celebrating, all the same.

Everybody, that is, except for his son Ethan. A newly-minted doctor who's just finished his residency, Ethan's a walking encyclopedia of minor health conditions; now that Dad's back, he's suffering from most of them. Next door, smart, strong OB/GYN Sandy warns her patients not to be fooled by men – yet can't take a dose of her own medicine now that manly Mitch is back. (She's socked away a bottle of Jack from her hair-metal groupie days for when the temptation's too much.)

Meanwhile, sexy, vain Sofia, former Latin soap star and current office manager, is furious. She's threatened by Mitch's chirpy new hire Lily Birdsall and is buying beauty products made from endangered species in an attempt to preserve her youth. Ethan's fiancée Claire is upset too, not only because Mitch is a bad influence on Ethan, but because the famous pediatrician is her dad's number one rival. Only Reid, a male nurse and proud of it, isn't bothered. He's making a bundle on the side, running a bookie joint out of his nursing station – if he can keep his sports stats separate from the all-important patient records…

Partially scripted, partially improvised, and totally hilarious, This Might Hurt is written, directed and produced by Jason Winer of You, Me, and Dupree and Van Wilder and produced by Todd Komarnicki of Elf. This uproarious workplace comedy proves that being able to heal other people doesn't mean that you're healthy to start with. Yes, This Might Hurt… but only when you laugh. Which, in this case, will be plenty.


FOURPLAY
Muilt-Camera
Half Hour

CAST
Josh Cooke: Derek
Ayda Field: Audrey
Alan Tudyk: Drew
Ty Burrell: Christopher
Rizwan Manji: Quan

CREDITS
Production Company: Warner Bros. Television
Executive Producers/Writers: David Kohan, Max Mutchnick
Director: John Pasquin

PLOT
Multi-Camera comedy about two men - one straight, one gay - who are lifelong best friends/business partners that find their relationship threatened after each begin serious romantic relationships.

Significant others are the people with whom you share the most intimate moments of your life… with any luck, from the moment you meet until death do you part – without the nuptials. But what if your most significant other is not your lover or partner, but your best friend?

Derek and Drew cemented their friendship at camp Tumbleweed with a pact never to keep secrets from each other. Since then, they've shared a lifetime of everything. These 'brothers' from dissimilar mothers have two distinct differences: Drew's neurotic and gay; Derek is not – which is a bonus because they're never competing for a date. On the upside, these two men know each other better than they know themselves. On the downside, they're often mistaken for a couple. When two people are best friends and business partners, side by side for most of the day, the line between personal and professional virtually disappears. But since Derek has a girlfriend and Drew is in a serious relationship, their lives have become a battle for attention between "work wife" and "home wife." It doesn't help when the two men sneak phone calls in the middle of the night, just to rehash what's happened since they left the office.

David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the comic geniuses behind the long-running hit Will & Grace, return to television. This time they've put their own friendship and working relationship under the microscope to create a witty and fresh multi-camera comedy about the bonds we rely on most. Blending personal and professional doesn't make life smooth but it sure is juicy.



SINGLE WITH PARENTS
Single-Camera
Half Hour

CAST
Alyssa Milano: Lou(isa)
Annie Potts: Elizabeth
Beau Bridges: Amanda
Amanda Detmer: Sasha
Eric Winter: Charlie
Meagan Fay: Nancy

CREDITS
Production Companies: DreamWorks, ABC Studios
Executive Producer/Writer: Kristin Newman
Executive Producers: Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank

PLOT
Meet Louisa. We'll call her Lou. This wistful mid-30's gal is thrilled that her divorced parents are leading exciting lives apart – really she is. Except both of them rely on Lou way too much: Dad needs her as a surrogate parent, and Mom counts on her 24/7 as a shrink and confidante. Hoping to finally live a full life all her own, Lou asks the universe for three teeny-tiny favors: A perfect wife for her dad. A perfect best friend for her mom. And the perfect guy for her. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for…

Before she knows it, she finds herself at Dad's house meeting Nancy, a sweet and generous aquarium tour guide who's soon to become Lou's new stepmom. Although Dad's crazy about Nancy, his two younger kids (Lou's half-siblings) can't stand her. Strike one. Meanwhile, Lou does meet Mr. Right, a hunky and sensitive Matthew McConaughey type who likes her, too, but he turns out to be Nancy's son, and Lou's own brother-to-be! Strike two. Finally, Lou's well-meaning mom announces she's finally found the companion she's been looking for all her life – Lou herself! Strike three? Perhaps, but it never hurts to have a mom on the scene…

Writer-producer Kristin Newman (That 70's Show, How I Met Your Mother) digs deep into her own history – and heart – to bring forth this wise, warm, witty half-hour. Alyssa Milano (Charmed, Who's the Boss) stars as the sweet, slightly-off, center of this family that's way too closely knit. From DreamWorks Television (Undeclared, Freaks and Geeks) comes a fast-paced comedy that has you rooting for Lou to find her way.



IN THE MOTHERHOOD
Single-Camera
Half Hour

TBD






DRAMA



CAPTAIN COOK'S AMAZING ADVENTURES (AKA CAPTAIN COOK'S EXTRAORDINARY ATLAS)
One Hour

CAST
Jodelle Ferland: Gwen Mallory
Jonathan Cake: Bishop
Janel Maloney: Marion Mallory
Patrick Breen: Porter Mallory
Nathan Gamble: Poe
Hal Holbrodis: Dean Winters

CREDITS
Production Company: Warner Bros. Television
Executive Producer/Writer: Tom Wheeler
Executive Producer/Director: Tommy Schlamme

PLOT
For years it has been rumored that one of the greatest adventurers in history, Captain James Cook documented only a portion of his amazing voyages in the diary he presented to King George VI, secreting his most wondrous discoveries away in a second extraordinary atlas. This legendary atlas is said to have documented a fantastical world of adventure and magic that exists right beside our own. This elusive book has allegedly been passed down from one navigator to the next for centuries... finally finding its way into the hands of our heroine Gwen Malloy at the beginning of our pilot. But unlike the famed adventurers that have preceded her, our heroine is only 13-years-old.

This daring, unprecedented fantasy drama combines the action and humor of the Harry Potter movies with the mystical frights of Pan's Labyrinth. With its humor, suspense and sophistication, this fantasy adventure has a strong adult appeal, while also being an accessible family-friendly show.

Quirky Gwen Malloy isn't like most 13-year-old girls: she yearns for something more in life. And after she finds Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas, she is certainly going to get what she wished for. The Atlas will lead Gwen on many adventures, to a variety of strange lands—some wonderful, some terrifying. Thankfully, she doesn't always have to go alone. Her only real comrade in arms turns out to be an Indiana Jonesish rogue named Bishop, who has grudgingly vowed to help Gwen stay out of trouble—both in this world and the other one. But keeping her adventures a secret from her family may prove harder than anticipated as deep mysteries surrounding her roots and her future open up before her.

Legions of fans both old and young will tune in each week to join Gwen on another journey of discovery into unknown realms… as one more glowing page turns in Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas.



CASTLE
One Hour

CAST
Nathan Fillion: Castle
Molly Quinn: Alexis
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: Capt. Montgomery
Susan Sullivan: Martha
Stana Katic: Beckett
Monet Mazur: Gina
Jon Huertas:
Colby French:

CREDITS
Production Company: ABC Studios
Executive Producer/Writer: Andrew Marlowe
Executive Producers: Laurie Zaks, Armyan Bernstein
Director: Rob Bowman

PLOT
Cross a mystery novelist with a rock star and you would get Nick Castle. He's got Jagger's swagger and James Bond's way with the ladies. Although the handsome writer seems to have everything—fame, fans, and females—he's grown weary of it all. In fact, he's just killed off the legendary character who's sold millions of books for him. But when a real-world copycat murderer starts staging murder scenes from Nick's novels and NYPD Detective Beckett asks him for help, Nick feels the old blood pumping in his veins again. Is it the thrill of the chase—or the fact that Beckett is a strikingly beautiful woman?

When Nick's freewheeler detective style clashes with Beckett's conservative approach, the sparks certainly fly—leading to both danger and a hint of romance. Keeping him grounded are his washed-up Broadway diva mother and his quick-witted teenage daughter; his poker playing buddies James Patterson, Sue Grafton, and Stephen King; and his long-suffering ex-wife Gina, who also happens to be his editor.

From producer Armyan Bernstein (Spy Game, The Guardian, Children of Men) comes a comedic crime procedural centered around smooth yet self-effacing literary phenomenon Nick Castle. If it was a book, you wouldn't be able to put it down.



CUPID
One Hour

CAST
Bobby Cannavale: Cupid/Trevor
Sarah Paulson: Claire
Rick Gomez: Felix
Camille Guaty:

CREDITS
Production Companies: ABC Studios and Sony Pictures Television
Executive Producer/Writer: Rob Thomas
Executive Producers: Jennifer Gwartz, Danielle Stokdyk
Director: Bharat Nalluri

PLOT
Like any big city, New York has its share of characters. But the newest one isn't like the rest. For starters, his goal in life is to help people fall in love, which isn't such a bad thing. But he says he must create 100 happily-ever-afters in order to return to his home—Mount Olympus. Because he's Cupid, the ancient Roman god of love. Duh. He claims being punished by the other Gods for the modern world's sorry state of love, and was sent to Earth without his famed bow and arrow, to rediscover what really makes love work.

As fate would have it, Cupid, sometimes known as Trevor Hale, is under the care of famous psychologist and self-help author Dr. Claire Allen. Even though Claire disagrees with Trevor's methods, she can't argue with the sentiment, since she too is dedicated to helping lonely hearts find their soul mates. But these two experts in love couldn't be more different: he believes love blooms fast and carnal and passionate, while she thinks it grows slowly, moderately and sensibly. While he busies himself making matches, she endeavors to figure out who Trevor really is. Is he a man who's losing his mind after the loss of his one true love? Is he really crazy? Or (gulp) is he really Cupid?

From writer-creator Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) comes a re-imagining of his 1998 cult favorite series of the same name. Bobby Cannavale stars in this romantic-comedy procedural that will match up a new loving couple each week, though romance may not always bloom quite where we expect it to. This warm, witty series is a charming reminder that even though true love may be madness… it's the only thing keeping us sane.



FINNEGAN
One Hour

CAST
Teri Polo: Erin Finnegan
Billy Zane: Brian Clark
Tasha Smith: Nenna McCants
Dominick Lombardozzi: Tony Carbo
Will Yun Lee: Taki
Jacob Vargas: Smash
Malachi Weir: Det. Mutt Mackenzie
Tzi Ma: Commander Michael Chu

CREDITS
Production Company: ABC Studios
Executive Producer/Writer: Trent Jones
Executive Producer: Francie Calfo
Director: Gary Fleder

PLOT
For most of us, a job is just a job. But then there are people like Erin Finnegan, for whom work is everything and a personal life is just the uneasy time spent while the office is closed.

Finnegan is a cop, head of the LAPD's Organized Crime and Vice Unit, and she rides every case like a roller coaster, reveling in the highs and lows, hooked on pure adrenaline, hanging on for dear life. When an investigation goes from good to bad, so does Finnegan's mood—swinging wildly from giddy joy to furious rage. As her co-workers say, "She's all sunshine… until the clouds roll in." But one thing's for sure: she gets the job done. She's a brilliant sleuth who inspires her crew. And she knows no fear, doing whatever it takes to crack the case. Even if it means putting her career or her life on the line.

Finnegan has an A-team of detectives who support her cause… McCants and Carbo have learned to take the job's challenges (and their boss' moods) with a grain of salt. They are Finnegan's go-to team to back her up. Detectives Mutt and Smash are experts in LA's countless organized gangs and crime syndicates. Finnegan also has her ex-husband Deputy DA Clark to help with last-minute wiretaps and injunctions.

Her nemesis happens to be her boss, Commander Chu. He's a careerist who's more interested in the politics of policing than the policing itself. He's a constant obstacle for Finnegan to overcome.

Finnegan is a hard-edged, character-driven drama that proves that the best man for the job is sometimes a woman.



GOOD BEHAVIOR
One Hour

CAST
Catherine O'Hara: Jackie West
Patrick J. Adams: Van/Haden West
Mae Whitman: Roxy West
Stephanie Lemelin: Tawny West
Gary Cole: Dean West

CREDITS
Production Company: ABC Studios
Executive Producer/Writer: Rob Thomas
Executive Producers: Jennifer Gwartz, Danielle Stokdyk
Director: Charles McDougall

PLOT
Like any other middle-aged Las Vegas mom, Jackie West just wants the best for her teen and adult kids. But lately, things have taken a downward turn. Having her husband go to prison for running a chop shop was bad. Watching her kids turn to criminal acts was worse. But when a family friend gets killed trying to escape the police, Jackie puts her foot down. Rather than gamble with crime, this Sin City mom decides to bankroll a sure thing: the straight life.

Of course, getting her kids on board won't be easy. Van's ripped off so many rides he can jack a car in his sleep. Tawny's gorgeous enough to get herself in trouble, and clever enough to escape—sometimes. And sharp young Roxy just skipped six weeks of school by blackmailing the principal. Only Haden seems to value the law, and that's probably because he's a lawyer. But even he is not above being tempted to fall into bad old habits. And although Jackie's too old to squeeze into a cocktail waitress miniskirt, she's still determined to keep her family on the right track—even if it means bending the rules.

Veronica Mars writer-creator Rob Thomas once again rewrites the rules of television genres with an edgy, soapy drama—one in which a different kind of family trying to live an honest life keeps getting pulled into the same old risky mischief. But, as Jackie West believes, even the Las Vegas strip can be a straight and narrow path—if you play your cards right.



PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY
One Hour

CAST
Warren Christie: Billie Hamilton
Piper Perabo: Meg Riley
Aunjanue Ellis: Cora Neel
Benny Ciaramello: Josh Korman
John Carroll Lynch: Paul Riley
Morris Chestnut: Leo Moore
Sharon Lawrence:
Aidan Quinn:
Andie MacDowell:
Rutger Hauer:

CREDITS
Production Company: ABC Studios
Executive Producer/Writer: Jessica Goldberg
Executive Producers: Hamish Linklater, Bert Salke, Chris Brancato
Director: Jack Bender

PLOT
To be an auto tycoon… or not to be? That's the problem plaguing philosophy lecturer Billy Hamilton. His father, the legendary William Hamilton III of Hamilton Motor Works, was just killed in a mysterious accident. And when Billy returns home for the funeral, he's shocked to discover that his father left him… everything. The factory. The assets. Detroit's fourth-biggest auto plant. All the power and wealth he can imagine. But Billy's not sure if he wants it.

Because the situation back home has gotten strange indeed. Company CFO and family friend Paul Riley is outraged that he wasn't given the keys to the kingdom. Billy's unfinished romance with Riley's spunky daughter Meg is heating up again. And Billy's mom and his Uncle Charlie seem to be consoling one another in much too cozy a fashion—do they know more about William's death than they're letting on?

But all this pales in comparison to the eerie goings-on around the plant. Billy's being haunted by a song… a moody Elvis song that was his father's favorite. He's getting mysterious, meaningful messages from complete strangers. At a dinner party, he chats with an empty seat next to him—which chats back. Finally, a ghost that could only be his father tells Billy in a croaking voice: "I want revenge."

An epic, Gothic, family melodrama with overtones of Hamlet, The Prince of Motor City injects corporate and familial intrigue with supernatural suspense. Produced by actor Hamish Linklater of The New Adventures of Old Christine, this riveting drama tells the story of a modern-day monarch with method in his madness… and vengeance in his heart.



UNTITLED DAVID HEMINGSON PROJECT
One Hour

CAST
Matt Long: Dylan
Morena Baccarin: Beth Bancroft
Ben Lawson: Liam Priory
Tina Majorino: Addy Fisher
Gail O'Grady: Susan
Roger Bart: Cliff
Jonathan Adams: Robert
Norbert Leo Butz: Rowdy Kaiser

CREDITS
Production Company: 20th Century Fox Television
Executive Producer/Writer: David Hemingson
Director: Dean Parisot

PLOT
In the cutthroat legal profession, Dylan Hewitt is a real rarity: a nice guy. Against his better instincts, he's taken his first job out of law school at L.A.'s toughest firm: Sterling, Huddle, Oppenheim, and Craft—the kind of place where they eat opposing counsel for breakfast and each other for lunch. Dylan shows up early on his first day and discovers he's actually late—10 days late—a fact that his new boss Cliff will never forgive. Because of that, Rowdy, the freewheeling recruiter who promised Dylan the world, is giving him the brush-off. Has Dylan grabbed the opportunity of a lifetime—or signed a deal with the devil?

Though the firm isn't exactly a nurturing haven, there's no shortage of excitement. The firm's colorful clients include entrepreneurial porn stars and corporate raiders with GPS-implanted testicles. Fellow associate Liam, quite the ladies' man, finds himself turned on by his boss Susan, who's also Cliff's bickering wife. Cheerful, homespun Addy doesn't think twice about throwing lone wolf Beth under the bus to nab a better job with eccentric partner Lou. And when Dylan finds comfort in the arms of receptionist Tanya, the firm's only other decent human being, he doesn't know he's stealing Cliff's personal property…

Equal parts Entourage, Melrose Place and L.A. Law, the legal procedural combines realistic proceedings with romance, intrigue, and plenty of laughs in colorful cases each week. There's plenty of evidence for Dylan to realize that to succeed as an attorney… he'll have to take the law into his own hands. Based on the real-life experiences of writer/creator David Hemingson (How I Met Your Mother co-executive producer).



THE UNUSUALS
One Hour

CAST
Amber Tamblyn: Det. Casey Schraeger
Jeremy Renner: Det. Joe Walsh
Terry Kinney: Sgt. Harvey Brown
Kai Lennox: Det. Ed Alvarez
Adam Goldberg: Det. Eric Delahoy
Monique Gabriela Curnen: Det. Allison Beaumont
Joshua Close: Henry Cole
Harrold Perrineau: Det. Leo Banks

CREDITS
Production Company: Sony Pictures Television
Executive Producer/Writer: Noah Hawley
Executive Producer: Peter Tolan
Director: Stephen Hopkins

PLOT
As a cop, it helps to have a twisted sense of humor—because every moment could be your last. Just ask Casey Shraeger. She started her day as an NYPD vice detective posing as a Lincoln Tunnel hooker before unexpectedly being transferred to the homicide division. Casey quickly realizes that not only does everyone in her new department have a distinct sense of humor but everyone also has their own dirty little secret…

Sgt. Brown is lusting after Detective Beaumont. Detective Delahoy is nursing a brain tumor and trying to die a noble death in the line of duty. His partner Detective Banks just turned 52 and fears that, like his father, he won't make it to 53. Detective Cole is deeply religious but has a shady past. And although Casey's new partner, Detective Walsh, appears to be clean, while investigating the murder of his former partner, Casey uncovers evidence that suggests that even Walsh may have a secret or two.

Casey has a secret of her own. She grew up wealthy and privileged in New York high society and became a cop because she saw first hand how money can buy justice. As she learns from the precinct's mysterious and seldom-seen Lt. Little, Casey was brought to the homicide division because she's one of the few honest cops in the district. And with her help, Lt. Little plans to start cleaning house.

Equal parts NYPD Blue and The Office, The Unusuals is a unique comedic procedural whose realistic setting makes the frequent laughs that much more outrageous. Writer Noah Hawley (a producer on Bones) confidently takes the police procedural into fresh, uncharted waters. Stephen Hopkins (24, Californication) directs.



SECTION 8
One Hour

TBD

CREDITS
Executive Producers: Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun, Zak Penn
Creator: Michael Karnow

PLOT:
Drama about a team of everyday people with advanced neurological abnormalities who work for a secret government agency






ALREADY PICKED-UP:

COMEDY


THE GOODE FAMILY
Mid Season
Tuesday 9:30
Half Hour

VOICE CAST
Mike Judge: Gerald Goode
Nancy Carell: Helen Goode
Dave Herman: Ubuntu Goode
Abby Elliot: Bliss Goode

CREDITS
Production Companies: MRC (Media Rights Capital) and 3 Arts Entertainment
Executive Producers/Writers: Mike Judge, David Krinsky, John Altschuler
Executive Producers: Michael Rotenberg, Tom Lassally
Director: Wes Archer

PLOT
Doing the right thing isn't as simple as it looks. Recycling burns energy. Herbal remedies deplete the rainforests. Supporting local growers takes money away from third-world farmers. At least you can skip those waste-causing shopping bags at the Whole Earth Market. But how the heck do you get everything home on your bicycle?

No, it ain't easy being good, especially for the Goode family. Every time they try to do the right thing, it somehow turns out wrong. Just ask Gerald, the liberal Quaker who's head of the household. He's a community college teacher intent on bringing out the good in other people, even if they don't want him to. Mother Helen comes from a politically incorrect family and is desperately overcompensating with organic cleaning products that don't quite work. Daughter Bliss is a teenager who could care less about being sexually active, but her parents are urging her to find her… bliss. And Ubuntu is the Goode's adoptive African child who, due to a mix-up, is actually South African – and just as white as they are! While dealing with virginity pledges, responsible shopping, meddlesome neighbors, and YouTube paparazzi, the Goodes are finding that changing the world is a lot harder than it looks.

With The Goode Family, celebrated King of the Hill and Office Space creator Mike Judge makes his long-awaited return to primetime animation. He rejoins writer/producer partners David Krinsky and John Altschuler to create a brilliant, barbed satire-skewering eco-conscious, socially-responsible living – one that liberals and conservatives alike will find utterly hilarious. Because if it's hard being politically correct, it's 10 times harder being Goode.



DRAMA



LIFE ON MARS
Thursdays 10:00pm Fall
One Hour

CAST
Jason O'Mara: Sam Tyler
Michael Imperioli: Ray
Harvey Keitel: Gene Hunt
Jonathan Murphy: Det. Chris Skelton
Grethen Mol: Annie Norris Cartwright
Lisa Bonet: Maya

CREDITS
Production Company: 20th Century Fox Television, David E. Kelley Productions
Executive Producer/Writer: David E. Kelley
Executive Producers: Tommy Schlamme and Bob Breech
Director: Tommy Schlamme

PLOT
In the midst of a difficult serial killer investigation, LAPD Detective Sam Tyler goes against his better judgment and allows his girlfriend and fellow detective, Maya Robertson, to search a suspect's home by herself. When things take a terrible turn and Maya disappears, Sam is devastated. Despondent and in shock, he wanders aimlessly around town and is hit by a car. He wakes up to discover he's in 1972—without a scratch on him—and still in the LAPD.

Welcomed by his new colleagues as a "transfer", Sam finds himself thrust into a world where cops routinely rough up suspects to get answers and political correctness is years in the future. While being ordered around by his Archie Bunker-like, take-no-prisoners boss, Gene Hunt, Sam initially refuses to accept his situation. Unsure whether he is hallucinating, in a coma, or if he has actually gone back in time, he ultimately theorizes that if he is able to solve the case for Hunt, perhaps he will be transported back to 2008. He clings to this as his only hope of saving Maya.

But detective work in 1972 is very different from detective work in 2008. Sam is forced to operate in a world without forensic evidence and even more challenging, adjust to the cultural and social differences of a 1972 police precinct. His modern, methodical manner brings him into constant conflict with Hunt and his team, who naturally operates in a more old-fashioned way. They're not scared of throwing punches or using ethically-questionable tactics to get results. Sam does find one ally in the precinct's lone female detective, Annie Cartwright. Annie seems to be the only person who believes in Sam's ability to solve crimes, despite his insistence that he is from the future. Through the course of his investigation, Sam eventually comes to realize there just may be a connection between the case he's investigating in 1972 and events in the present day.

Adapted from the hit British series, Life on Mars combines a crime of the week with ongoing intrigue.






-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MY COMMENTS:

Comedy: I'd really like to see Bad Mother's Handbook, Fourplay, Single with Parents, and In the Motherhood picked-up. Fourplay and In the Motherhood got some previews at upfront yesterday!
Drama: ABC always has good dramas in development the last 5-6 seasons, and it continues here. I'd like to see Captain Cook's Amazing Adventures, Good Behavior, Prince of Motor City and Cupid picked-up!

What are you favorites?

This post will be updated as new casting information and other info comes in!

[Seth]

BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK: Sounds like a good idea in principle that'll be nuked by the writing - nevermind that the second the kid turns 17 the premise *must* change.

FIVE YEAR PLAN: I swear, I see at least two versions of this idea EVERY YEAR. And every year, either they never air or they fail miserably.

Never Better: Meh.

Roman's Empire: TBD cast means I'm not commenting. Where the heck are multi-cams though?

This Might Hurt: This has potential.

Fourplay: Finally, a multi-camera! Too bad it doesn't sound very good.

Single with Parents: Definitiely potential with the cast.

Captain Cook: Can't say anything with info TBD

Castle: This sounds like the type of show to last 13-22 episodes and fizzle out.

Cupid: This could work, but it doesn't sound even remotely like my cup of tea.

Finnegan: Alright, that's it, I'll say it. Every last single detective show with a female lead, at least on THIS network, always turns out to be the EXACT SAME PROGRAM, and it's terrible. Call me when they do something interesting here. It takes a lot to sour me on ANY show that has the words "Vice Cops" in the title, but this did it.

Good Behavior: I'll pass, thank you.

Prince of Motor City: Sounds like a good idea at first, but quickly seems to fall off the wagon.

Untitled David Hemingson Project: Sounds like Los Angeles Legal - with no Bill Shatner, Candice Bergen, or James Spader. As those three are what make Boston Legal enjoyable for me, I'll pass.

The Unusuals: See Finnegan.

Section 8: All I can say is that when you say "Section 8", I think of Klinger in a dress. Need a better title.

The Goode Family: FINALLY, something that sounds like it could be VERY entertaining - and an animated show on ABC?! About time!

Life on Mars: As a rule, I need three things to push a show over the top for me. In this case, you've got David E. Kelley, actor Colm Meaney (Mr. Kelley clearly has a thing for employing Star Trek actors), and a time travel plot device. I'm sold.

[dawsongirl]

So Women's Murder Club is DOA? My mom likes it.

[Pavan]

Fall promo watch:

Sunday, May 18:

- During the two-hour season finale of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, during the 8pm hour, you'll see a 15-second promo for Opportunity Knocks.

- During the two-hour season finale of Desperate Housewives you'll see 15-second promos for the return of Private Practice (Wednesdays) and Dirty Sexy Money (Wednesdays) this fall.

Wednesday, May 21
- During the Boston Legal season finale at 10pm, you'll see a 15-second promo for Life on Mars.

You'll see promos during Dancing with the Stars' finale too, such as Opportunity Knocks on the performance finale Monday. No idea yet about Tuesday's grand finale.

[Brent88]

Fall promo watch:

- During the two-hour season finale of Desperate Housewives you'll see 15-second promos for the return of Private Practice (Wednesdays) and Dirty Sexy Money (Wednesdays) this fall.


I never saw the PP one. I did see the DSM one towards the end of the first hour though(which was great BTW). I went back and looked at all the commerical breaks and never saw the PP one however.

[Pavan]

Yeah, sorry, they pulled the PP one late Saturday. If I were to guess, you'll see it this Thursday during GA. I should know soon.

[repeatshistory]

I'm not sure if I'd like Cupid to succeed or not. I really liked the original version with Jeremy Piven, and I'm a huge Rob Thomas fan, but I almost feel ripped-off if this new version hits, when the original didn't.

[dawsongirl]

I'm not sure if I'd like Cupid to succeed or not. I really liked the original version with Jeremy Piven, and I'm a huge Rob Thomas fan, but I almost feel ripped-off if this new version hits, when the original didn't.
That makes me wonder about ABC. They canned the first one only to try it again a few years later. That just seems incredibly odd.

[Stuck In The '70's]

Too many single camera comedies for my tastes.

[JulieSomoski]

Too many single camera comedies for my tastes.

That's what I hate about ABC - they have way too many single camera comedies, and I can't stand single camera comedies. That's why I kind of like how According to Jim keeps coming back.

[tbswatcher]

That's what I hate about ABC - they have way too many single camera comedies, and I can't stand single camera comedies. That's why I kind of like how According to Jim keeps coming back.
I know what you mean. It seems like family sitcoms are becoming a thing of the past. Even just a few years ago ABC had Hope and Faith, 8 Simple Rules (R.I.P. Jon Ritter), Geroge Lopez, My Wife and Kids and now the last one According to Jim. I love how According to Jim can't die since it has been cancelled once and stuck in midseason for a while now.

[JulieSomoski]

I know what you mean. It seems like family sitcoms are becoming a thing of the past. Even just a few years ago ABC had Hope and Faith, 8 Simple Rules (R.I.P. Jon Ritter), Geroge Lopez, My Wife and Kids and now the last one According to Jim. I love how According to Jim can't die since it has been cancelled once and stuck in midseason for a while now.

It seems like every season, they try to do new single camera comedies, and they all strike out (this season it was Cavemen and Carpoolers) while According to Jim keeps rolling on. And now they have animated comedies coming? Seriously, leave those to FOX. Just give us more multi-camera comedies!

[Pavan]

Samantha Who is a single camera comedy and it did well (and it is very good too). That will be a nice launching pad for a new comedy next mid-season, like Alyssa Milano's or Alicia Silverstone/Megan Mullally's comedies.
Scrubs is not a 10 million type sitcom anymore, but it will draw among 18-49 and could get a new life since it is going to a new network. I think that and Goode Family could work.

All the networks are trying to go for single camera comedies. Even CBS has put a single camera comedy on Mondays next fall. According to Jim is only coming back for more episodes in syndication...so it can get over 200 episodes. Which means more money for ABC Studios.

[JulieSomoski]

I don't get why the networks are switching to single camera lately. They tend to draw in a lot less viewers than multi-camera comedies (the only exception being Samantha Who?, and occasionally The Office, which is really hit or miss lately). CBS tried this year with Welcome to the Captain, and it completely bombed. Personally, everyone knows CBS for mutli-camera, and they should stick to it.

According to Jim is the only sitcom I've watched on ABC in years. Too bad ABC can't pick up more mutli-camera comedies.

[Pavan]

ABC summer 2008 updates:

- Grey's Anatomy 9pm repeats will indeed lead-into the new ABCNews series Hopkins starting Thursday, June 26

- Duel returns to Fridays at 9pm: Friday, June 27, July 4, 11, 18 & 25. Dance Machine will premiere on the same night at 8pm.

- The Wonderful World of Disney on Saturdays:
8-10pm
June 28, 2008 - The Haunted Mansion
July 5, 2008 - Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
July 12, 2008 - The Princess Bride Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement
July 19, 2008 - Freaky Friday
August 2, 2008 - Peter Pan (animated classic)

- Eli Stone encores will follow The Wonderful World of Disney on Saturdays at 10:00pm ET/PT starting June 28.

- The Bachelorette Specials:
Monday, June 16
8-9pm The Bachelorette: Deanna Tells All Special
9-10pm Regular The Bachlorette Episode

Monday, June 30
8-9pm The Bachelorette
9-10pm The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All Special

Monday, July 7
8-10pm The Bachelorette Season Finale

- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition repeats will move to 9pm starting July 20 as High School Musical series will air at 8pm. EM: HE will be airing two-hours episodes from 8-10pm after the NBA Finals ends starting June 22.

- Tuesday, August 5, I Survived a Japanese Game Show will have its season finale from 9-11pm.

[Brent88]

What is airing on Monday July 7th and 14th from 8-10?

[Stuck In The '70's]

I don't get why the networks are switching to single camera lately. They tend to draw in a lot less viewers than multi-camera comedies (the only exception being Samantha Who?, and occasionally The Office, which is really hit or miss lately). CBS tried this year with Welcome to the Captain, and it completely bombed. Personally, everyone knows CBS for mutli-camera, and they should stick to it.

According to Jim is the only sitcom I've watched on ABC in years. Too bad ABC can't pick up more mutli-camera comedies.
because the critics love them and I guess if you're going to have low rated sitcoms you might as well get good press for it. I frankly hate them. If I want to watch comedies without an audience I'll watch the hour shows like NCIS,, one of my favorites.

[Pavan]

Originally The Bachelorette was finishing July 14...I am not sure what is happening. Since the Tell All special is usually after the finale. My guess is ABC will probably air the High School Musical movies on those Mondays in anticipation to the reality series (launching July 20/21), which will likely be a huge hit.

[JulieSomoski]

because the critics love them and I guess if you're going to have low rated sitcoms you might as well get good press for it. I frankly hate them. If I want to watch comedies without an audience I'll watch the hour shows like NCIS,, one of my favorites.

I hate them, too - I guess I've just been watching sitcoms with laughtracks or studio audiences all these years that it's weird watching a sitcom without one. Plus, multi-camera comedies always tend to be funnier to me than single-camera.

[Pavan]

Monday, June 30
8-9pm The Bachelorette Season Finale
9-10pm The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All Special

This was a misprint. June 30 is not the season finale. June 30 is a regular episode from 8-9pm. The season finale is July 7 from 8-10pm. TBD is July 14 from 8-10pm, likely one of the HSM movies.

[Scoobiedoo30]

thanks for the update

[Pavan]

“The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose” will be scheduled after the two-hour season finale of "The Bachelorette" on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 10:00 PM ET/PT preempting "The Mole."

[Brent88]

“The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose” will be scheduled after the two-hour season finale of "The Bachelorette" on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 10:00 PM ET/PT preempting "The Mole."

The Mole is doing horrible in the ratings, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets pre-empted more than that. :(

[Scoobiedoo30]

What are The Mole Number's

[Pavan]

Effective Tuesday, August 12, 2008, Primetime: Family Secrets will air at 10:00 PM ET/PT replacing Primetime: The Outsiders which will air from June 24-July 29 on this day and time period. Tuesday, August 5 from 9-11pm is the season finale of I Survived a Japanese Game Show.

[Pavan]

Some more updates:

- The Mole will air Monday, July 14, 2008 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. This telecast will be a recap of all previous episodes. Looks like ABC wants to push the show more with a re-launch with this recap.
The Mole will also air in its regularly scheduled 10:00 PM ET/PT slot on this date.
No word yet what will air 8:00PM ET/PT on this night yet.

- Fridays 8-10pm starting August 1 is still TBD, as Dance Machine and Duel will end the week before on July 25.

- Effective Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Samantha Who? repeats will air in both the 9:00 & 9:30 PM ET/PT slots. I Survived a Japanese Game Show will end its season with a two-hour finale the week before from 9-11pm.
Wipeout will continue through August at 8pm on Tuesdays. Primetime: Medical Mysteries starts on this date at 10/9 central for 6 weeks.

- Effective Sunday, August 10, 2008 America’s Funniest Home Videos repeats will move to 8:00 PM ET/PT. High School Musical: Get In The Picture is only airing for three Sundays then it will just air Mondays at 8pm (which it was also airing with the three Sunday airings). Encores of Monday's telecasts will air Sundays at 7PM starting August 3 through September 14.

- A special America’s Funniest Home Videos encore will air on Friday, September 5, 2008 at 9:00 PM ET/PT.

- Grey’s Anatomy's season finale from this past season will re-air Thursday, September 18, 2008 from 9:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT. The new season begins a week later on September 25 at 9/8 central.

- America’s Funniest Home Videos' season finale from thos past season will re-air on Friday, September 19, 2008 from 8:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT. Season premiere will be tentatively on Sunday, September 28 at 7/6 central.

[Pavan]

A half-hour fall preview special focusing on ABC Wednesday will air this summer:

ABC will be offering a 30 minute affiliate special that will focus on ABC’s Wednesday night line-up this fall. Whether you watch regularly or whether you have never seen ABC’s Pushing Daisies, Private Practice or Dirty Sexy Money, the ABC Wednesday Night Starter Kit is everything you’ll need to get up to speed on three of the best dramas on television.

The ABC Wednesday Night Starter Kit will introduce viewers to character descriptions, storylines and recaps of last season and provide a sneak peek at the new season ahead.

Check local listings and ABC cable networks for the ABC Wednesday Night Starter Kit between August 15th through and including September 21st, 2008.

[Pavan]

Effective Tuesday, August 12, 2008, Primetime: Family Secrets will air at 10:00 PM ET/PT replacing Primetime: The Outsiders which will air from June 24-July 29 on this day and time period. Tuesday, August 5 from 9-11pm is the season finale of I Survived a Japanese Game Show.

This has now changed:

Primetime: Family Secrets will now premiere on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 and air through July 29, 2008 at 10:00 PM ET/PT. The last telecast for Primetime: The Outsiders will now be on Tuesday, July 8, 2008. The two-hour season finale of I Survived a Japanese Game Show will be 9-11pm on that date.
3 episodes of Outsiders will air and 3 of Family Secrets.

So now that Family Secrets is launching earlier, effective Tuesday, August 12, 2008, Primetime: Medical Mysteries will air Tuesdays 10:00PM ET/PT for about six weeks.
A special Primetime: Medical Mysteries will be scheduled on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 10:00 PM ET/PT...this will likely be a two-part episode, with part one the previous night.

As of now, Primetime: Crime will continue to air Wednesdays in July and August. It launches tonight.

[Pavan]

Last night's hilarious Wipeout premiere will encore this Sunday (June 29) at 7:00pm ET/PT, replacing an encore of AFV.

[Pavan]

A special called The Bachelorette: Engagement Party will air on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 8:00PM ET/PT.

Also, the season finale of High School Musical: Get in the Picture will air on a special night on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 from 8:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT.

[canuck75]

I haven't heard anything about it since early June, when a tentative title was given as "Single With Parents". I was wondering if anyone has heard any gossip about it? Such as if it's getting any buzz, positive or negative? What's it chances of ABC picking it up for mid-season? The cast seems great with Beau Bridges and Annie Potts also attached to the show? Does anyone know when ABC plans to announce what pilots, that were not completed by the May upfronts, will be picked up for midseason? I really think Alyssa should be back on TV regularly, I loved her on Earl, so I'm praying ABC is smart and picks Alyssa's pilot for series.

[Pavan]

I'm not sure, but if there is a TCA tour (pending the SAG strike), that would be a great time to announce pick-ups for mid-season. The TCA tour is set for mid-July.

[Pavan]

MONDAY, JULY 14 (8:00 - 9:00 PM)

PROGRAM CHANGE
"THE BACHELORETTE: Engagement Party" is no longer scheduled.
"THE BACHELOR: Where Are They Now (2)" (OAD: 3/10/08) will air instead but some new material will be included in this airing.

[Pavan]

More notes:

- The Wonderful World of Disney movie Peter Pan (animated classic) will now air on Saturday, July 26, 2008 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT (replaces two encores of High School Musical: Get in the Picture) instead of August 2.
“Wipeout” encores will now air on Saturday, August 2, 2008 in both the 8:00 & 9:00 PM ET/PT slots. The two repeats will be repeats of July 15 and July 22's episodes.

- ABC Friday Movie of the Week will start on Friday, August 1 after Dance Machine and Duel end on Friday, July 25:
August 1, 2008 - “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” 8-10p
August 8, 2008 - "War of the Worlds" 8:30-11p (Samantha Who repeat at 8, 20/20 preempted at 10p)
August 15, 2008 - “Legally Blonde” 8-10p
August 22, 2008 - “Collateral” 8-10p

- ABC Saturday Movie of the Week:
August 9, 2008 - “Shark Tale” 8-10pm
August 16, 2008 - “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde” 8-10pm
August 23, 2008 - “Madagascar” 8-10pm

- “Private Practice” encores will air Thursdays, August 7, 14, 21 and September 11, 2008 at 10:00 PM ET/PT. Hopkins will end its 6 week run on Thursday, July 31.

- Stand Up to Cancer (three network special) will air Friday, September 5 from 8-9pm ET/PT, leading into an AFV repeat at 9pm.

- “The 42nd Annual CMA Awards” is scheduled to air on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 from 8:00-11:00 PM ET/PT.

[Pavan]

Dance Machine has been pulled effective immediately. So the last two episodes of the five-episode series will not air. America's Funniest Home Videos encores will air on Fridays, July 18 & July 25, 2008 at 8:00 PM ET/PT leading into "Duel" at 9:00PM ET/PT.

Also, Primetime “China Inside Out” will air on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 at 10:00PM ET/PT, Bob Woodruff reports.

[Brent88]

ABC ANNOUNCES FALL PREMIERE DATES
Fall premiere dates for the 2008-2009 season were announced today for the ABC Television Network by Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment.

"We are very excited about the return of our core group of shows from last Fall. They dominated for us, and it will be great to see viewers reconnect," said Mr. McPherson. "We are building momentum for our two new shows, 'Opportunity Knocks' and 'Life on Mars,' and are thrilled by their tremendous potential."

ABC primetime fall premiere dates are as follows:

Friday, September 19
10:00-11:00 p.m. "20/20"

Monday, September 22
8:00-10:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars" (special two-hour performance show premiere)
10:00-11:00 p.m. "Boston Legal"

Tuesday, September 23
8:00-9:00 p.m. "Opportunity Knocks" (new series debut)
9:00-11:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars" (special performance show)

Wednesday, September 24
8:00-9:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars Results Show Special" (special day and time)
9:00-11:00 p.m. "David Blaine Special"

Thursday, September 25
8:00-9:00 p.m. "Ugly Betty"
9:00-11:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy" (special two-hour season premiere)

Sunday, September 28
7:00-9:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (two-hour season premiere)
9:00-10:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives"
10:00-11:00 p.m. "Brothers & Sisters"

Tuesday, September 30
9:00-10:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars Result Show" (regular day and time period premiere)

Wednesday, October 1
8:00-9:00 p.m. "Pushing Daisies"
9:00-10:00 p.m. "Private Practice"
10:00-11:00 p.m. "Dirty Sexy Money"

Friday, October 3
8:00-9:00 p.m. "Wife Swap"
9:00-10:00 p.m. "Supernanny"

Sunday, October 5
7:00-8:00 p.m. "America's Funniest Home Videos"
8:00-9:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (regular time period premiere)

Monday, October 6
9:30-10:00 p.m. "Samantha Who?"

Thursday, October 9
9:00-10:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy" (regular time period premiere)
10:00-11:00 p.m. "Life on Mars" (new series debut)

Tuesday, October 14
10:00-11:00 p.m. "Eli Stone"

[Pavan]

- Effective Sunday, August 10, 2008 America’s Funniest Home Videos repeats will move to 8:00 PM ET/PT. High School Musical: Get In The Picture is only airing for three Sundays then it will just air Mondays at 8pm (which it was also airing with the three Sunday airings). Encores of Monday's telecasts will air Sundays at 7PM starting August 3 through September 14.

This is not happening anymore. AFV repeats will remain Sundays at 7pm and EM: HE repeats will air 8-10pm again starting August 10. Last Sunday airing of HSM: Get in the Picture will be Aug. 3 at 8pm.
HSM: Get in the Picture encores will NOT air at 7pm Sundays starting August 3.

Last season's Desperate Housewives season finale will air on Sunday, September 14, 2008 from 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT.

August 1 and August 23 movie titles have changed, I have edited it in:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=3953840&postcount=53

[Pavan]

ABC News Series “Hopkins” will now be scheduled through Thursday August 7, 2008 at 10:00PM ET/PT.
“Private Practice” repeat previously scheduled on August 7, 2008 at 10:00 PM ET/PT is now preempted and will start on August 14.

[Pavan]

Primetime: The Last Lecture: A Celebration of Life will air on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 10:00 PM ET/PT preempting Primetime: Family Secrets on this night.

Diane Sawyer will host this celebration of the life of recently deceased Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch.

[Pavan]

ABC Monday Movie Of The Week: Bewitched is scheduled to air on Monday, August 18, 2008 from 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT, preempting Wanna Bet? at 9pm. The Mole will have its finale on August 11 at 10pm.

[Scoobiedoo30]

I know I will be watching Bewitched on Monday, August 18, 2008 from 8:00 pm until 10:00 pm Ct.

[Pavan]

OK I updated the casting for the pilots finally:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=3913870&postcount=20

[Pavan]

ABCNews Democratic Convention will run from Monday, August 25 through Thursday, August 28, 2008 in the 10:00 PM ET/PT hour each night.

The same is likely the following week with the Republican Convention.

[Scoobiedoo30]

When is The Republican Covention

[nickandmore]

When is The Republican Covention
September 1 - 4

[Scoobiedoo30]

I know I will be watching August 25-August 28 and September 1-September 4

[Pavan]

“America United: In Support Of Our Troops” is scheduled to air on Sunday, September 7, 2008 from 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT.
A star-studded "Bob Hope USO" style variety show featuring heart-warming profiles of families overcoming obstacles, top-tier performances, sexy celebrity cameos, hilarious comedy and touching acts of wish-fulfillment all with the positive, non-controversial message of "thanks" for our troops and their families.

Official titles for the convention specials:
- ABCNews will present live coverage of "ABC News Vote ’08: The Democratic National Convention" from Denver, Colorado on August 25, 26, 27 and 28, 2008 at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT.
- ABCNews will present live coverage of "ABC News Vote ’08: The Republican National Convention" from Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 1, 2, 3 and 4, 2008 at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT.

[tvcrazed]

I really don't understand why ABC doesn't start their Dem Convention coverage Monday Aug 25th at 9pm. It's not like they can't preempt "Wanna Bet" (I am sure they could at least get the same 1.2) and they would get a jump on the other broadcast nets, since they don't start til 10pm.They could also do it Sep 1st at 9pm.

Additionally I really think ABC should run all 9 eps of "Pushing Dasies" in Sep. They could start Sun Aug 30th at 8p and cotinue Mon Sep 1st 8p, Tue Sep 2nd at 9pm following a new "Wipeout"", Wed Sep 3rd 8p, then run the next 4 the next Sun Sep 7th at 8pm, Mon Sep 8th, 8p, Tue Sep 9th following a new Wipeout, Wed Sep 10th, then run the final one Wed Sep 17th in its regular timeslot. Sep 16th the DVD hits stores and October 1st the new season premieres.

[Pavan]

Not surprising, but WOOHOO Wipeout was renewed for a second season. New episodes for the first season will return Aug. 26, after the Olympics are over. Next two weeks are repeats. Here is the Season 2 news:

THE BIG BALLS ARE BACK!!

ABC PICKS UP “WIPEOUT” FOR A SECOND SEASON





“Wipeout,” ABC’s wildly popular new reality series, has been picked up for a second season. Twenty-four thrill-seekers will compete in the world’s largest extreme obstacle course designed to provide the most spills, face plants and wipeouts ever seen on television.



A hit summer series for ABC, “Wipeout” dominates Tuesday’s 8:00 o’clock hour in Total Viewers and across each of the key Adult demographics (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54). In its six telecasts to date, “Wipeout” has consistently ranked as the No. 2 show of the week in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. On average, the ABC freshman series leads NBC’s competing new series, “Celebrity Family Feud,” in the hour by 2.4 million viewers and by 81% in Adults 18-49. Since its debut, “Wipeout” stands as the summer’s No. 1 TV program with Men 18-49 and Men 25-54, and is the No. 2 show in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, behind only NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” respectively. The No. 1 new series of Summer 2008 in viewers and young adults, “Wipeout” represents TV’s highest-rated freshman summer series (for any net) in three years in Adults 18-49 -- since the initial season of “Dancing with the Stars” in Summer 2005.



Each week 24 daring new contestants of all ages, shapes and sizes will go head to head through four rounds of grueling and physically demanding but wildly hilarious obstacle courses to win the title of “Wipeout Champion” and the grand prize of $50,000. The contestants and the courses change every week, with over-the-top obstacles including the crowd favorite, the Big Balls. In the end, only one contestant will win, while everyone else will Wipeout!



“Wipeout” is hosted by John Anderson (ESPN’s “SportsCenter”) and John Henson (E! Entertainment’s “Talk Soup”). Jill Wagner is co-host. “Wipeout” is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol holding. David Goldberg is the President and CEO of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Matt Kunitz and Scott Larsen is co-executive producer.

[tvcrazed]

It looks like ABC flipped "Samantha Who" to Monday at 9pm, with "Wanna Bet" going to Tuesday at 9pm after "Wipeout" starting this week.

[Pavan]

Yes, they did. I suggested that to Steve McPherson last week and he said it was a good idea...maybe he listened, lol?

- “Wanna Bet?” is scheduled to move to Tuesdays on Tuesdays, August 12, 19, 26 and September 2, 2008 at 9:00 PM ET/PT following Wipeout (which returns with new episodes on Aug. 26)

- Effective Monday, August 11, 2008 “Samantha Who?” encores are scheduled to air at 9:00 & 9:30 PM ET/PT for the rest of the summer. Note: On August 18, the movie Bewitched will air from 9-11PM ET/PT.

[tvcrazed]

Pavan, that's cool that you suggested it. I think think on September 16th (they had the 2 hour High School Musical scheduled for 2 hours, which I hope gets re-scheduled for Friday or relegated to the Disney channel) they should run a re-run of Wipeout at 8pm (maybe this week's clip show again) and have the finale of Wipeout at 9pm. It's a competetive night.That night the 2 hour Biggest Loser premieres, as does the season premiere of House and timeslot premiere of Fringe. Maybe at 8pm they could air a new Wipeout special with stars like Jimmy Kimmel etc picking their favorite Wipeout moments.

[Pavan]

I don't think the HSM finale is on for Tuesday anymore. Wipeout has four episodes left for this first season and they will air Aug. 26, Sept. 2, 9 and 16. They can just have the HSM finale on that Monday. I think they will stick with the show it seems.

I think they will air repeats of Wipeout on Sept. 9 and 16 at 9pm (but that 9pm finale idea on Sept. 16 makes sense).

[tvcrazed]

thanks. Is "Bewitched" still scheduled for the 18th, or are "Sam Who" reruns airing there. Maybe they could put a primetime at 10pm.

[Pavan]

As far as I know, Bewitched is still airing on the 18th.

[tvcrazed]

cool, thanks

[Pavan]

OK, here we go! A look at the new series pilots cast photos! Remember some of these will not make it to series, so you might be seeing something that will never air!

Here are details on all the ABC pilots in development: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=3913870&postcount=20

2008-09 Pilot Cast Photos: Sitcoms (IN ORDER) - BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK (top row of women and bottom row of men), BETTER OFF TED, FIVE YEAR PLAN, NEVER BETTER, ROMAN'S EMPIRE, SINGLE WITH PARENTS, THE MORE THINGS CHANGE

[Pavan]

CAST PHOTOS CONTINUED:

SITCOMS cont. - THIS MIGHT HURT, FOURPLAY (KOHAN AND MUTCHNIK PROJECT)

DRAMAS (IN ORDER) - CAPTAIN COOK'S EXTRAORDINARY ATLAS, CASTLE, CUPID (four head shots), FINNEGAN, GOOD BEHAVIOR

[Pavan]

CAST PHOTOS CONTINUED:

DRAMA cont. - PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY, UNTITLED DAVID HEMINGSON PROJECT, THE UNUSUALS

Still to Come: SITCOMS - 18 TO LIFE AND IN THE MOTHERHOOD

[mtlguy]

Thanks for the pics pavanbadal.

nice to see an image from all those pilots we only hear about. :)

[DigitalBean05]

Thanks so much for these pictures! "Five Year Plan" has me interested simply for the fact that Steve Howey and Lee Thompson Young are in it. I'm also curious about "Bad Mother's Handbook."

I also am looking forward to the promotional picture for "18 to Life."

[Scoobiedoo30]

I was wondering is that Kelsey Grammer in Romansempire.

[Pavan]

I really hope Prince of Motor City is picked-up because of the lovely Piper Perabo (in the green top with the grey skirt).

[Pavan]

Some edits:

- On Tuesday, September 9, an all-new “Wipeout” will air in the 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT slot. “Wipeout” will still also air and be all-new in the 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT slot as well on that date.

- The season finale of High School Musical: Get in the Picture is now on Monday, September 15, 2008 in its normal 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT time period and not two-hours on a special night (Sept. 16) like previously reported.

- The “Wipeout” season finale is now scheduled to air as a 90-minute episode on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 from 8:00-9:30 PM ET/PT time period followed by the highly anticipated special “Primetime: UFO’s...Seeing is Believing” from 9:30-11:00 PM ET/PT.

[Pavan]

ABC will start to pick-up shows for mid-season (and hold some for fall 2009) very soon. Among the shows in the running:

Bad Mother's Handbook (sitcom)
Better Off Ted (sitcom)
Castle (drama)
Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas (drama)
Cupid (drama-comedy)
The Prince Of Motor City (drama)
Single With Parents (sitcom)
The Unusuals (drama)

A few of those will be held until fall 2009 (possibly Atlas, Prince and Handbook). Fourplay (or now known as Significant Others) could also be in that category. Shows like Finnegan have no chance, while Good Behavior, Roman's Empire and Never Better are slipping. More news soon.

[JulieSomoski]

Too bad about Roman's Empire - that was the one ABC comedy I was hoping would make it. But, maybe it's a good thing - Kelsey Grammar really does need some time off.

Fourplay sounds decent - hopefully that'll make it in next fall.

[Pavan]

ABC will announce tomorrow that 5 additional series will be added for mid-season and will join The Goode Family, The Untitled Ashton Kutcher/Tyra Banks Reality Project and the ABC premiere of Scrubs, along with returning series According to Jim, The Bachelor, Lost and ABC News' Primetime: What Would You Do. Here are the additional series pickups for mid-season:

Better Off Ted (sitcom)
Castle (drama)
Cupid (drama-comedy)
Single With Parents (sitcom)
The Unusuals (drama)

A few others will be saved for Fall 2009 consideration.

I'll post the press release tomorrow morning.

[Superbowl]

I am glad to see ABC is picking up the new Alyssa Milano sitcom called Single With Parents. I love Alyssa, and have high hopes for this one.

Maybe ABC will final hit on a sitcom after about 3 years of sitcom bombs.

[Scoobiedoo30]

I am also glad that ABC is going to be airing Single with Parent's

[Pavan]

Using these five pick-ups, I think ABC should do something like this for mid-season:

New/time change in bold

JANUARY
(nights changed listed only)

Mondays
8:00PM The Untitled Ashton Kutcher/Tyra Banks Reality Project (I believe this will be 90-minutes)
9:30PM Single with Parents
10:00PM The Bachelor

Tuesdays
8:00PM Opportunity Knocks / According to Jim (2x)?
9:00PM Scrubs
9:30PM The Goode Family
10:00PM Eli Stone

Wednesdays
8:00PM Pushing Daisies
9:00PM Private Practice
10:00PM Dirty Sexy Money / Lost (Feb)

Thursdays
8:00PM Ugly Betty
9:00PM Grey's Anatomy
10:00PM Cupid


MARCH
(nights changed listed only)

Mondays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars (Cycle 8)
9:30PM Single with Parents / Samantha Who
10:00PM Castle

Tuesdays
8:00PM Scrubs
8:30PM Better off Ted
9:00PM Dancing with the Stars: The Results
10:00PM The Unusuals

Thursdays
8:00PM Ugly Betty
9:00PM Grey's Anatomy
10:00PM Life on Mars

I need to see the five new series for better judgment, though.

[Scoobiedoo30]

that a great Midseason line-up.

[DigitalBean05]

I'm curious...

Were pilot photos ever released for "18 to Life" and "In the Motherhood?"

[Scoobiedoo30]

I hope they show Phots of Single with Parent's

[Pavan]

Aaron, I posted the Single with Parents photo already on this thread. DigitalBean05, I don't have those two photos yet...not sure if the pilots were evn filmed.

[Scoobiedoo30]

I just saw the phote from Single with Parant's my friend.

[DigitalBean05]

Aaron, I posted the Single with Parents photo already on this thread. DigitalBean05, I don't have those two photos yet...not sure if the pilots were evn filmed.

Thanks for the response.

I know "18 to Life" was filmed back in mid-to-late June. It was mentioned in one of the star's (Michael Seater) MySpace blogs. Could the lack of photos be due to it being Canadian?

[Pavan]

Possibly, since it was only recently announced ABC bought the series rights.

[Pavan]

Here is the press release and notice what McPherson says about more coming:

ABC ANNOUNCES FIVE NEW SERIES PICK-UPS

New Series Include “Better Off Ted,” “Castle,” “Cupid,” “Single With Parents” and “The Unusuals”

ABC is adding five new series to its slate of programming for the 2008-09 season, it was announced today by Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment. The series include three new dramas, “Castle,” “Cupid” and “The Unusuals,” and two new comedies, “Better Off Ted” and “Single With Parents.”

"It was worth taking the time to go through the pilot process to really do it right," said McPherson. "We're excited about these series and feel they're perfect additions to our dominant core slate of shows. These are the initial pick-ups, but there are a number of other pilots we feel will also get the go ahead in some form moving forward."

New series previously announced are drama “Life on Mars,” comedies “The Goode Family” and “Scrubs” (new to ABC), and alternative series “Opportunity Knocks” and “Untitled Ashton Kutcher/Tyra Banks Project.”

Dramas

“Castle” is a comedic crime procedural about a famous mystery novelist, Nick Castle, who has gotten bored with his success. When a real-world copycat murderer starts staging scenes from Nick’s novels, he’s teamed up with NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, and the challenge gets his blood pumping as he steps in to help solve the crime. Nick and Beckett’s styles instantly clash and sparks begin to fly, leading both to danger and a hint of romance. Castle is kept grounded by his Broadway diva mother, quick-witted teenage daughter, and his long-suffering ex-wife…who happens to be his editor. “Castle” stars Nathan Fillion as Castle, Stana Katic as Beckett, Molly Quinn as Alexis, Susan Sullivan as Martha, Monet Mazur as Gina and Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Capt. Montgomery. Produced by ABC Studios, Andrew Marlowe serves as executive producer/writer along with executive producers Laurie Zaks, Armyan Bernstein and Rob Bowman.



“Cupid” is a romantic dramedy about Trevor, a larger than life character who may or may not be the Roman god of love Cupid, sent to earth to bring couples together. As fate would have it, Trevor is under the care of famous psychologist and self-help author Dr. Claire Allen, who is also dedicated to helping lonely hearts find their soul mates. While she agrees with his cause, she questions whether he’s crazy or really is Cupid. “Cupid” stars Bobby Cannavale as Trevor, Sarah Paulson as Claire, Rick Gomez as Felix and Camille Guaty as Lita. Produced by ABC Studios, Rob Thomas serves as executive producer/writer along with executive producers Jennifer Gwartz, Danielle Stokdyk, Dan Etheridge and Bharat Nalluri.



“The Unusuals” is a unique comedic procedural set in a New York police precinct. As a cop it helps to have a twisted sense of humor, because every moment could be your last. Just ask Casey Schraeger, who started her day as an NYPD vice detective, before unexpectedly being transferred to the homicide division. She quickly realizes that not only does everyone in her new department have a distinct sense of humor, but also their own dirty little secret. “The Unusuals” stars Amber Tamblyn as Det. Casey Schraeger, Jeremy Renner as Det. Joe Walsh, Terry Kinney as Sgt. Harvey Brown, Kai Lennox as Det. Ed Alvarez, Harold Perrineau as Det. Leo Banks, Adam Goldberg as Det. Eric Delahoy, Monique Gabriela Curnen as Det. Allison Beaumont and Joshua Close as Henry Cole. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, Noah Hawley is executive producer/writer.



Comedies

“Better Off Ted” is a satirical office comedy featuring a successful but morally conscious man, Ted, who runs a research and development department at a morally questionable corporation, Veridian Technologies. No achievement is too far fetched and no invention too unorthodox for Veridian. Need a suicidal turkey? Done. Need a metal that is hard as steel but bounces – and is edible? Done and done. Ted loves his seemingly perfect job; he loves his super human boss Veronica, and colleagues Lem, Phil and Linda, but he’s starting to take a closer look at the company’s extremely questionable practices...especially when they try to cryogenically freeze one of Ted’s scientists for testing purposes. Starring Jay Harrington as Ted, Andrea Anders as Linda, Portia de Rossi as Veronica, Jonathan Slavin as Phil, and Malcolm Barrett as Lem, “Better Off Ted” is produced by 20th Century Fox Television. Victor Fresco is executive producer/writer.


“Single With Parents” is a comedy about Lou, a woman in her mid-30s who is determined to have her own life despite her crazy blended family getting in the way. She’s thrilled that her divorced parents are leading exciting lives – really she is – except both of them rely on her way too much. Dad needs her as a surrogate parent and Mom counts on her 24/7 as a shrink and confidante. Lou has resolved to finally find a fulfilling life for herself. The series stars Alyssa Milano as Lou, Annie Potts as Elizabeth, Beau Bridges as Joe, Amanda Detmer as Sasha, Meagan Fay as Nancy and Eric Winter as Charlie. Based on her own experiences, “Single With Parents” is executive produced and written by Kristin Newman. Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank and Matthew Carlson are also executive producers. The show is produced by ABC Studios.



Returning series on the fall schedule are “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “Boston Legal,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Eli Stone,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Private Practice,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Samantha Who?,” “Supernanny,” “Ugly Betty,” “Wife Swap” and “20/20.”

Returning midseason series include “According to Jim,” “The Bachelor,” “Lost” and ABC News’ “Primetime: What Would You Do?”

[Pavan]

More changes:

- The season finale of “High School Musical: Get in the Picture” will now air on Monday, September 8, 2008 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT and not September 15 as previously reported. The finale will lead-in to the previously announced CMA special from 9-11PM ET/PT.
- As a result of that change, The ABC Monday Movie of the Week “Batman Begins” will now air on Monday, September 15, 2008 from 8:00-11:00 PM ET/PT.

- An encore of 20/20: “The Royal Family” is scheduled to air on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 from 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT.

- "Half Their Size: The PEOPLE Magazine Weight Loss Challenge" special will at 10:00PM ET/PT on Tuesday, September 30, following a Dancing with the Stars Results Show.

[Pavan]

"Jimmy Kimmel's Big Night of Stars” is scheduled to air on Sunday, September 21, 2008 from 7:00-8:00 PM ET/PT leading into The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards on ABC.

[Pavan]

ABC's schedule for first Presidential Debate:

Friday, Sept. 26
8:00 20/20 - special time
9:00 Presidential Debate

[Pavan]

Due to the weather on the east coast, the NASCAR race has been canceled for Saturday night on ABC.
Thus, the "ABC Saturday Movie of the Week Catch Me If You Can" is now scheduled to air on Saturday, September 6, 2008 from 8:00-11:00 PM ET/PT.

Also, 20/20: “The Royal Family” is now trimmed to one-hour only from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT on Wednesday, September 17, 2008.
A special “Primetime” is now scheduled to air at 10:00 PM ET/PT.

[mtlguy]

'In the Motherhood' puts down roots
ABC gives comedy series a 13-episode order

By Nellie Andreeva and James Hibberd

Sept 5, 2008, 07:22 PM ET

Updated: Sept 5, 2008, 09:10 PM ET
ABC has picked up "In the Motherhood" to series.

The network has handed out a 13-episode order to a comedy based on MindShare's Internet series of the same name.

ABC Studios is producing the ABC series, which will be written by Jennifer Konner and Alexandra Rushfield.

The two are exec producing with Stu Bloomberg and MindShare's David Lang and Peter Tortorici.

The project is now casting. Suave and Sprint, which partnered with MindShare for the Web series, will also be involved in the TV series.

The Internet series, which runs on the MSN-hosted site www.inthemotherhood.com, stars Leah Remini, Jenny McCarthy and Chelsea Handler in stories generated by real-life moms.

"Motherhood" was one of handful of projects in the works for midseason that ABC showcased at its upfront presentation in May.

The order for "Motherhood" comes on the heels of ABC picking up five new series last month, one-hours "Castle," "The Unusuals" and "Cupid" and comedies "Better Off Ted" and "Single With Parents."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3id9a975e26c8545c5209dfe13e71daa25

[Pavan]

ABC has announced a few changes:

- ABC News will air a Special Report at approx. 8:42AM ET tomorrow to mark the 7th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. This Special Report will be approx. 4-5 minutes and will be anchored by Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts. This Special Report will coincide with the timing of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center.

- 20/20: “The Royal Family” encore is now back to two hours from 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT on Wednesday, September 17, 2008.
A special “Primetime” was scheduled to air at 10:00 PM ET/PT, is no longer scheduled.

- As mentioned previously, “A Special Edition of 20/20” will air on Friday, September 26, 2008 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/10:00–11:00 PM PT time period. Because “ABC News Vote 08: Presidential Debate” will be scheduled live from 9:00–11:00 PM ET/6:00–8:00 PM PT time period on this date.

- The second debate is a Vice Presidential one and will air Thursday, Oct. 2 from 9-11PM ET, but ABC has not yet announced what will air at 8PM, but it could be Ugly Betty, as scheduled.

- ABC has moved the season premiere of "Samantha Who?" to Monday, October 13 at 9:30pm ET/PT, as "Dancing with the Stars" will be two-hours on Sept. 22, 29 and Oct. 6. "Samantha Who?" was previously slated to have its season premiere on Monday, Oct. 6 at 9:30pm ET/PT.

- The third debate is a Presidential one and will air Tuesday, October 7 from 9-11PM ET and ABC has announced it will air “Dancing With The Stars: The Results Show” in the special 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT time period on this date only leading into the debate in East/Central markets (after the debate out West). Preempted will be "Opportunity Knocks."

- The fourth and final debate is also a Presidential one and will air Wednesday, October 15 from 9-11PM ET, but ABC has not yet announced what will air at 8PM, but it could be Pushing Daisies, as scheduled.

We will keep you up to date with the debate programming.

[Pavan]

Not news, but I have some reviews of some of the season premieres. I have watched so far the season premieres of Ugly Betty (first three actually), Desperate Housewives (first two actually), Pushing Daisis, Brothers & Sisters, Private Practice, Samantha Who, Dirty Sexy Money and the two-hour premiere of Grey's Anatomy.
I have the next two Pushing Daisies and the premiere of Life on Mars, but need to watch still. Unfortunately they only sent the second episode of Eli Stone for review (airing 10/21), and I don't want to watch that until I see the first one airing (10/14). Here are my reviews of the ones I have seen so far:

Ugly Betty (9/25/08) - A month has passed and Betty has made her choice. When she returns, she finds out what happened to Mode and Daniel. Meanwhile, Betty's dad is now working at a local hamburger place...where Betty's high school bully Kimberly (Lindsay Lohan) is the manager. Very fun scenes with Betty and Kimberly. And Hilda's romance with Coach Diaz continues, despite his marriage. Without giving anything away, the premiere is funny and it's a fresh start with lots of changes. The move to New York in production has paid off!
(10/2/08) - The second episode is MUCH better! It has comedy, drama, and a shocking ending that is a big-time cliffhanger in the vein of "Who Shot J.R.?" No Lohan in this episode, that was the only disappointment. Lots of plot development...is Daniel out of Player Magazine now? Is Betty with Willhelmina now? Willie shines in this episode and is her evil self!
(10/9/08) - The third episode concludes where we left off from the last episode with the shocking ending. And the good news is you'll find out who did it in this episode and why they did it. Meanwhile, Hilda's romance with Coach Diaz continues as both Betty and Ignacio find out he is a married man and don't approve. No Lohan again, but I know she signed on for 5-6 episodes, so she will soon be on.

Grey's Anatomy (9/25/08) - the premiere is fantastic. It also has change. It seems many ABC shows this fall has changes, and it is for the good. A freak fall ice storm has hit Seattle and Seattle Grace Hospital has moved out of the top 5 in the rankings of best teaching skills. Chief Webber has to make changes and decisions to get the hospital back to its credibilty. Making quite the entrance in this episode is the very talented Kevin McKidd, who plays General Hunt, a doctor in the military. He has excellent scenes with Cristina. There are a few dream sequences, some shocking and some touching. I won't give it away, but the keyword is icicle. It's a premiere you will want to watch for sure.

Desperate Housewives (9/28/08) - WOW! Excellent episode and the beginning and ending is very shocking and is interconnected...you'll know what I mean when you watch. Edie's back and has a new husband and we see a bit of his past and at the end of the episode you'll see a glimpse on why he wanted to move to Wisteria Lane. Some great funny lines...Edie to Gaby, Susan to Edie, and the funniest one was with Edie to Mrs. McCluskey..I won't give it away but I cannot believe she said that to poor Mrs. M! The five-year leap looks to be off to a good and fresh start!
2nd episode (10/5/08): I have watched the second episode of the season airing on 10/5/08, as well. It is more lighter than the first, and not as good, but still delivers. The McCluskey and Edie's new husband mystery thickens, while Gaby is up to her old tricks and all of the men in Susan's life hilariously meet. Why is Dave (Edie's husband) in love with Wisteria Lane? We shall find out!

Brothers & Sisters (9/28/08) - The season premiere delivers the Walker family drama and comedy as usual. All the Walkers get together (how it happens is hysterical) at a Laguana Beach house. The house is Kevin's boss' house and his boss is very proud of Kevin's latest work...however something bad will come Kevin's way in terms of Ojai. Let's just say Tommy and Kevin might be at arms with each other. The romance between Justin and Rebecca continues, and sort of gets out in the open (you'll see). And Sarah writes (or doe she?) an ad for the Walker family so Kitty can adopt. Very good episode but more dramatic than funny.

Pushing Daisies (10/1/08) - It leaves off where it left off...charming, funny, and delicious. Plot revolves around a bee murder case. Not the best episode, but very solid. Olive's storyline turns for a big change and we get yet another secret from one of the aunts. Will these secrets come out? We shall see....but this is certainly a 'B' episode. I have the next two episodes and will watch soon and let you know...I hear great things though.
2nd episode (10/8/08) - The second one revolves around a circus crime. A girl goes missing and her mother wants her to be found. Olive's new storyline continues...and Chuck's aunts are popping up at the Piehole all the time keeping Chuck on alert. A good episode and on par with the first one of this year.
UPDATE 3rd episode (10/15/08) - Coming Tuesday...

Private Practice (10/1/08) - Oh my goodness...this is the best episode by far yet. The show picks-up right where it left off (maybe a week or two later, though). The two medical stories were very good and dealth with ethics in medical practice. Also, the personal stories were on target and didn't feel like everything was about one thing. And the shocker at the end will make you want to watch the next episode right away!

Dirty Sexy Money (10/1/08) - We leave off six months where we last saw the Darlings. The season premiere is AWESOME!! It is dirtier and sexier than last season...with lots of sex, stripping, and scandals. Will Lisa cheat on Nick with Jeremy Darling? Will Nick cheat on Lisa with Karen Darling? What will happen to the relationship between Karen and Simon Elder? And who is the mystery woman (Lucy Liu) with Jeremy at the bar? All that will be explored a bit...but those are all side stories compared to the shocking death and shocking ending where a Darling gets arrested for the murder of Dutch (Nick's dad). Great premiere!

UPDATE: Life on Mars (10/9/08) - This was an excellent premiere. It feels like Lost the cop show. Why did Sam Tyler come to 193 is an interesting story to show. This was clearly the best pilot episode of the new season. A must watch. Lisa Bonet is great! Fans of the '70s will love the scenery and music...I cannot wait to see the next episode!

Samantha Who (10/13/08) - Funny season premiere that is "dancing" themed. Applegate is brilliant and I loved her dancing scene in her apartment...she is nude! Cybill Shepherd guest stars as a rival to Mrs. Newly. Mark Ballas of Dancing with the Stars has a cameo at the end in the ballroom dance competition. Basically Samantha used to be a killer dancer...but now well, she isn't. She and her mom wants to join forces in a ballroom competition against Ballas and Shepherd.

UPDATE: Eli Stone (10/14/08) - Wow! Eli's back and the premiere is fantastic...it's been six months since the surgery. A great "Dancing in the Street" number is done at the start of the premiere. Has Eli's anuerysm gone away? Does he still get visions? Eli's brother Nate will play a big part in the premiere...but I can't give away what happens. Sigourney Weaver guest stars as Eli's therapist...or is she a therapist? You'll see what I mean when you see it. Jordan is stuck in a bank where a crain collapses. Can Eli save Jordan through "a vision?" Taylor is a bitch in the premiere and looks like her relationship with Matt Dowd has gone way farther then we last saw. Have faith in Eli Stone!
2nd episode (10/21/08) - This show is hitting all cylinders! Katie Holmes guest stars in this episode as a lawyer who has many things in common as Eli. We find out a lot in this episode that I can't reveal. But it looks like Jordan is inspired by Eli...much to the dismay of his partners. We also have Gina Torres and Katey Sagal in this episode. Holmes is charming and funny. I think we'll see her return...

[Janice]

Anything sci-fi, futuristic or supernatural this seaon on ABC? My husband loves that stuff.

[Pavan]

Not in the fall. Only one new show on ABC this fall (blame the strike). Life on Mars, Thursdays at 10 starting Oct. 9. I think you and your husband will like that.

[Pavan]

Saw more season premieres for ABC, check them out: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=4015488&postcount=104

Coming soon: Pushing Daisies (first 3 episodes), Ugly Betty episode two, and Life on Mars.

[Pavan]

Saw more episodes, this time the next two Ugly Betty episodes and the season premiere of Pushing Daisies: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=4015488&postcount=104

Coming soon are the next two Pushing Daisies and the premiere of Life on Mars. Life on Mars by tonight or tomorrow.

[Pavan]

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 28 at 8PM. And another Halloween special on Halloween Night (Friday, October 31) at 8PM...possibly the same special, though.

[Brent88]

Three awesome shows and all return to bad ratings. PD(especially) and PP were way down, DSM not as much but still not good. :( DSM's ending was shocking. :eek: and PP's was definitely "want to see what happens next"

Oh, and that DH promo during DSM? Amazing, and mostly because it used vintage Season 1 music!!!!

[JulieSomoski]

The ratings were horrendous! I think the biggest shock was Private Practice - last season it was getting an easy 14 million viewers at 9pm. It premiered last night to just over 8 million - what went wrong? And Pushing Daisies - 6 million viewers, and it dropped A LOT in its second half.

Honestly, the only winner of the night for ABC was Dirty Sexy Money, IMO. It got like 7 million, which was similar to what it was getting last year (and the only show not to drop hugely). Maybe people didn't know they were back on - I think we'll see ratings pick up a lot next week for ABC. Seriously, even Knight Rider on NBC beat out Pushing Daisies.

[Pavan]

Pushing Daisies was the shock. Private Practice grew in the half-hour and part of the blame is America's Got Talent finale which did over 12 million. Next week it will be interesting, because I think Private Practice will do better and beat the sluggish Deal or No Deal.
Dirty Sexy Money grew on its numbers from last year's finale in December, however that was the lowest rated episode (exclusing the Thanksgiving Eve airing).

All were disappointing to say the least, but all are on the watch because they could grow (I don't think Pushing Daisies will recover). Quality wise, they were all on their game.

Someone emailed (using my ratings I post here), and made a track of the ratings numbers for all three from last Fall. I think you'd like to recall these numbers:

PUSHING DAISIES
10/3/07 8.3/14, 13.03, 4.3/13
10/10/07 6.7/11, 10.26, 3.7/11
10/17/07 6.6/11, 9.86, 3.7/10
10/24/07 6.3/10, 9.67, 3.2/9
10/31/07 5.6/10, 8.57, 2.7/8
11/14/07 5.7/9, 8.83, 3.1/9
11/21/07 Thanksgiving Special 4.7/8, 7.48, 2.2/7
11/28/07 9pm 6.0/9, 9.99, 3.7/9
12/12/07 4.5/7, 6.84, 2.4/7
AVG 9.392 million

Private Practice
9/26/07 9.8/15, 14.41, 5.2/13
10/3/07 8.3/13, 12.45, 4.5/11
10/10/07 8.2/13, 12.42, 4.9/13
10/17/07 8.1/12, 11.78, 4.3/11
10/24/07 8.1/12, 11.91, 4.5/11
10/31/07 7.8/13, 11.34, 3.8/10
11/14/07 7.8/12, 11.48, 4.2/11
11/21/07 Thanksgiving Special 5.7/9, 8.54, 2.7/7
12/5/07 7.0/11, 10.4, 3.8/10
AVG 11.6367 million

Dirty Sexy Money
9/26/07 7.4/12, 10.44, 3.6/10
10/3/07 6.5/11, 9.61, 3.5/10
10/10/07 5.9/10, 8.64, 3.3/9
10/17/07 6.2/11, 8.67, 3.0/8
10/24/07 5.9/10, 8.26, 3.1/8
10/31/07 5.7/10, 8.2, 2.8/8
11/14/07 5.5/9, 7.9, 2.8/8
11/21/07 Thanksgiving Special 4.4/8, 6.37, 2.0/6
11/28/07 after Pushing Daisies 4.9/8, 7.04, 2.6/7
12/5/05 4.8/8, 6.74, 2.3/6
AVG 8.187 million

Pushing Daisies was down an average of 3 million from last year's average, as was Private Practice. However, Dirty Sexy Money was just down a million from last year's average.

[Brent88]

Pushing Daisies was the shock.

I was shocked in general. I expected a lot better. ohno: Next week is key(and I do think PP was hurt by AGT), but a big problem I see is that PP and DSM are pre-empted on the 15th for a debate, so it might kill any momentum they get next week. I think PD will be the first to go though.

Last year was marred by Halloween, Thanksgiving, and a pre-emption, and then of course, the strike. :( BTW, heard today the SAG board has recommended there be a strike authorization vote. Oh joy. :rolleyes: (Doesn't mean they will strike though, I sure hope not).

[Stuck In The '70's]

I was shocked in general. I expected a lot better. ohno: Next week is key(and I do think PP was hurt by AGT), but a big problem I see is that PP and DSM are pre-empted on the 15th for a debate, so it might kill any momentum they get next week. I think PD will be the first to go though.

Last year was marred by Halloween, Thanksgiving, and a pre-emption, and then of course, the strike. :( BTW, heard today the SAG board has recommended there be a strike authorization vote. Oh joy. :rolleyes: (Doesn't mean they will strike though, I sure hope not).
If their's another strike their might not be any television to come back too except reality shows. Ratings for most of the shows are already down compared to last year and I think the strike was responsible the most for what happened on ABC's Wednesday night lineup as well as Chuck and a few others. They were taken off the air last winter and was never rerunned and after the strike didn't come back with new episodes. That hurt them bad. Frankly I don't want a strike but I've proven I can live without tv shows. I think alot of people have done the same thing.

[Brent88]

If their's another strike their might not be any television to come back too except reality shows. Ratings for most of the shows are already down compared to last year and I think the strike was responsible the most for what happened on ABC's Wednesday night lineup as well as Chuck and a few others. They were taken off the air last winter and was never rerunned and after the strike didn't come back with new episodes. That hurt them bad. Frankly I don't want a strike but I've proven I can live without tv shows. I think alot of people have done the same thing.

I have to agree with everything you said. ABC/NBC made a big mistake not returning these shows after the strike. I should have stuck with my gut feeling I had when I saw Chuck and Heroes numbers that ABC Wednesday would face the same fate.

[Pavan]

I have had people ask what will air in the MT and PT zones when the debates air. Here is a recap what aired and what will air:

Friday, September 26 (ET/CT aired Special Edition of 20/20 at 8/7 central followed by the ABC News Vote 08 Presidential Debate at 9/8 central)

Mountain:
7:00 – 9:00 PM-MT “ABC News Vote 08 – Presidential Debate”
9:00 – 10:00 PM-MT “A Special Edition of 20/20”

Pacific:
6:00 – 8:00 PM-PT “ABC News Vote 08 – Presidential Debate”
8:00 – 10:00 PM-PT RETURNED TO STATIONS FOR LOCAL PROGRAMMING
10:00 – 11:00 PM-PT “A Special Edition of 20/20” (normal time, and not special time of 8pm)


Thursday, October 2 (ET/CT aired an all-new Ugly Betty at 8/7 central followed by the ABC News Vote 08 Vice Presidential Debate at 9/8 central)

Mountain:
7:00 – 9:00 PM-MT “ABC News Vote 08 – Vice Presidential Debate”
9:00 – 10:00 PM-MT “Ugly Betty” (Re-scheduled)

Pacific:
6:00 – 8:00 PM-PT “ABC News Vote 08 – Vice Presidential Debate”
8:00 – 9:00 PM-PT “Ugly Betty”
9:00 – 11:00 PM-PT RETURNED TO STATIONS FOR LOCAL PROGRAMMING


Tuesday, October 7 (ET/CT aired the Dancing with the Stars Results Show at a special time of at 8/7 central followed by the ABC News Vote 08 Presidential Debate at 9/8 central)

Mountain:
7:00 – 9:00 PM-MT “ABC News Vote 08 – Presidential Debate”
9:00 – 10:00 PM-MT “Dancing With the Stars Result Show” (Re-scheduled)

Pacific:
6:00 – 8:00 PM-PT “ABC News Vote 08 – Presidential Debate”
8:00 – 9:00 PM-PT “Opportunity Knocks” (REPEAT, West Coast Only)
9:00 – 10:00 PM-PT “Dancing With the Stars Result Show” (normal time, and not special time of 8pm)
10:00 – 11:00 PM-PT RETURNED TO STATIONS FOR LOCAL PROGRAMMING


Wednesday, October 15 (ET/CT aired an all-new Pushing Daisies at 8/7 central followed by the ABC News Vote 08 Presidential Debate at 9/8 central)

Mountain:
7:00 – 9:00 PM-MT “ABC News Vote 08 – Presidential Debate”
9:00 – 10:00 PM-MT “Pushing Daisies” (Re-scheduled)

Pacific:
6:00 – 8:00 PM-PT “ABC News Vote 08 – Presidential Debate”
8:00 – 9:00 PM-PT “Pushing Daisies”
9:00 – 10:00 PM-PT RETURNED TO STATIONS FOR LOCAL PROGRAMMING
10:00 – 11:00 PM-PT “Life on Mars” (encore)

[Scoobiedoo30]

thanks for letting us all know because I was wondering myself

[JulieSomoski]

Looking at its season finale ratings, Pushing Daisies didn't do as badly as I previously thought-LOL. I never realized how much it dipped towards the end. ABC has played PD, PP, and DSM as some of their highest rated shows, when they're not at all.

I think all 3 shows will gain some viewers next week, though. Private Practice should see the biggest increase next week - I think it show grow back up to over 10 million. Pushing Daisies will likely hit 7 million, but not much more, and DSM should do similar numbers to this week. The only one I see having a chance at success, though, is PP, unless ABC sticks with PD for the Emmys.

[Stuck In The '70's]

I think PD is dead. Coming in 4th place isn't going to do. Maybe ABC will move it but honestly the competition isn't very strong where it is. The only real competition is Bones.

[JulieSomoski]

I think PD is dead. Coming in 4th place isn't going to do. Maybe ABC will move it but honestly the competition isn't very strong where it is. The only real competition is Bones.

Yeah, that's what's sad about it. There's no competition at all for this show - it should have done an easy 8 million at the least. Was ABC promoting it a lot? I don't watch ABC much. It definitely wasn't a smart move to "relaunch" it instead of bringing it back in the spring. It lost a lot of viewers that way.

[Buffyboy323]

Yeah, that's what's sad about it. There's no competition at all for this show - it should have done an easy 8 million at the least. Was ABC promoting it a lot? I don't watch ABC much. It definitely wasn't a smart move to "relaunch" it instead of bringing it back in the spring. It lost a lot of viewers that way.
Yes, there was a lot of promotion for this show, along with the other two "relaunched" wednesday night shows they have. I live in New York city, and all I've beeing seeing is promotion for these shows. The only one they might have success with is Private Practice, and it won't be much.

[JulieSomoski]

Yes, there was a lot of promotion for this show, along with the other two "relaunched" wednesday night shows they have. I live in New York city, and all I've beeing seeing is promotion for these shows. The only one they might have success with is Private Practice, and it won't be much.

I know they promoted the hell out of the "Wednesday night relaunch," but did they promote each show individually? They probably would have had better luck with that.

Private Practice should go up next week. Pushing Daisies and DSM are goners, though. They'll have a tough time rebounding.

[Pavan]

How is DSM a goner? If Private Practice goes up, it will as well. One week is not the entire season. Pushing Daisies is the only show that should be very worried.

[JulieSomoski]

How is DSM a goner? If Private goes up, it will as well. One week is not the entire season. Pushing Daisies is the only show that should be very worried.

Because of just what you said - it's lead-in dependent. And If it stays in the 7-8 million range, that still isn't good for an ABC show. Unless it drastically goes up, and keeps most of PP's audience, I don't see it becoming a massive hit.

[Pavan]

It was doing above 8 million last year and it was in no danger. The show does very well in the high income demo, means more loot for ABC. Even with all the declines, ABC was still #1 in 18-34 last Wednesday and #2 in 18-49. They should ride with this line-up until December and have Lost come in in late Januay at 8pm to make it stronger for the rest of the season.

[JulieSomoski]

It was doing above 8 million last year and it was in no danger. The show does very well in the high income demo, means more loot for ABC. Even with all the declines, ABC was still #1 in 18-34 last Wednesday and #2 in 18-49. They should ride with this line-up until December and have Lost come in in late Januay at 8pm to make it stronger for the rest of the season.

We can only wait and see then. I doubt they'll make any changes before midseason. If Pushing Daisies doesn't go up some, then the night is in danger. Dirty Sexy Monday did well for its season premiere, especially since it's lead-in was lower, so if it can go back above 8 million if its lead-in is higher next week, then it's not in as much danger as I thought. I think it all depends on how well Private Practice does next week, though.

[Brent88]

Wednesday is sink or swim for ABC's lineup on the night to me. I expect PP to go up because Talent is over, but if PD doesn't it's in big trouble. DSM is not in good shape if it drops too, but if they go up, things will be looking up. If PD doesn't, I expect something else in the slot for sweeps. The fact is, ABC is very weak in all but a few slots(Sunday, DWTS, Grey's and that's about it) and if things don't improve I expect major changes at midseason. Friday launched to awful numbers last night. Life on Mars, Samantha Who?, and Eli Stone are still to launch, but only one of those(Samantha) has pulled in good numbers before. Mars is completely untested(though I have hope for it) and Eli did pretty horrible during the strike when there was not much competition, but it will have DWTS as a lead-in.

[MusicJunkie]

disappointed that PD is doing so bad... but I think unless you're HBO/cable, you can't go 11 months between episodes and expect the hype to still be there. Even if they didn't want to bring the shows back post-strike, they should've rerun them over the summer to get them back in the public subconscious.

I hope Eli Stone does better this go-round, it's a good show that just hasn't found it's audience IMO.

[Pavan]

Back-door pilot for Super-manny will air in the Supernanny timeslot on Fiday, November 14 at 9:00PM.

On Wednesday, November 5, 2008, a special “Dancing With The Stars: The Results” will air from 8:00-9:02 PM ET/PT because it will be preempted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 due to ABCNews' Presidential Election Coverage from 7PM-2AM ET on that night.
Please note, “Private Practice” will air off the clock from 9:02-10:02 PM ET/PT and “Dirty Sexy Money” will air off the clock from 10:02-11:00 PM ET/PT on this date (Nov. 5) only.

[tvcrazed]

Has anyone seen a Promo for PD this week. I haven't. I just heard their radio spot and all they gave it after highlighting PP and DSM is... tv's biggest night kicks off with an all new PD. I don't why they couldn't have run a few promos. I know they need to highlight Thursday, but I am a little worried that they have given up already.

[Brent88]

Has anyone seen a Promo for PD this week. I haven't. I just heard their radio spot and all they gave it after highlighting PP and DSM is... tv's biggest night kicks off with an all new PD. I don't why they couldn't have run a few promos. I know they need to highlight Thursday, but I am a little worried that they have given up already.

I haven't either and I watched ABC at least some every night except Saturday. The only thing was at the end of the PP's ones they would say "after a new Pushing Daisies". Pretty sad.

and thanks for the info Pav.

[Pavan]

I didn't see any promos listed for Sun-Wed for a fact. Not sure about last Thursday-Sat though. A voiceover was scheduled during the end of The View today, though.

[Brent88]

Well the Wednesday lineup is dead.

Pushing Daisies a 3.6?!

Private Practice a miserable 5.0?!

Dirty Sexy Money barely in the 4's?

What can ABC even do? Tuesday is awful for 2 hours(likely), Wednesday is dead, Friday is dead, Sunday was down this week. PP/DSM are pre-empted next week for a debate. They better pray Betty rebounds, Grey's doesn't drop, and Life on Mars hits tonight(I sure hope it does).

[Pavan]

Blame the strike. ABC January will be interesting. Even with the Wednesday declines, they still beat NBC :) I wouldn't count Fridays out yet. ABC was still second place, lol. Not worried about Sundays and Thursdays. Life on Mars will hit big. Good exposure and buzz.

NBC has nothing besides Football, very sad.

[Brent88]

Blame the strike. ABC January will be interesting. Even with the Wednesday declines, they still beat NBC :) I wouldn't count Fridays out yet. ABC was still second place, lol. Not worried about Sundays and Thursdays. Life on Mars will hit big. Good exposure and buzz.

NBC has nothing besides Football, very sad.

Oh yes, NBC, they really are a disaster. :crazy:

FOX is not in good shape either but Idol comes in January to save them. :rolleyes:

[JulieSomoski]

ABC made a huge mistake not reutnring these shows in the spring. PD couldn't even pull in 6 million viewers, and PP was hovering around 7 million viewers. I thought Private Practice would rebound, but all 3 shows hit hard for their second weeks. This is much more than sophomore slump - these shows are doing terribly.

Pushing Daisies is dead. There's no way it'll be back next season. I bet that According to Jim could do better than it at 8pm, and that's way cheaper to produce. Seriously, even the CBS comedies beat it - both were well above 7 million (and congrats to Old Christine, who hit almost 8 million viewers). And it's all ABC's fault - their viewers are slowly flocking over to CBS at 8pm.

I have to give props to DSM, though. It's holding pretty steady. Last season, I thought this would be the show to have the toughest road ahead of it, but I was wrong. ABC would probably renew it over Pushing Daisies if they had to. Maybe ABC should try putting PD after DWTS on Tuesdays. They could move DWTS to 8pm and put PD at 9pm (cancelling Oppotunity Knocks, of course).

[JTC]

NBC has nothing besides Football, very sad.

They still have The Office, too. It might not get huge ratings but it does very well in 18-49 and has not shown any signs of slipping like Heroes.

[Stuck In The '70's]

ABC made a huge mistake not reutnring these shows in the spring. PD couldn't even pull in 6 million viewers, and PP was hovering around 7 million viewers. I thought Private Practice would rebound, but all 3 shows hit hard for their second weeks. This is much more than sophomore slump - these shows are doing terribly.

Pushing Daisies is dead. There's no way it'll be back next season. I bet that According to Jim could do better than it at 8pm, and that's way cheaper to produce. Seriously, even the CBS comedies beat it - both were well above 7 million (and congrats to Old Christine, who hit almost 8 million viewers). And it's all ABC's fault - their viewers are slowly flocking over to CBS at 8pm.

I have to give props to DSM, though. It's holding pretty steady. Last season, I thought this would be the show to have the toughest road ahead of it, but I was wrong. ABC would probably renew it over Pushing Daisies if they had to. Maybe ABC should try putting PD after DWTS on Tuesdays. They could move DWTS to 8pm and put PD at 9pm (cancelling Oppotunity Knocks, of course).
Once NBC brings L&O back, DSM will probably fall to last place in its timeslot. Lipstick Jungle is no competition at all. Lost will probably end up on Wednesday this year.

[Brent88]

I have to give props to DSM, though. It's holding pretty steady.

Not really. A 4.8 last week and a 4.1 this week. Actually fell worse than PD and PP both.

and it fell at the half again, probably be in the 3's in 2 weeks. I love the show but ABC really should have tried it after DH or Grey's long before now.

[JulieSomoski]

Once NBC brings L&O back, DSM will probably fall to last place in its timeslot. Lipstick Jungle is no competition at all. Lost will probably end up on Wednesday this year.

Wednesday nights in general are very disappointing. I guessed them to be one of the most competitive nights on television, but its the exact opposte. Knight Rider hasn't been a standout hit (although it will definitely get a full season), and the CBS comedies haven't been doing so well (although with PD falling, their numbers are slowly going up), and ABC is a huge disaster. The only winner of the hour is Bones. That show is so underrated - it gets no publicity or anything, and still manages to do 10 million.

Then of course CBS dominates at 9pm - there's so little competition, it's not even funny. The completely take both the 9 and 10pm hours without trying.

For ABC, though, Wednesday nights are dragging down their total ratings big time. They need to make some changes. They should probably put Private practice after Grey's Anatomy if they want a chance at keeping that show. If LOM is a hit, move it to Wednesdays. I don't know what else they could, really.

[Buffyboy323]

Well the Wednesday lineup is dead.

Pushing Daisies a 3.6?!

Private Practice a miserable 5.0?!

Dirty Sexy Money barely in the 4's?

What can ABC even do? Tuesday is awful for 2 hours(likely), Wednesday is dead, Friday is dead, Sunday was down this week. PP/DSM are pre-empted next week for a debate. They better pray Betty rebounds, Grey's doesn't drop, and Life on Mars hits tonight(I sure hope it does).
Wow, those are practically CW numbers. And aren't Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy at all time series lows? Tsk, Tsk, Tsk.

[Brent88]

WOW, Life on Mars was AMAZING. I couldn't believe the shot of the World Trade Center. Please let this show hit for ABC's sake.

[Stuck In The '70's]

Wednesday nights in general are very disappointing. I guessed them to be one of the most competitive nights on television, but its the exact opposte. Knight Rider hasn't been a standout hit (although it will definitely get a full season), and the CBS comedies haven't been doing so well (although with PD falling, their numbers are slowly going up), and ABC is a huge disaster. The only winner of the hour is Bones. That show is so underrated - it gets no publicity or anything, and still manages to do 10 million.

Then of course CBS dominates at 9pm - there's so little competition, it's not even funny. The completely take both the 9 and 10pm hours without trying.

For ABC, though, Wednesday nights are dragging down their total ratings big time. They need to make some changes. They should probably put Private practice after Grey's Anatomy if they want a chance at keeping that show. If LOM is a hit, move it to Wednesdays. I don't know what else they could, really.
Bones is a great show and Fox doesn't appreciate it. Every single season they are threatened with a move to Friday night . Fox then changes its mind when their other shows fail and they need it to help boost up a night. Seeing how CBS' comedies are slowly rising, you have to wonder how BTY would have done in that timeslot this year. If only they had been on CBS and had a better companion show than Til Death.

[Stuck In The '70's]

WOW, Life on Mars was AMAZING. I couldn't believe the shot of the World Trade Center. Please let this show hit for ABC's sake.
Life With Mars is pretty good. I enjoyed it. I hope its a big hit but seeing how ABC is having a difficult season outside of DWTS I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Pavan]

Wow, those are practically CW numbers. And aren't Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy at all time series lows? Tsk, Tsk, Tsk.

CW would kill for those numbers. Their top shows do 2's. Grey's and DH are still top 5 shows. The press makes a big deal everytime the ratings goes down a tick.

[Brent88]

In the battle of the two 10 p.m. series premieres -- ABC’s Life on Mars and CBS’ Eleventh Hour – both were neck and neck. But considering Eleventh Hour had a much stronger lead-in, Life on Mars is off to a better start. And because of the stronger lead-in, ER won the hour among adults 18-49. Take a look:

Thursday 10 p.m.
Life on Mars (ABC)
Viewers: 11.60 million (#1), A18-49: 3.8/10 (#2)

Eleventh Hour (CBS)
Viewers: 11.59 million (#2), A18-49: 3.4/ 9 (#3)

ER (NBC)
Viewers: 9.34 million (#3), A18-49: 4.0/10 (#1)

Retention for Life on Mars out of Grey’s Anatomy was respectable at 80 percent in total viewers and 69 percent among adults 18-49.

[tvcrazed]

Given ABC's current issues, I would yank Opportunity Knocks immediately. If they don't want to cancel it, put it on Fri night. Two weeks at a 1.8, it's not gonna grow. This week I would re-run Life On Mars.

[MusicJunkie]

CW would kill for those numbers. Their top shows do 2's. Grey's and DH are still top 5 shows. The press makes a big deal everytime the ratings goes down a tick.
5 million for ABC is a drastic failure, there is an entirely different set of rules for ABC and CW. BTW 7th Heaven, Dawson's Creek, Charmed and Smallville all did better than Dirty Sexy Money/Pushing Daisies in their peaks on WB/CW. Plus it does seem like there's a set of double standards that people here used to love to bash Veronica Mars' ratings because "obviously a show sucks if nobody watches it", then defends Dirty Sexy Money as proof that quality and ratings don't go hand in hand. Why the ABC bias?

[Pavan]

You can't compare now to the days of WB/UPN. Ratings are lower now because of DVR factors and shows being available online on network websites. People are watching TV in other ways. 28% of homes have DVRs now, that is even up from the 19% from last fall. TV is changing and soon the live ratings won't count as much and the 7-day DVR ratings will be the new measurement advertisers and networks will tout.

My point is CW shows do "live" ratings in the 2's, so they still have a long way to go to get the 4 of a Dirty Sexy Money.

[Buffyboy323]

You can't compare now to the days of WB/UPN. Ratings are lower now because of DVR factors and shows being available online on network websites. People are watching TV in other ways. 28% of homes have DVRs now, that is even up from the 19% from last fall. TV is changing and soon the live ratings won't count as much.

My point is CW shows do ratings in the 2's, so they still have a long way to go.
I didn't say those were exact CW numbers, I said "that's practically CW numbers." And they are. CW gets just over 2 million for their highest rated shows, well these ABC shows got just over 3 million and just over 5 million - those numbers are close to CW numbers, a network that is failing and could possibly be gone in a year or two. It doesn't matter what day and age and DVR this and DVR that - we all know it is a shame when ABC in 2008 only gets 3 million and 5 million for two of their dramas. The ratings for Private Practice are god awful as well, which is another shame since it's a spin-off of one of their most popular shows, a show that's partially responsible for saving the network.

[Pavan]

buffyboy, Brent listed the HH rating numbers, not total viewers...so think you misread and are confused. Pushing Daisies was close to 6 million, Private Practice was close to 8 million, and Dirty Sexy Money was 6 million. So I am confused how you think those were close to CW levels? NBC did worse than ABC on Wednesday. Top Model is CW's highest rated show at 4 million.

You should read our daily final numbers. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=233939

[Buffyboy323]

In the battle of the two 10 p.m. series premieres -- ABC’s Life on Mars and CBS’ Eleventh Hour – both were neck and neck. But considering Eleventh Hour had a much stronger lead-in, Life on Mars is off to a better start. And because of the stronger lead-in, ER won the hour among adults 18-49. Take a look:

Thursday 10 p.m.
Life on Mars (ABC)
Viewers: 11.60 million (#1), A18-49: 3.8/10 (#2)

Eleventh Hour (CBS)
Viewers: 11.59 million (#2), A18-49: 3.4/ 9 (#3)

ER (NBC)
Viewers: 9.34 million (#3), A18-49: 4.0/10 (#1)
Even with all the competition, ER was #1 among 18-49 year olds and finished off with over 9 million viewers. It's nice to see ER doing ok in it's 15th season.

Glad to see Life on Mars did ok too. I missed it, but might try to catch it next week.

[Buffyboy323]

buffyboy, Brent listed the HH rating numbers, not total viewers...so think you misread and are confused. Pushing Daisies was close to 6 million, Private Practice was close to 8 million, and Dirty Sexy Money was 6 million. So I am confused how you think those were close to CW levels? NBC did worse than ABC on Wednesday. Top Model is CW's highest rated show at 4 million.

You should read our daily final numbers. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=233939
4 million is still close to 6 million - though yes, The CW would kill for those numbers. The bottom line is that these 3 ABC shows did awful two weeks in a row.

[Pavan]

I'm not denying at all these Wednesday shows did not do well. But CW's highest rated show is up against Pushing Daisies and PD does beat it. So they are not really CW levels. If you want The CW levels look at Lipstick Jungle at 10 on NBC. NBC is in a bigger hole on Wednesdays.

As for ER, it had an excellent lead-in last night with near 11 million from SNL Thursday Special. It also did a 5.0 in the demo helping ER. The previous episode, which was the season premiere (following The Office season premiere), was close to a series low, so SNL for sure helped ER last night.

[Buffyboy323]

As for ER, it had an excellent lead-in last night with near 11 million from SNL Thursday Special. It also did a 5.0 in the demo helping ER. The previous episode, which was the season premiere (following The Office season premiere), was close to a series low, so SNL for sure helped ER last night.
A series low in season 15? I'd expect nothing less. Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy are at series lows and they're only in season 5. ER's series low was between 7-8 million last week, which is what those sophmore "hits" on ABC are currently doing. It's my favorite show so I'm a bit bias, but the numbers do prove it still does ok, despite it's age.

[MusicJunkie]

A series low in season 15? I'd expect nothing less. Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy are at series lows and they're only in season 5. ER's series low was between 7-8 million last week, which is what those sophmore "hits" on ABC are currently doing. It's my favorite show so I'm a bit bias, but the numbers do prove it still does ok, despite it's age.
I agree. I watch DH and GA and am not a ER fan, but in season 5, ER was still the #1 series on television, DH and GA have fallen quite drastically from the numbers they got a few years ago. DH was getting 24 million in season 1 and is down to 15 million now. 15 million is a hit for sure, but it has lost over 1/3 of it's original audience in just four years. I don't think Friends ever did that.

[Buffyboy323]

I'm not denying at all these Wednesday shows did not do well. But CW's highest rated show is up against Pushing Daisies and PD does beat it. So they are not really CW levels. If you want The CW levels look at Lipstick Jungle at 10 on NBC. NBC is in a bigger hole on Wednesdays.
Though I like the cast (especially Brooke Shields), I don't think Lipstick Jungle is a good show at all. Like last season's ABC gem Cashmere Mafia, Lipstick Jungle probably should have been canceled. NBC is in a bigger hole on Wednesdays, but I think we all expect it to be. I'm sure people like yourself Pav, had bigger expectations for ABC though.

[Buffyboy323]

As for ER, it had an excellent lead-in last night with near 11 million from SNL Thursday Special. It also did a 5.0 in the demo helping ER.
That is true, but you can't give full credit for ER's ratings last night to it's lead-in (SNL). If that's the case, than Life on Mars only got what it did because of it's lead-in (Grey's Anatomy).

[MusicJunkie]

That is true, but you can't give full credit for ER's ratings last night to it's lead-in (SNL). If that's the case, than Life on Mars only got what it did because of it's lead-in (Grey's Anatomy).
plus Life On Mars was a premiere, I think ratings will dip a bit next week, it might be down to 8-9 million.

Let's just face the truth... I personally love Brothers And Sisters and enjoy Ugly Betty, but we're still clinging onto the 2004-2005 season and the trinity of Lost, Housewives and Greys which saved a network from obscurity. But those "fresh shows" that saved the network are now in season 5 and in syndication. Except for Dancing With The Stars (and who cares about reality?), there hasn't been a runaway smash hit for the network since those three shows.

[Pavan]

A series low in season 15? I'd expect nothing less. Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy are at series lows and they're only in season 5. ER's series low was between 7-8 million last week, which is what those sophmore "hits" on ABC are currently doing. It's my favorite show so I'm a bit bias, but the numbers do prove it still does ok, despite it's age.

There's always a series low for every show. But ER has declinded rapidly the last few years, could be DVR but ER is not in the top 10 in DVR playback like Greys. Just 2 years ago it was doing 18-49 in the 6's. I think ER is still OK, but it needs a lead-in as we saw this week.

[Pavan]

I agree. I watch DH and GA and am not a ER fan, but in season 5, ER was still the #1 series on television, DH and GA have fallen quite drastically from the numbers they got a few years ago. DH was getting 24 million in season 1 and is down to 15 million now. 15 million is a hit for sure, but it has lost over 1/3 of it's original audience in just four years. I don't think Friends ever did that.

DH did 18 million for its season premiere...the ratings will go up and down each week due to DVR/online viewing. I bet this week we will see it do more than 16. Again comparing ER Season 5 to a show now in Season 5 is pointless. TV viewing has changed since 1998.


plus Life On Mars was a premiere, I think ratings will dip a bit next week, it might be down to 8-9 million.


Yes, Life on Mars was a premiere, but so was Eleventh Hour. And the latter got a huge lead-in from the CSI season premiere and still lost to Life on Mars in the 10pm half-hour. I understand the 10:30pm half-hour, but 10pm? Viewers were much more in anticipation of Life on Mars. We'll probably see Eleventh Hour dip more next week, but Life on Mars should stick close to its premiere ratings as the overall thoughts of it have been great from what I've seen from people. Another well liked show is CBS's The Mentalist, and it nearly retained all of its premiere numbers in episode two.

I think the rest test for ER will come Oct. 30 when it has 30 Rock as its lead-in again.

[JulieSomoski]

Bones is a great show and Fox doesn't appreciate it. Every single season they are threatened with a move to Friday night . Fox then changes its mind when their other shows fail and they need it to help boost up a night. Seeing how CBS' comedies are slowly rising, you have to wonder how BTY would have done in that timeslot this year. If only they had been on CBS and had a better companion show than Til Death.

It's a good show, and is so underappreciated. It gets ignored by critics, and FOX doesn't seem to give a damn about it. Like you said, every season they tend to at first want to move it to Fridays, but every season, it posts great ratings and stays put. They really need to start appreciating this show more.

I wish CBS would have tried airing 1 episode of BTY, just to see how it would have done on Monday nights. Any show on CBS would have been a better companion to it than Til Death - I'm surprised FOX hasn't pulled this show yet this season.

[JulieSomoski]

In the battle of the two 10 p.m. series premieres -- ABC’s Life on Mars and CBS’ Eleventh Hour – both were neck and neck. But considering Eleventh Hour had a much stronger lead-in, Life on Mars is off to a better start. And because of the stronger lead-in, ER won the hour among adults 18-49. Take a look:

Thursday 10 p.m.
Life on Mars (ABC)
Viewers: 11.60 million (#1), A18-49: 3.8/10 (#2)

Eleventh Hour (CBS)
Viewers: 11.59 million (#2), A18-49: 3.4/ 9 (#3)

ER (NBC)
Viewers: 9.34 million (#3), A18-49: 4.0/10 (#1)

Retention for Life on Mars out of Grey’s Anatomy was respectable at 80 percent in total viewers and 69 percent among adults 18-49.

LOVED Life on Mars last night - I loved the entire aspect of it. But, it definitely belongs on CBS, IMO, It would have made a great counterpart to Swingtown.

Those numbers aren't bad, considering how badly GA did last night (under 15 million? CSI hammered it, badly). It did go down in each half hour, though, which may not be a positive sign. If ABC is looking for the next hit, I don't think this show can do it. But, if it continues to do numbers like that, ABC can have a moderate hit here, similar to how Boston Legal has always been.

Eleventh Hour was a disaster last night - didn't watch it, but I've been hearing bad things. It'll probably take the road of Viva Laughlin and be cancelled soon. I wouldn't be surprised to see Flashpoint take the spot.

Did anyone catch SNL last night? That opening skit was hilarious - it had me laughing the entire 10 minutes. That's how real comedy is done - NBC should take a few pointers from it. And ER actually won the 10pm in the demo. I can't believe NBC is ending this show, with they state they're in right now.

[Zedman2]

DH did 18 million for its season premiere...the ratings will go up and down each week due to DVR/online viewing. I bet this week we will see it do more than 16. Again comparing ER Season 5 to a show now in Season 5 is pointless. TV viewing has changed since 1998.



Yes, Life on Mars was a premiere, but so was Eleventh Hour. And the latter got a huge lead-in from the CSI season premiere and still lost to Life on Mars in the 10pm half-hour. I understand the 10:30pm half-hour, but 10pm? Viewers were much more in anticipation of Life on Mars. We'll probably see Eleventh Hour dip more next week, but Life on Mars should stick close to its premiere ratings as the overall thoughts of it have been great from what I've seen from people. Another well liked show is CBS's The Mentalist, and it nearly retained all of its premiere numbers in episode two.

I think the rest test for ER will come Oct. 30 when it has 30 Rock as its lead-in again.

ABC should pull the next Pushing Daisies episodes and repeat the Life on Mars premiere episode on Wednesday prior to the debate.

[Pavan]

I think ABC should re-air the Life on Mars premiere Tuesday at 8 instead. I wouldnt give up on Pushing Daisies this week, as it will have less competition this week since Bones will be a repeat. Hopefully it can tick up a bit. Wednesday has been a big disappointment for ABC, NBC and Fox. CBS has been in control because of the lack of competition.

[MusicJunkie]

DH did 18 million for its season premiere...the ratings will go up and down each week due to DVR/online viewing. I bet this week we will see it do more than 16. Again comparing ER Season 5 to a show now in Season 5 is pointless. TV viewing has changed since 1998.

Yes, and... ABC isn't the only station that has lost ratings because of DVR/TIVO/online. People are so quick to bash CW for instance, but a lot of shows like Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill for instance seem to get a lot of their viewers from the online website. I remember CW was debating refusing to stream the GG episodes because the online views were so high compared to the ratings it gets. Same goes for NBC and other networks. A lot of shows like The Office, 30 Rock, etc... are shows that are generally well-liked but suffer from a bad timeslot up against CSI and Greys (which is starting to drop a lot as well, under 15 million is bad for a "blockbuster") so people will watch it at another time because the timeslot is unfortunate.

The main reason IMO that ER didn't start plummetting until a few years ago is because NBC Thursdays fell into disarray when Friends left the building, once Friends left, ER and Will And Grace began to plummet. And while Office, Earl, 30 Rock, etc... get good reviews and have cult followings, they are getting less than half what Friends, Seinfeld, Cosby, Cheers, Frasier, Family Ties, etc... got on NBC Thursdays in more successful times for the peacock.

[Buffyboy323]

Yes, and... ABC isn't the only station that has lost ratings because of DVR/TIVO/online. People are so quick to bash CW for instance, but a lot of shows like Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill for instance seem to get a lot of their viewers from the online website. I remember CW was debating refusing to stream the GG episodes because the online views were so high compared to the ratings it gets. Same goes for NBC and other networks. A lot of shows like The Office, 30 Rock, etc... are shows that are generally well-liked but suffer from a bad timeslot up against CSI and Greys (which is starting to drop a lot as well, under 15 million is bad for a "blockbuster") so people will watch it at another time because the timeslot is unfortunate.
I agree. Every network is affected by Tivo/DVR/Online viewership (Gossip Girl is one of the most popular shows on itunes). And even so, total household viewers still count for a lot. Last night, Greys Anatomy pulled in a low 14 million, while CSI brought in 22 million - your not going to tell me about 5 million people watched Grey's Anatomy on their computers last night (I say 5 million because I think Grey's was pulling in around 18-19 million last year). To go from 19 million viewers to 14 million viewers in a matter of months is a little pathetic.

[Buffyboy323]

The main reason IMO that ER didn't start plummetting until a few years ago is because NBC Thursdays fell into disarray when Friends left the building, once Friends left, ER and Will And Grace began to plummet. And while Office, Earl, 30 Rock, etc... get good reviews and have cult followings, they are getting less than half what Friends, Seinfeld, Cosby, Cheers, Frasier, Family Ties, etc... got on NBC Thursdays in more successful times for the peacock.
ER was one of TV's top 10 dramas for 11 seasons straight (season 12 didn't fall far behind either). And I agree, one of the reasons it was so highly rated back then was because it had strong lead-ins - Seinfeld, Friends, and even Will & Grace. Once those shows went off the air, ER was left alone. The Office is an extremely popular show, but it doesn't get the ratings you would think. Scrubs, My name is Earl, and 30 Rock either. Even so, ER has clearly held it's own. It might not be NBC's biggest show anymore (though it's still one of their highest rated), I think the network will take even more of a blow without the show next year. It is the right time for ER to wrap things up though.

[Pavan]

DVR viewing is at a high. House's season premiere on Sept. 16 went up 4 million in the live+7 day DVR ratings from its live ratings. 16.821 was the final count after 7 day viewing. 12.757 was the live numbers (people who watched it live) and it went up to 14.77 million for live+same day (which is live and DVR numbers until 3am the same night). So 2 more million was added on after that night after 2 more million watched it after 9pm on Tuesday night. Houses airs 8-9pm Tuesdays.
That explains why House was down big for its season premiere. People are time shifting everything these days.

Yes, it affects all the networks. However, proceduals like CSI are more watched on TV than DVR/online.

As for Grey's, it was up against the season premiere of CSI. Their premieres always do well. 25 million last year, 23 million this year. And Grey's Anatomy's premiere 2 weeks ago did under 19 million. Add a few mill from DVR and there you have over 20 million for that, too. Top DVR shows last year were Grey's, Lost, House, Desperate Housewives, Office, Survivor, and Heroes ... they added the most. DVR numbers for the first week of the season (Sept 22-28) is out Monday. The release in those is much slower than live weekly ratings. Pretty soon this 7 day DVR ratings will count more. Also, online numbers are different and are not released for public yet. DVR ratings count for watching on your TV...whether it be TiVo or onDemand even.

[Pavan]

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 28 at 8PM. And another Halloween special on Halloween Night (Friday, October 31) at 8PM...possibly the same special, though.

Two updates (that we knew really): Wednesday, November 12 from 8:00-11:00pm will be the CMA Awards and on Sunday, November 23 from 8:00-11:00pm will be the American Music Awards hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. Still nothing on the Halloween 8pm hour that is TBD.

[Scoobiedoo30]

I am going to be watching ABC upto The Mintue Election Coverage on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 we are also have an Local Election on November 4, 2008 as well.

[Pavan]

Just alerting that Pushing Daisies promos will air during Tuesday night's Jimmy Kimmel Live and all-day Wednesday on ABC Daytime. So be on the look out. At least that is better than last week a bit! I have seen the third episode already and it is clearly the best one of the first three (and I liked the first two)...my review will come later tonight at http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=4015488&postcount=104.

Also, for those wanting to know, I have seen the first two episodes of Eli Stone...check my little review of both:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=4015488&postcount=104

[Zedman2]

ABC's Premiere Week Results Grow from Originally Reported Numbers by 6% in Viewers, by 8% in Adults 18-49 and by 10% in Adults 18-34

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20081013abc02

[10.13.08 - 02:47 PM]
ABC'S PREMIERE WEEK RESULTS GROW FROM ORIGINALLY REPORTED NUMBERS BY 6% IN VIEWERS, BY 8% IN ADULTS 18-49 AND BY 10% IN ADULTS 18-34
Released by ABC
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

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Primetime Ratings Report For the week of September 22, 2008 (Premiere Week National Live + 7 Day Program Ratings)

The No. 1 Net, ABC's Premiere Week Results Grow from Originally Reported Numbers by 6% in Viewers, by 8% in Adults 18-49 and by 10% in Adults 18-34

In the Final DVR Playback Tallies, ABC is Up 5% from Opening Week Last Year With Viewers and Retains 100% of its Adult 18-49 and Adult 18-34 Audience

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" is Once Again TV's Most Popularly Recorded and Played Back Show, Jumping by 2.7 Million Viewers from its Originally Reported Numbers

ABC Scripted Series Exhibiting Increases of 1 Million Viewers or More -- and/or a 10% or Greater Increase in Adults 18-49 in the Finalized DVR Playback Numbers -- Include "Grey's," "Housewives," "Boston Legal," "Ugly Betty" & "Brothers & Sisters"

2008-09 WEEK No. 1 Live + 7 Day Ratings:

Based on the first round of Live + 7 Day rating for the new television season, ABC saw its premiere week primetime averages grow from its originally reported Live + Same Day numbers by +6% in Total Viewers (13.0 million vs. 12.3 million) by +8% in Adults 18-49 (4.1/11 vs. 3.8/10) and by +10% in Adults 18-34 (3.4/10 vs. 3.1/9). In the final DVR numbers, ABC remained the definitive No. 1 network during premiere week (w/o 9/22/08), beating its nearest competitors by 1.1 million viewers (13.0 million vs. 11.9 million - CBS) and by 11% in Adults 18-49 (4.1/11 vs. 3.7/10 - NBC).

* Comparing the Live +7 Day premiere week ratings year to year, ABC grew its overall audience from the opening week of last season (w/o 9/23/07) in Total Viewers (+5% - 13.0 million vs. 12.4 million) and retained 100% of young adult audience in both Adults 18-49 (4.1/11) and Adults 18-34 (3.4/10). Disney-owned ABC was also up from its year-ago Live + 7 Day Week 1 averages in Men 18-34 (+5% - 2.2/7 vs. 2.1/7), Teens 12-17 (+13% - 1.8/6 vs. 1.6/6) and Kids 2-11 (+8% - 1.4/6 vs. 1.3/6).

* Similarly to last season, ABC series were among the most popularly recorded and played back. Like last season, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" was once again TV's most-played-back show this season. On average, "Grey's Anatomy" stood as the biggest actual gainer from the originally reported premiere week numbers (Live + Same Day) to the finalized DVR playback numbers (Live + 7 Day), generating an additional +2.7 million viewers (18.5 million to 21.2 million). With a sharp jump in DVR penetration year to year (20% to 28%), "Grey's" DVR increase was up 29% from its average increase last season, when it gained +2.1 million viewers from Live + Same Day to the Live + 7 Day averages in originals (2007-08 = 18.0 million to 20.1 million). ABC scripted series gaining 1 million viewers or more on average from their originally reported numbers to the final DVR playback numbers included "Grey's Anatomy" (+2.7 million), "Desperate Housewives" (+1.2 million), "Boston Legal" (+1.2 million) and "Brothers & Sisters" (+1.0 million).

* Among Adults 18-49, 4 of ABC's scripted series registered ratings increases of +10% or more during premiere week: "Grey's Anatomy" +18% (7.4 to 8.7), "Boston Legal" +13% (2.4 to 2.7), "Ugly Betty" +12% (3.3 to 3.7) and "Brothers & Sisters" +11% (4.6 to 5.1).

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 28% currently, from 20% at the same point in 2007. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (National Live+7 Day Program Ratings), week of 9/22/08.

[Pavan]

Exactly my point Zedman, TV viewing is changing big time. Grey's Anatomy over 21 million, like I thought. My DVR data:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=234167

[Pavan]

Wednesday, October 15 (ET/CT aired an all-new Pushing Daisies at 8/7 central followed by the ABC News Vote 08 Presidential Debate at 9/8 central)

Mountain:
7:00 – 9:00 PM-MT “ABC News Vote 08 – Presidential Debate”
9:00 – 10:00 PM-MT “Pushing Daisies” (Re-scheduled)

Pacific:
6:00 – 8:00 PM-PT “ABC News Vote 08 – Presidential Debate”
8:00 – 9:00 PM-PT “Pushing Daisies”
9:00 – 11:00 PM-PT RETURNED TO STATIONS FOR LOCAL PROGRAMMING


For PACIFIC TIME ONLY tonight at 10pm PT will be an encore of the Life on Mars premiere from last week. Local programming will air at 9pm PT. Life on Mars encore will NOT air in any other time zone tonight.

[Pavan]

It's official "Opportunity Knocks" has been pulled, but it could return in December on a new night and time to finish out its remaining six episodes.

"Dancing with the Stars: Performance Recap Show" will air this Tuesday ONLY (Tuesday, October 21, 2008) at 8:00PM ET/PT. It will be a condensed airing of Monday's performance.

Previously scheduled "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" will air on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 in the time period and ABCNews Vote 2008: Election Night will air on Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

Programming for Tuesday, November 11 and Tuesday, November 18 in the time period has not been announced yet. (As of now, Tuesday, November 25 is "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.")

[Pavan]

MY PROPOSAL FOR ABC MIDSEASON:

Mondays
Jan
8:00PM True Beauty (Tyra/Ashton Project)
9:00PM The Bachelor
10:00PM Here Come the Newlyweds
NOTE: The Bachelor can be expaned to two hours when needed if anything tanks or comes in low

March
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars
9:30PM Samantha Who?
10:00PM Cupid

Tuesdays
Jan
8:00PM Pushing Daisies or Samantha Who/Single with Parents (NOT SURE WHAT CAN AIR HERE!)
9:00PM The Unusuals
10:00PM Eli Stone

March
8:00PM Single with Parents?? (AGAIN NOT SURE WHAT CAN AIR HERE!)
9:00PM Dancing with the Stars: The Results
10:00PM The Unusuals
NOTE: Eli will probably have wrapped up its episode order by March to make room for The Unusuals which would move to 10.

Wednesdays
8:00PM Scrubs
8:30PM Goode Family / Better off Ted
9:00PM Lost
10:00PM Life on Mars / Castle
- Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money would be on the move when Lost launches in late Jan/early Feb. Castle could be used here in mid-late March.

Thursdays
8:00PM Ugly Betty
9:00PM Grey's Anatomy
10:00PM Private Practice
NOTE: Private Practice would move here when Lost launches

Fridays
8:00PM Wife Swap
9:00PM Supernanny
10:00PM 20/20

Sundays
7:00PM AFV
8:00PM Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00PM Desperate Housewives
10:00PM Brothers & Sisters / Dirty Sexy Money
NOTE: Dirty Sexy Money can give B&S a break for a few weeks in Jan/Feb.

[Scoobiedoo30]

Here is My Proposal for ABC Midseason


Monday's
Jan
7:00 pm Dancing With The Star's
8:00 pm The Bachelor
at 9:00 pm Her Comes The Newlywed's


Monday
March
at 7:00 pm Dancing With The Star's
at 8:30 pm Samantha Who
at 9:00 pm Cupid


Tuesday's
Jan
at 7:00 pm Scrubs
at 7:30 pm According To Jim
at 8:00 pm The unusuals
at 9:00 pm Eli Stone

on Tuesday
March
at 7:00 pm Dancing With The Star's Results Show
at 8:00 pm The Unusuals
at 9:00 pm Eli Stone

On Wednesday
Jan
at 7:00 pm Pushing Daisies
at 8:00 pm Better off Ted
at 8:30 pm Goode Family
at 9:00 pm Lost


Thursday
at 7:00 pm Ugly Betty
at 8:00 pm Grey's Antaomy
at 9:00 pm Private Practice



on Friday
at 7:00 pm Suppernanny
at 8:00 pm Wife Swap
at 9:00 pm 20/20


On Saturday
at 7:00 pm Saturday Night Movie


On Sunday
at 6:00 pm AFV
at 7:00 pm Exterame makeover Home Edition
at 8:00 pm Desperate Housewives
at 9:00 pm Dirty Sexxy Money.

[DSfan]

They don't start primetime at 7PM though Scoobie...

[JulieSomoski]

ABC is in some serious trouble this season. For those of you who said GA would rebound this week, it didn't. Even as CSI dropped a lot from the premiere, GA did not go back up, or down, but stayed nearly identicle from last week. I think this show has leveled off now to just under 15 million viewers, when last season it was doing at least 2 million more, usually more. Not good at all - GA is no longer the "it" show.

And Life on Mars - not a good sign, as it dropped more than 2 million from its premiere. It's definitely not a good flow out of GA, as Eleventh Hour on CBS actually went up from its premiere.

As for midseason, its hard to say, as they have a lot of new shows coming in. Here's what I'd partly suggest:

Pushing Daisies needs to be cancelled. What they should do now in a last-ditch attempt to salvage ratings is move DWTS results to Tuesdays 8pm, then put Pushing Daisies at 9pm and Boston Legal at 10pm, moving Eli Stone to 10pm Mondays (BL always did better on Tuesdays). Then, move Private Practice to Thursdays 10pm (they can't afford to lose this show, moving it after GA would be the right choice). Ugly Betty is slipping badly, but it needs to stay on Thursdays for the remainder of the season. For Wednesdays then, at least for now, they should put something at 8pm, possibly According to Jim back-to-backs, then move Life on Mars to 9pm and leave Dirty Sexy Money at 10pm. Then, make a similar schedule for midseason.

[JulieSomoski]

ABC is in some serious trouble this season. For those of you who said GA would rebound this week, it didn't. Even as CSI dropped a lot from the premiere, GA did not go back up, or down, but stayed nearly identicle from last week. I think this show has leveled off now to just under 15 million viewers, when last season it was doing at least 2 million more, usually more. Not good at all - GA is no longer the "it" show.

And Life on Mars - not a good sign, as it dropped more than 2 million from its premiere. It's definitely not a good flow out of GA, as Eleventh Hour on CBS actually went up from its premiere.

As for midseason, its hard to say, as they have a lot of new shows coming in. Here's what I'd partly suggest:

Pushing Daisies needs to be cancelled. What they should do now in a last-ditch attempt to salvage ratings is move DWTS results to Tuesdays 8pm, then put Pushing Daisies at 9pm and Boston Legal at 10pm, moving Eli Stone to 10pm Mondays (BL always did better on Tuesdays). Then, move Private Practice to Thursdays 10pm (they can't afford to lose this show, moving it after GA would be the right choice). Ugly Betty is slipping badly, but it needs to stay on Thursdays for the remainder of the season. For Wednesdays then, at least for now, they should put something at 8pm, possibly According to Jim back-to-backs, then move Life on Mars to 9pm and leave Dirty Sexy Money at 10pm. Then, make a similar schedule for midseason.

[Pavan]

Julie relax, GA still beat CSI in 18-49 5.9 to 5.1, while it did not last week. Did you forget CSI did a 7.1 last week? Total viewers is not everything. And you see how in DVR numbers, Grey's goes up. It hasn't lost anything. Live ratings is nothing anymore. We are already at 28% in DVR pentration. It soon will be even higher. TV is changing and something needs to be done. I think the days of 20 million for an average for the season in live ratings are long over. Even Idol probably.

I hope you're not suggesting all that moving "now." It seems to me you are because you mention BL and DWTS (which won't be back until March). You can't just move stuff around like that last minute. It makes no sense. Right now the only thing is to pull Knocks, and they did. ABC is already 2nd place in everything, you cannot change stuff during sweeps, which is coming up. Too much of a risk. Let Daisies air thru December and then decide what to do. ABC still is getting 2nd place on Wednesdays, no matter how distant it is. Need you forgot ABC won premiere week even when they had some duds in there like Blaine's special. You won't see any moving arounds until January. According to Jim is not going to be used in major slots anymore. It will be in December only..and it should do well there. A Christmas episode has even been taped. Boston Legal is ending Dec. 15...why on earth would they move it back to Tuesdays? BL is doing the same stuff it did last year on Tuesays, but the demo is a bit lower...but then again, isn't everything?

[Buffyboy323]

Julie relax, GA still beat CSI in 18-49 5.9 to 5.1, while it did not last week. Did you forget CSI did a 7.1 last week? Total viewers is not everything. And you see how in DVR numbers, Grey's goes up. It hasn't lost anything. Live ratings is nothing anymore. We are already at 28% in DVR pentration. It soon will be even higher. TV is changing and something needs to be done. I think the days of 20 million for an average for the season in live ratings are long over. Even Idol probably.
Total viewer ratings are still very important to television. The Nielson ratings are what add up at the end of each tv season. We keep hearing your DVR mumbo jumbo, but DVR ratings aren't even that accountable when it's all said and done. They are becoming more and more important, yes, but right now, not THAT much. Nielson is still what most people look at. Grey's Anatomy might beat CSI in the demos, but it only beat it ONE TIME in total viewers in two full years. Just face it: All of ABC's "hits" are dropping.

[Zedman2]

Total viewer ratings are still very important to television. The Nielson ratings are what add up at the end of each tv season. We keep hearing your DVR mumbo jumbo, but DVR ratings aren't even that accountable when it's all said and done. They are becoming more and more important, yes, but right now, not THAT much. Nielson is still what most people look at. Grey's Anatomy might beat CSI in the demos, but it only beat it ONE TIME in total viewers in two full years. Just face it: All of ABC's "hits" are dropping.

Not as important as you think. Total viewers is just for bragging rights. The 18-49 demo and the emerging 18-34 are what's important. Advertising is sold based on C3 ratings, commercial ratings the public don't really see and which are released two weeks after Live + Same Day and dvr results are in those ratings. The results usually come in somewhere in between Live+same day and Live+7 day results.

CSI may have more viewers, but Grey's Anatomy, and other ABC shows have the demos that advertisers wish to reach, and that is why ABC charges more for their programs, in Grey's Anatomy's case $60K more than CSI for a 30 second ad. http://tvbythenumbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/10-spotcost-100608.pdf

[Pavan]

buffyboy, you're not understanding that television viewing has ALREADY changed. And it will even change more. We are now getting full DVR reports, something in the past was not done and wasn't needed. Zedman is right on what he said about the advertising. ABC shows won the C3 ratings, which means the ads are being most watched on ABC...meaning more revenue and sales for ABC.

And as for your Grey's/CSI head to head comparison. Grey's has beaten CSI more than once in total viewers/households. I have facts to prove it (see below). And I'm not talking about DVR added on numbers. CSI has beated Grey's just once in the 18-49 demo and that was last week when for the first time the season premieres of both shows didn't go head to head.

As for shows like Pushing Daisies, yes of course the live+same day numbers are very disappointing but let's wait until the DVR numbers come in and see how it is really doing. Advertisers and the networks are really paying attention to those numbers now...threy are not stupid, they know TV viewing has changed. Trust me, I pay big attention to this and talk to various people in the know, including network heads. If this was say 4-5 years ago (or even 2 years ago), when there were no DVRs basically, Pushing Daisies would have been pulled already. And since you say ABC's shows are "dropping," yet they are still in a solid position for second place in live+sd numbers...NBC and Fox are no where near them. I don't understand why the CBS proceduals do so well in live ratings (and not THAT good in DVR add-ons)...maybe Nielsen is a terrible system, but ABC has a few proceduals coming this mid-season and maybe they will hit like those on CBS.


Grey's beating CSI examples:
9/28/2006: Grey's 15.0/22 (23.48) vs. CSI 14.3/21 (23.77)
10/5/2006: Grey's 14.9/22 (22.8) vs. CSI 13.5/20 (21.51)
10/12/2006: Grey's 14.6/22 (22.88) vs. CSI 13.5/20 (21.85)
10/19/2006: Grey's 14.4/21 (22.05) vs. CSI's 12.7/19 (20.49)
10/26/2006: both were in repeats
11/02/2006: Grey's 13.8/20 (21.02) vs. CSI's 12.9/19 (20.77)
...and so on including over 25 million a few times (like on 2/22/07 16.9/25 (27.39) vs. 13.0/19 (21.78))!
It beat it steadily in the 2006-07 season and 2007-08 it also beat it a few times when DVR penetration jumped big time to 19%...and it is a proven fact that Grey's Anatomy is the biggest DVR show. Now it is 28%.

Doesn't seem like once to me. You might have mistook that for CSI beating Grey's just once in 18-49 ever.

[JulieSomoski]

Julie relax, GA still beat CSI in 18-49 5.9 to 5.1, while it did not last week. Did you forget CSI did a 7.1 last week? Total viewers is not everything. And you see how in DVR numbers, Grey's goes up. It hasn't lost anything. Live ratings is nothing anymore. We are already at 28% in DVR pentration. It soon will be even higher. TV is changing and something needs to be done. I think the days of 20 million for an average for the season in live ratings are long over. Even Idol probably.

I hope you're not suggesting all that moving "now." It seems to me you are because you mention BL and DWTS (which won't be back until March). You can't just move stuff around like that last minute. It makes no sense. Right now the only thing is to pull Knocks, and they did. ABC is already 2nd place in everything, you cannot change stuff during sweeps, which is coming up. Too much of a risk. Let Daisies air thru December and then decide what to do. ABC still is getting 2nd place on Wednesdays, no matter how distant it is. Need you forgot ABC won premiere week even when they had some duds in there like Blaine's special. You won't see any moving arounds until January. According to Jim is not going to be used in major slots anymore. It will be in December only..and it should do well there. A Christmas episode has even been taped. Boston Legal is ending Dec. 15...why on earth would they move it back to Tuesdays? BL is doing the same stuff it did last year on Tuesays, but the demo is a bit lower...but then again, isn't everything?

But there was a time when GA could beat CSI in both total viewers and the demo. And even though it won in the demo, it was a low demo for this show - it should be doing more is basically what I'm saying. I just don't think it's the hot show on ABC anymore.

No, I wasn't suggesting those changes for now, but for midseason they need to think about changing some things around. One thing I was suggesting now, though, was the Boston Legal-Eli Stone swap. Boston Legal was pulling in 9-10 million viewers on Tuesday last season, with a higher demo. It could probably keep that up if it were still on Tuesdays. And to me, it seems like Eli Stone would benefit on Mondays from the stronger DWTS lead-in.

[Pavan]

Julie but do you not realize, when DVR is factored in, Grey's gets its 20-21 million still. Sure that is down from 22-25 million or so it averaged in live numbers two years ago, but people keep saying how it is really down and such...when really it isn't. I know I keep saying it, but TV viewing has changed..two years ago Grey's wouldn't tack on 1 million in DVR, now it does 3-4 million more. And these DVR numbers don't count the abc.com airings, and abc.com is #1 in viewership for full episodes. If you want to say GA is down, then you should say CSI is down, too. The season before Grey's came in the picture CSI was averaging 25 million+, with some episodes over 30 million.

I don't think they should change Eli-Boston. It won't make much a difference, plus Eli would have Samantha Who as the lead-in on Mondays not DWTS. Boston does its same numbers no matter what...its demos are down this year, but viewers are on par from last year. The show is ending Dec. 15 anyway, no point in moving it. Give Eli a chance...it only has aired once there.

[JulieSomoski]

Julie but do you not realize, when DVR is factored in, Grey's gets its 20-21 million still. Sure that is down from 22-25 million or so it averaged in live numbers two years ago, but people keep saying how it is really down and such...when really it isn't. I know I keep saying it, but TV viewing has changed..two years ago Grey's wouldn't tack on 1 million in DVR, now it does 3-4 million more. And these DVR numbers don't count the abc.com airings, and abc.com is #1 in viewership for full episodes. If you want to say GA is down, then you should say CSI is down, too. The season before Grey's came in the picture CSI was averaging 25 million+, with some episodes over 30 million.

I don't think they should change Eli-Boston. It won't make much a difference, plus Eli would have Samantha Who as the lead-in on Mondays not DWTS. Boston does its same numbers no matter what...its demos are down this year, but viewers are on par from last year. The show is ending Dec. 15 anyway, no point in moving it. Give Eli a chance...it only has aired once there.

GA pulls in what, 3-4 million on DVR viewing? That would bring its viewer total to 18 million, plus the internet viewing and whatever, which you really can't count in ratings, and that still doesn't add up to 20-21 million. CSI is down, too, but its still the highest rated drama on television. I still think GA is down a bit more this season, with or without DVR. I don't think its a good thing that people would rather tune into CSI than GA, and DVR GA for later. Live ratings should still be more important.

And since BL is ending this season, there's really no point in trying to salvage ratings, like you said. I just think its sad how ABC is ending BL, yet its still doing better than a lot of other shows on ABC (even with a lower demo), including Wednesday nights.

[Pavan]

GA did over 21 million in Live+7 for premiere week. Other weeks are not in yet, so you can't assume it will be 18. Grey's is still the top show in 18-49, and in this business...that's what matters. And why can't you count internet viewing? People are watching it that way now, too. There are so many ways to watch TV now. While it is good for fans, live ratings are suffering across the board...it's not just ABC. Look at Heroes on NBC and House on Fox. And come on The Office has to be the most popular sitcom these days and yet it didn't get a 5.0 HH rating in live numbers this week. Why? People are watching it other ways, especially the younger crowd (18-49 and 18-34). All serialized shows are being time-shifted or viewed online...you don't see proceduals in the mix like that. They are watched live primarily, but then again, they are older viewers. Live shows like Dancing with the Stars are also not affected by DVR a lot..and again that is an older audience show. You know CSI is way older than Grey's.

[JulieSomoski]

GA did over 21 million in Live+7 for premiere week. Other weeks are not in yet, so you can't assume it will be 18. Grey's is still the top show in 18-49, and in this business...that's what matters. And why can't you count internet viewing? People are watching it that way now, too. There are so many ways to watch TV now. While it is good for fans, live ratings are suffering across the board...it's not just ABC. Look at Heroes on NBC and House on Fox. And come on The Office has to be the most popular sitcom these days and yet it didn't get a 5.0 HH rating in live numbers this week. Why? People are watching it other ways, especially the younger crowd (18-49 and 18-34). All serialized shows are being time-shifted or viewed online...you don't see proceduals in the mix like that. They are watched live primarily, but then again, they are older viewers. Live shows like Dancing with the Stars are also not affected by DVR a lot..and again that is an older audience show. You know CSI is way older than Grey's.

That was for premiere week, but in live audiences, GA was down significantly the last 2 weeks, which would lead one to believe the overall ratings, when counting DVR, will also be down.

But, enough with Grey's Anatomy. I have no doubt that DVR viewing is eroding the live audiences that come to watch a show. People just don't have the time anymore to sit down and watch a show. Internet viewing is hard to count, because you don't always know who's watching. One person could watch the episode 2 times. Or, people could only tune into the first half of an episode, if they missed it. It's hard to tell the exact audience watching a show on the internet.

ABC gets effected a lot by DVR, mainly because they pull in a lot of the younger crowd, which is big in DVR. CBS, on the other hand, always pulls in the older crowd, which still makes an appointment to watch a show live. And good points about House and Heroes - everyone is saying they are down this year, big, but they really aren't. I guess Heroes is still down, but DVR numbers pick it up. Same goes for House. So, I definitely see the point you're trying to make about GA.

[MusicJunkie]

why are demos so important? I think it's a load of bull. So more 30 year olds watch Greys than CSI, so? Does that mean what my dad watches is less important than what I watch because he's 73 and I'm 28? I don't think so.

[Pavan]

In this business, that is exactly right. You don't see any network touting the 55+ demo. A person who is 73 is retired mostly likely and won't be making money and buying what is advertised. It's all about advertising and the advertisers are looking for the 18-49 demo so they buy their product. TV is a business really like any other business. Advertisers also look at ratings for 18-49/25-54 year olds who make more than $100K/year, these are known as upscale audience...another demo that ABC does very well on.

For the last decade the on going joke is CBS is targeting nursing homes and prisons, lol.

[MusicJunkie]

In this business, that is exactly right. You don't see any network touting the 55+ demo. A person who is 73 is retired mostly likely and won't be making money and buying what is advertised. It's all about advertising and the advertisers are looking for the 18-49 demo so they buy their product. TV is a business really like any other business. Advertisers also look at ratings for 18-49/25-54 year olds who make more than $100K/year, these are known as upscale audience...another demo that ABC does very well on.

For the last decade the on going joke is CBS is targeting nursing homes and prisons, lol.
18-49 year olds aren't so gullable that they'll buy a product just because it's on TV. The 12-17 crowd maybe, but I can't begin to tell you the last time I saw a commercial that sold me on a product.

My dad watches House, Cold Case, Mad Men, King Of The Hill and Law And Order: SVU (he used to watch CSI but not in a few years). Just because he's older doesn't mean he is into Matlock and Diagnosis Murder.

[Scoobiedoo30]

Are The Network's like ABC going to be airing The Election Coverage in High Definition

[mtlguy]

I just want to add that the main reason, I think, that CBS shows get better live ratings are simply becasue their audience is older and DVR are obviously more popular among young people than older ones.

I think ABC shows are, for the most part, in good shape. I think that even Life On Mars, who lost a lot in it's second week, is in good shape simply because people are more likely to watch the first episode of a show live than record it on DVR right away. If they like it they will record the following week, especially for younger skewing shows like Mars is. I wouldn't be surprise if it's DVR numbers are pretty high.

[Stuck In The '70's]

18-49 year olds aren't so gullable that they'll buy a product just because it's on TV. The 12-17 crowd maybe, but I can't begin to tell you the last time I saw a commercial that sold me on a product.

My dad watches House, Cold Case, Mad Men, King Of The Hill and Law And Order: SVU (he used to watch CSI but not in a few years). Just because he's older doesn't mean he is into Matlock and Diagnosis Murder.
I loved Matlock and DM and I was in my 20's and 30's when they were on. I always got a kick out of people saying only old people liked those shows. And really Older people watch more regular TV than younger people who are out of the house alot of the time. I'll never understand why the younger people matter the most.

Anyway, their's alot of younger people that watch and enjoy CBS...they just happen to have alot of older people who like those shows too.

[MusicJunkie]

I loved Matlock and DM and I was in my 20's and 30's when they were on. I always got a kick out of people saying only old people liked those shows. And really Older people watch more regular TV than younger people who are out of the house alot of the time. I'll never understand why the younger people matter the most.

Anyway, their's alot of younger people that watch and enjoy CBS...they just happen to have alot of older people who like those shows too.
well, it sounded like I offended you by my "my dad is old but not a Matlock/DM fan" point, but what about the first point I said about how it's odd that advertisers target the 18-49 demographic like we're gullable. Now I understand kids who watch commercials on Nickelodeon or the sort and beg their mom to get them the toy or cereal they saw a commercial on, but I honestly don't know anyone my age who is sold on an item because of a commercial. If anything, I think the senior citizens might be more likely to want to buy something they see in an ad since they're retired and have more free time than the average 18-54 year old does. Kids who watch Nickelodeon and teens who watch MTV are both easy targets with products and brands and the sort, but for most people out of high school, we're not going to run out and have to have something because we saw a commercial for it.

[Stuck In The '70's]

well, it sounded like I offended you by my "my dad is old but not a Matlock/DM fan" point, but what about the first point I said about how it's odd that advertisers target the 18-49 demographic like we're gullable. Now I understand kids who watch commercials on Nickelodeon or the sort and beg their mom to get them the toy or cereal they saw a commercial on, but I honestly don't know anyone my age who is sold on an item because of a commercial. If anything, I think the senior citizens might be more likely to want to buy something they see in an ad since they're retired and have more free time than the average 18-54 year old does. Kids who watch Nickelodeon and teens who watch MTV are both easy targets with products and brands and the sort, but for most people out of high school, we're not going to run out and have to have something because we saw a commercial for it.
Oh no. I was actually agreeing with you. My point was that all kinds of people watch all kinds of shows. Your Dad enjoys House, Cold Case, CSI etc and I enjoyed Matlock and DM. I agree with you about how it's stupid for the networks just to target certain kinds of people. I know when commercials come on, I usually change the channel. Yea small kids are the ones that are the most gullable where commercials are concerned. I used to go crazy when I something on Saturday morning. I'm not that way anymore. lol

[MusicJunkie]

Oh no. I was actually agreeing with you. My point was that all kinds of people watch all kinds of shows. Your Dad enjoys House, Cold Case, CSI etc and I enjoyed Matlock and DM. I agree with you about how it's stupid for the networks just to target certain kinds of people. I know when commercials come on, I usually change the channel. Yea small kids are the ones that are the most gullable where commercials are concerned. I used to go crazy when I something on Saturday morning. I'm not that way anymore. lol
another good example of "demographics are BS" is The Golden Girls. You have no idea how many 20-30somethings who grew up on that show and still watch the reruns and have the DVD's, etc... Just because it was about women in their 60's didn't mean that only retired senior citizens watched the show, it was the reverse if anything.

I never cared for Diagnosis Murder, Walker or any of those shows, but it was pathetic when CBS cancelled them all in one quick sweep because they targetted an unattractive demographic, that demographic showed loyalty to those shows and kept them on the air for a very long time, compare it to the "attractive" audience for Greys and Housewives who are abandoning those shows in droves (I still watch DH, but quit GA after the horrific fourth season).

I remember CBS did the same **** to Murder She Wrote and moved it up against Friends just so they could finally get rid of it, nevermind that it spent 11 of 12 seasons as a constant top 15 fixture and was top 5 several times. You could tell CBS did it just to wash their hands of it because they moved the show back to Sundays late into the final season and the ratings went back up, but CBS had to ditch it because a half-season of bad ratings up against the hottest show at the time negates 11 highly rated seasons before it :rolleyes:

All of these people who fixate on youth and demographics are going to become old one day themselves and will get karma for all the "CBS is for old people" talk. Senior citizens are people too and they deserve entertainment as well.

[70s show watcher]

another example my grandparents liked different strokes the facts of live and benson and back when the shows first aired they were in there 70s and also they switched brands of toothpaste and soap from time to time so to me thats proof with my own eyes that demo targeting is useless

[ekkostar]

One of the things I hate about ABC is to gain ratings, they act like every show is an awards-sized event when it's just another show episode. They even go as far as adding logo bugs during episodes of the shows to add to the grandure of it all. ABC, in my opinion, hasn't done very well since the demise of TGIF over ten years ago.

[Pavan]

“Dancing With The Stars: Performance Recap Show” is scheduled to air as on Tuesdays, November 11 and 18, 2008 in the 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT time slot.

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" will air Tuesday, November 25, 2008 from 8:00PM-9:00PM leading into the two-hour season finale of “Dancing With The Stars: The Results Show” from 9:00-11:00PM ET/PT.

[JulieSomoski]

“Dancing With The Stars: Performance Recap Show” is scheduled to air as on Tuesdays, November 11 and 18, 2008 in the 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT time slot.

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" will air Tuesday, November 25, 2008 from 8:00PM-9:00PM leading into the two-hour season finale of “Dancing With The Stars: The Results Show” from 9:00-11:00PM ET/PT.

Not surprising - it did really well last night, and a great improvement over OK.

[MusicJunkie]

how is Eli Stone doing? it's one of the ABC shows I watch along with B&S and DH (I gave up on Greys after last season, there's Supernatural and 30 Rock on which needs viewers more anyways at the same time) and this season seems to be good with the stuntcasting (Sigourney Weaver, Katie Holmes) but I remember it did terrible last season. Are ratings up?

[JulieSomoski]

how is Eli Stone doing? it's one of the ABC shows I watch along with B&S and DH (I gave up on Greys after last season, there's Supernatural and 30 Rock on which needs viewers more anyways at the same time) and this season seems to be good with the stuntcasting (Sigourney Weaver, Katie Holmes) but I remember it did terrible last season. Are ratings up?

Unfortunately, it's not doing so hot. It's losing a lot of viewers at 10:30, and got just above 8 million viewers Tuesday night.

[MusicJunkie]

well, 8 million is actually an improvement over last season. I know it was getting 4-5 million for much of the season, and the last few eps of season 1 were following NEW episodes of Grey's

[Pavan]

Eli Stone never aired after Grey's Anatomy new or repeat last year. It aired after new episodes of Lost for the first half then repeats of Lost...and built on Lost repeats. And it was never "4-5" million. Eli track for last year in total viewers (millions):
After new episodes of Lost:
11.14
8.83
7.46
7.19
7.15
7.14
6.92
7.32
After repeat episodes of Lost:
6.53
5.15
5.88 after a special Thurs. Housewives repeat
8.81-Sunday special after a new Housewives
6.23

[tvcrazed]

I am glad ABC is making some headway on FRi nights, however I think WIfe Swap and Supernanny are still too valuable to waste on a low viewing night and could add much needed #'s on a night with higher viewing levels. Supernanny has a really emotional episode coming up where Jo counsels a family going through divorce. I think it is a shame something like this doesn't air after DWTS. BL gets the same numbers with or without a lead in and could do the same on Friday nights, whereas Supernanny on Mon at 10pm could maybe crack a 3 in the demo. I see ABC hasn't outlined the last Monday night of Sweeps yet. Maybe they will do something like this and have the 2 hour BL finale dec 15th or they could preempt BL for 2 weeks and the finale could be Dec 22nd.

[Pavan]

Dancing with the Stars Monday finale is 90 minutes. Followed by Samantha Who. So nothing different, as of now.

November Sweep release:

ABC ANNOUNCES NOVEMBER SWEEPS PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING THE COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS AND AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS, AND JAM-PACKED ORIGINAL EPISODES OF SOME OF TELEVISION'S BIGGEST HITS

The ABC Television Network announces highlights of its upcoming premieres, specials and regular series programming scheduled to air during the November sweep.

Editors please note: What follows is a chronological listing of programming highlights (all times Eastern); this is not a complete list of all programs airing during November sweep.

"JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE" (MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 12:05 a.m. - 1:05 a.m.) - Throughout sweeps, Jimmy Kimmel hosts an all-star lineup of guests, including Samuel L. Jackson, Reese Witherspoon, Jay Leno, Peter Krause, Kate Walsh, Sarah Silverman, Magic Johnson, Terry Bradshaw and the winner of "Dancing with the Stars." November also brings a return performance from the Jonas Brothers who, the last time they performed on the Pontiac Garage outdoor stage, had to have police helicopters break up the screaming crowd of fans attending their live performance. Additional musical guests include Beyonce, The Killers, T. Pain, John Legend, T.I, Leona Lewis, Scott Weiland, Ben Folds, Hinder, Eagles of Death Metal, The Hives, Julianne Hough and Low vs. Diamond. In a special James Bond-themed "JKL" episode celebrating "Quantum of Solace," stars David Craig and Bond girl Olga Kurylenko appear, along with a special musical performance.

"UGLY BETTY" -- "Ugly Berry" - Betty finds herself competing with Kimmie (guest-star Lindsay Lohan) who finally shows her true colors, and new citizen Ignacio prepares to vote for the first time. Meanwhile Hilda takes advantage of the increased election traffic to promote her shop, and Wilhelmina wants to hire a new financial officer (guest star Grant Bowler) whom Daniel can't stand, on ABC's "Ugly Betty," THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Supermodel Adriana Lima appears as herself as a Mode cover girl, and Ralph Macchio guest stars as a new customer at Hilda's shop.

"GREY'S ANATOMY" -- "Life During Wartime" - To help Bailey become the best general surgeon at Seattle Grace, the Chief gives her new power, new responsibility and the challenge of removing a young girl's inoperable tumor, as the new head of trauma, Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), challenges both the attending doctor's methods and the residents' surgical abilities, on "Grey's Anatomy," THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"LIFE ON MARS" -- "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?" - Sam is unwillingly but hypnotically pulled back into his childhood when he becomes entangled in local gangster Nick Profaci's assault on a young, beautiful woman. Sam is amazed to discover that the woman, who is oddly familiar to him, is actually his mother back in 1973. While he attempts to save her, he uncovers two unsolved murders of women that possibly point to the involvement of Profaci and his mob boss, Elliot Casso (guest-star Robert Klein). But even more alarming is the discovery that members of the 1-2-5 - including Lt. Hunt - may be mixed up with Casso and his crew and may have prevented justice from being carried out, on "Life on Mars," THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"WIFE SWAP" -- "Martin/Vallone" - A Rastafarian mom who barely keeps her bank account in double figures swaps lives with a mom who believes that discipline and hard work provide the best things in life, on "Wife Swap," FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Each week from across the country, two very different families take part in a two-week long challenge: The wives exchange husbands, children, and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover just what it's like to live in another woman's shoes. It's a mind-blowing experiment that can change lives forever.

"SUPERNANNY"-"Newsome Family" -- In today's economy, you can have it all one minute and lose everything the next. This is what has happened to single mom Blythe Newsome. For 12 years she was married and lived with her six children in a huge suburban home. But, for financial reasons, the house went into foreclosure. Blythe tried to keep her marriage together, but eventually she took the kids and filed for divorce. Fast-forward to today... Blythe hardly recognizes her life. She's moved with her children into a tiny house and has totally lost control of the kids. She's now the breadwinner for a family of seven, which means rising every day of the week at 3:00 a.m. for her morning radio DJ shift. When she was married, Mom says, the kids were all well-behaved, but now they're terrors. They've morphed into a disrespectful, back-talking bunch; the youngest ones, five-year-old Elspeth and three-year-old Finn, are the biggest challenges. Mom gives in to all the children, partly because she feels guilty that she can't give them the life they were so used to. Can Supernanny help this single mom take control of her family? The "Newsome Family" airs FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION" -- "Hill Family" - In Geneva, NY, Ty and the designers tell the Hill family that they will receive a brand new home in place of their 200 year-old house, enabling them to keep and improve their boxing gym for underprivileged teens. Tim Hill was an aspiring boxer whose dreams were shattered when he broke his back while working on a construction site. Unable to box anymore, he went back to college for a degree in social work and afterwards worked as a counselor for high school kids. It was during this time that he was inspired to start the Geneva Boxing Team. For over 10 years, Tim has been training kids from the ages of 8 to 21 to box for free, and pays all the expenses out of his pocket. To incorporate the theme of the family's love of boxing, boxing champs Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman appear in the episode. In addition, ESPN Anchors John Saunders and Brian Kenny got to "call" the demolition of the house in the spirit of a boxing match. The "Hill Family" airs SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" - "There's Always a Woman" - "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," on ABC's "Desperate Housewives," SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET). Gaby is over the moon when Carlos' client makes them an offer they can't refuse, but a startling discovery leaves her second guessing; Lynette grows suspicious that Tom is cheating on her; and after breaking up with Jackson, Susan tries to surprise him, only to find the surprise is on her. Meanwhile, the bond between Bree and Katherine grows, and Mrs. McCluskey enlists the help of her sister to dig up dirt on Dave. Guest stars include Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. McCluskey, Gale Harold as Jackson, Gail O'Grady as Anne Schilling, Frances Conroy as Virginia Hildebrand and Lily Tomlin as Roberta.

"BROTHERS & SISTERS" -- "Bakersfield" - In order to beat Holly to the punch, Nora goes on a quest to learn more about William's long lost son, while Kitty and Robert lay in wait for a birth mother, on "Brothers & Sisters," SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"SAMANTHA WHO?" -- "The Building" - Desperate for some cash and in need of a job, Samantha reluctantly agrees to team up with Regina and start a real estate business. But while Sam strives to stick to her path of morality, her handsome first client, Owen (guest-star James Tupper, "Men in Trees"), could end up throwing her off course. Meanwhile, Andrea tries to seduce Todd's disheveled friend, Seth, in order to obtain the phone number of a professional basketball player, on "Samantha Who?," MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3 (9:32-10:02 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"BOSTON LEGAL" -- "Mad Cows" - Alan Shore and Denny Crane sue the government when cattle rancher Carol Hober - who, Crane believes, is the spitting image of actress Valerie Bertinelli -- accuses the USDA of not allowing her to test all of her cows for Mad Cow Disease, an affliction that's close to Denny's heart. But Denny continually irritates Carol when he tries to make her confess that she really is Valerie Bertinelli. (Casting note: Carol Hober is played by Valerie Bertinelli). Meanwhile, Jerry Espenson is up for partner at the firm, but his quirky social inadequacies could lead to his downfall with the firm's panel, which includes Paul Lewiston (Rene Auberjonois), on "Boston Legal," MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"ABC's VOTE 2008" -- Charles Gibson, Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos will anchor live coverage of election results across the country on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, on the ABC Television Network. ABC's "Vote 2008" will originate from the Crossroads of the World, Times Square beginning with a special edition of "World News" at 6:30 p.m. ET, and continuing with full election coverage airing from 7:00 p.m. until at least 2:00 a.m., ET. A special edition of Nightline will air at 2:35 a.m., ET.

"PRIVATE PRACTICE" -- "Let It Go" - In trying to fix the financial troubles at Oceanside Wellness, Addison puts the practice in peril, as a good friend of Violet's places her in the terrible position of breaking the law to help her, and Maya hopes that her parents, Sam and Naomi, are rekindling their relationship for good, on "Private Practice," WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 (9:02-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"DIRTY SEXY MONEY" -- "The Verdict" - While constantly being challenged in court by prosecutor Nola Lyons, Nick is facing an uphill battle defending Letitia in the murder case. But the situation changes quickly after Nick discovers a dirty little secret about Nola. Later on, he learns by chance some surprising news about Lisa from Joel Madden, one of the attendees at her art gallery opening. Meanwhile, Karen asks Nick to tell Tripp that she is marrying family nemesis Simon Elder; Tripp attempts to wield his influence over Patrick in choosing his chief of staff; and Brian and Andrea learn some shocking news after a visit to the doctor, on "Dirty Sexy Money," WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.

"UGLY BETTY" -- "Crush'd" - Betty works overtime to get the attention of her cute neighbor, struggling musician Jesse (guest-star Val Emmich). Meanwhile, Betty's life gets even more complicated when a maxed out and suddenly homeless Amanda becomes her temporary roommate. And in other Mode developments, Marc vacillates when Cliff (guest-star David Blue) wants them to move in together, on "Ugly Betty," THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"GREY'S ANATOMY" -- "Rise Up" - The Chief announces to the residents that a solo surgery will be awarded, and the news sends them into a competitive frenzy. Meanwhile Derek turns to Bailey for advice when he feels Cristina is interfering in his relationship with Meredith, and Erica discovers a shocking connection between one of her surgical residents and a longtime patient, on "Grey's Anatomy," THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network

"LIFE ON MARS" -- "Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead" - A racial confrontation is triggered between the African Americans and Puerto Ricans in the neighborhood when a young African American girl's body is discovered thrown from a rooftop. Working the case with Sam Tyler and the squad is the cop Sam considers his mentor in 2008 - a much younger Fletcher Bellow - who doesn't recognize his future protg. Tangling with the Black Liberation Army, who is intent on hunting down the Puerto Rican suspect first to levy their own kind of justice, Sam, Bellow and the detectives of the 1-2-5 are in a race against time if Angel Ramirez is to have any chance to answer for the crime. But in the end, Sam must battle the racial attitudes in his own precinct - most notably Lt. Hunt and Detective Carling - and a dramatic standoff on the same rooftop leads to gunshots being fired, on "Life on Mars," THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Whoopi Goldberg guest stars as disc jockey Brother Lovebutter, and Lisa Bonet returns, guest starring as Maya Daniels.

"WIFE SWAP" -- "Brown/Neighbors" - A self-described "supermom" who manages her children's every waking moment swaps lives with a free-spirited mom who would rather dance with her kids than check their homework, on "Wife Swap," FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Each week from across the country, two very different families take part in a two-week long challenge: The wives exchanges husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover just what it's like to live in another woman's shoes. It's a mind-blowing experiment that often ends up changing lives forever.

"SUPERNANNY" -- "Manley Family" - In one of the most powerful episodes in the history of the series, Jo helps a family navigate divorce. John and Sarah Manley have been separated for over six months. John has his own apartment but has tried not to disrupt his children's lives by spending daily meals and every weekend in the family home, but sleeping overnight in his own apartment. The children, Max, 7, and Claire, 4, can't quite figure out what is going on, and handle their worry and confusion by acting out with anger, backtalk, fighting and tantrums. A simple trip to the grocery store is so fraught with the kids' antics that Sarah cannot keep track of their whereabouts, and shoppers won't even go down the same aisle as the Manleys. Sarah finds it hard to hold her ground in the power struggle with her kids, partly because she's nearly as confused as they are about her marriage's state. Jo takes Max aside and is nearly brought to tears when he quietly tells her he wants to ask his Dad why he moved out. The current living arrangement "for the sake of the children" clearly isn't helping. Jo asks John point-blank if he wants to save his marriage. When the answer is no, Sarah realizes her hopes for reconciliation are dashed, and the parents make a decision to divorce, turning to Jo to help them navigate this transition with Max and Claire. The "Manley Family" airs FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION" -- "Martirez & Malek Families" - The show travels to both St. Louis and Ballwin, MO, to give Dawn Martirez a safer home for her special-needs children, and to remodel Sam Malek's coffee shop that employs disabled individuals and donates a portion of its earnings to charity. Dawn Martirez was a beloved and dedicated pediatric cancer nurse who cared for terminally ill children all her life. Little did she know that her medical experience would prepare her for the care of her own children. After she and husband Emmanuel had their daughter, Elle, she became pregnant again with twins Evan and Alec. Evan has an extremely rare genetic condition called 9P minus, and Alec has another uncommon genetic disorder known as Crouzon Syndrome. Both twins suffer from skeletal abnormalities that require extensive corrective facial and cranial surgeries, with Evan having physical handicaps and mental retardation, and Alec being profoundly hearing impaired. As the boys get older, the home's cramped narrow hallways, steep stairs, crumbling driveway and single, handicapped-inaccessible bathroom are posing great problems for them and slowing their development. Meanwhile, Sam Malek has endured 29 surgeries for his cerebral palsy over the past 40 years, beating the odds so many times. In April of 2007, Sam took out a second mortgage on his home to purchase a small coffee shop that insists on their motto, "Helping Challenged People One Cup at a Time." At "More Than Coffee," Sam employs disabled individuals to help him in the shop and donates a portion of the profits to local charities. However, the condition of the shop makes it hard for him and his employees to work, for its cramped space, termite infestation and lack of proper equipment hinder their potential. Ty and his designers will have to step up to the challenge of making over Sam Malek's shop while working on the Martirez home at the same time. The "Martirez & Malek Families" air SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" -- "What More Do I Need?" - Desire proves to be a dangerous emotion on ABC's "Desperate Housewives," SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET). Lynette and Tom uncover the unsettling truth about son Porter; Gabrielle suspects Carlos' best client has ulterior motives; Bree's moment of weakness could bring her great embarrassment and shame; and Katherine's not so little secret is unveiled. Meanwhile, Susan learns of Jackson's true passion; and Mrs. McCluskey's sister unearths a disturbing fact about Dave. Guest stars include Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. McCluskey, Gale Harold as Jackson, Stephen Spinella as Dr. Heller, Gail O'Grady as Anne Schilling, Frances Conroy as Virginia Hildebrand, and Lily Tomlin as Roberta.

"BROTHERS & SISTERS" -- "Do You Believe In Magic?" - Tommy and Julia celebrate their wedding anniversary in a magical way while Justin and Rebecca become spooked about the intensity of their own romance, and Kitty's neuroses endanger the McCallisters' shot at adoption, on "Brothers & Sisters," SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"SAMANTHA WHO?" -- "Help!" - After an altercation with a cop, Samantha is arrested and given community service, where she meets Natalie (guest-star Mary-Kate Olsen), a troubled young woman. Sam feels that it's her duty to help the wayward Natalie turn her life around, in spite of warnings from Andrea that Natalie's a bad seed who can't be turned. Meanwhile, even though Todd insists that they're just friends now, Howard offers advice on how to win back Samantha's affections, on "Samantha Who?," MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10 (9:32-10:02 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"BOSTON LEGAL" -- "Roe" - Jerry Espenson insists on defending himself in court when he's accused of aggravated assault after a run-in with a bully. Meanwhile, Alan Shore and Shirley Schmidt try to help an underage pregnant girl obtain a judicial by-pass for an abortion, on "Boston Legal," MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"ELI STONE" -- "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" - In the aftermath of their law firm's split, Eli and Jordan struggle to retain associates, on ABC's "Eli Stone," TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET). They must face the financial repercussions of Jordan's coup; the firm's largest clients opt to go with rival firm Posner/Klein. At Taylor's urging, Eli persuades Matt to help him on a case involving a Homeland Security arrest to show him how rewarding pro bono law can be and convince him to stay with the new firm that Jordan and Eli are building. Meanwhile, Eli's latest vision reveals the truth about Maggie's fianc, which ultimately leads to a defining decision about their relationship.

"THE 42nd ANNUAL CMA AWARDS" -- The reigning CMA Male and Female Vocalists of the Year, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will unite to host "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," which will be broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. This is the first time that either artist will have hosted, and the two hosts will also perform. The star-packed lineup announced so far for "Country Music's Biggest Night(tm)" include performances by nominees Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney with The Wailers, The Eagles, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban. More artists and presenters will be announced soon. The final list of nominees for "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards" in the 12 categories to be honored covers the broadest spectrum of the format from celebrated hit makers to crossover innovators, with several fresh faces added to the mix. "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the producer. Paul Miller is the director. David Wild is the writer. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

"UGLY BETTY" -- "Tornado Girl" - Betty needs Daniel's help to prevent an issue of Mode from shipping that could result in a PR nightmare for the magazine. The problem is, he's unreachable at a company retreat. Meanwhile, Hilda starts a clandestine beauty salon when the city turns down her permit for a legal business, and Connor's fiance (guest-star Sarah LeFleur) meets the Modies, on ABC's "Ugly Betty," THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Ralph Macchio guest stars as Archie Rodriguez.

"GREY'S ANATOMY" "These Ties That Bind" - One of Meredith's oldest friends, Sadie (Melissa George), becomes an intern at Seattle Grace, but Mer's friends are less than welcoming to her; Lexie leads her fellow interns in secretive, unorthodox surgical training sessions; and a new surgeon, Virginia Dixon (Academy Award(r)-nominated actress Mary McDonnell), brings rules and order to the OR, on "Grey's Anatomy," THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"LIFE ON MARS" -- "Tuesday's Dead" - Sam Tyler finds it difficult to separate a life-and-death hostage situation taking place at County Hospital from his own strange circumstances. Stressed about a phone call where he seems to hear his mother's voice -- in 2008 -- begging him to wake up, he is ordered with the rest of the squad to diffuse a potentially explosive face-off in which a crazed gunman is trying to force a doctor (Tony Award-winner Bill Irwin) to reverse a dangerous operation on the renegade's brother. Sam, Ray, Annie and Lt. Hunt are all targeted in the madman's cross hairs, but as Sam and the 1-2-5 attempt to resolve the confrontation, he suddenly realizes that the clock ticking on the gunman's demands parallels another deadline that could spell the end of Sam Tyler, on "Life on Mars," THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"SUPER-MANNY" -- Mike Ruggles is the world's first Super-Manny. A warm Chicagoan with over 16 years' experience as a teacher and developmental therapist for children, and an M.A. in psychology from California State University, Northridge, Mike has always loved helping kids, even when he was a youngster himself. Mike shares a number of approaches with "Supernanny"-an emphasis on structure, boundaries, consequences, consistency, time-outs and positive reinforcement-but he's got his own inimitable style. Rather than have an observation period, he kicks the parents out of the house and gives the kids a voice by using role-playing techniques to determine some of the root problems, as the parents watch from a monitor. In the case of the Marko family of Temecula, California, parents Doug and Tracy have their hands full with three young daughters, Gwen, 7, Alexa, 4 and Jacinda, 8 months. Gwen seems to be the instigator of trouble-she treats her parents disrespectfully, yelling "Leave me alone, woman!" to her mother, and homework time can run over two hours with her antics. With Alexa now learning from Gwen, an overwhelmed Doug and Tracy are at their wits' end. The house is, sadly, filled with anger and chaos, but Super-Manny is here to give the Markos a call to action. "Super-Manny" airs FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION" -- "Frisch Family" - In Toledo, OH, Ty and the designers come to save the Frisch family from their cramped and deteriorating home that cannot comfortably house their family of 13. After visiting poverty stricken Haiti on a mission trip, Jackie Frisch, an ordained minister wife, wanted to adopt five boys from an orphanage. She spoke to her husband, Aaron, a firefighter, about her wish and, without having met them, he agreed to the adoption. Over the years, the Frisch family continued to adopt three more children, this time from Toledo's inner city. With three biological children and eight adopted children, this big-hearted family of 13 is now living in a cramped one-story ranch home without air conditioning and with windows and doors in need of many repairs. During this time, Jackie's health had been deteriorating, having had five surgeries and been diagnosed with a soft tissue disease called Ehrlers-Danlos Syndrome. Jackie had a series of strokes that left half of her body paralyzed. Doctors said her condition could lead to a possible fatal relapse. She has undergone catheter heart surgery because of her soft tissue disease, but is on the road to recovery. As a firefighter and paramedic for Toledo's Fire and Rescue Department, Aaron has saved many lives, including his rescue partner's during the Toledo riots in October 2005. He now needs help to keep his family's future looking brighter. The "Frisch Family" airs SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" - "City on Fire" - It will be a night to remember on ABC's "Desperate Housewives," SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET). Susan's daughter comes to visit with her surprising new boyfriend; Gaby uncovers the unsettling truth about Mrs. Hildebrand's past; Katherine has a confession to make to Susan; a reporter looks to expose Bree's imperfections; and Lynette learns Porter and Anne Schilling plan to leave Fairview and disappear. Meanwhile, everyone has gathered at a club to see the guys play in the annual "Battle of the Bands" when a fire erupts, threatening the lives of those in attendance. Some will fall as a hero will rise. Guest stars include Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. McCluskey, Gale Harold as Jackson, Stephen Spinella as Dr. Heller, Rachael Harris as Sandra Birch, Gail O'Grady as Anne Schilling, Frances Conroy as Virginia Hildebrand, Lily Tomlin as Roberta, Andrea Bowen as Julie, Steven Weber as Lloyd and Indie rock band Tokyo Police Club as Cold Splash.

"BROTHERS & SISTERS" -- "Going Once ... Going Twice" - Kevin overcompensates for his recent pay cut by snatching Nora's dream house out from under her as a gift to Scotty. Meanwhile, Justin cooks up a plan to set Saul up with an unlikely date candidate (guest-starring Dave Foley as Paul), on "Brothers & Sisters," SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"SAMANTHA WHO?" - "The Ex" - After finally telling current boyfriend Owen (guest-star James Tupper, "Men in Trees") that she lives with ex-boyfriend Todd, Sam discovers that Owen's best friend is also his ex-girlfriend, Willow. But when a romantic spark ignites between Todd and Willow, Sam finds herself becoming jealous and must decide which man is most important in her life. Meanwhile, Dena tries her best to shoot a flattering picture of an non-photogenic Andrea in order to secure her a date with a hunky pro-basketball player, on "Samantha Who?," MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17 (9:32-10:02 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"BOSTON LEGAL" -- "Kill, Baby, Kill!" - Denny Crane and Carl Sack head to Virginia to defend a corrections officer on murder charges for shooting a death row inmate out of mercy when the execution, via lethal injection, went awry. Meanwhile, Alan Shore tries to heat things up with Shirley Schmidt while they work together to help Martha Headly (guest-star Cheri Oteri), who claims she was fired for voting for John McCain for President, on "Boston Legal," MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"ELI STONE" -- "The Humanitarian" -- The struggle to maintain clients and keep their new firm afloat continues for Eli and Jordan on ABC's "Eli Stone," TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET). Eli convinces Jim Cooper, a billionaire philanthropist, to let them lead the charge to start a clinical trial testing the efficacy of medicinal marijuana as a cure for MS in children, namely Cooper's son. But Eli learns Cooper's son doesn't want to be a part of the trial, placing Eli in a moral dilemma. Meanwhile, Keith represents Patti's daughter after she's arrested for DUI, and Matt and Maggie work to expose a mole within Jordan and Eli's new firm who is helping Posner/Klein lure clients away.

"PUSHING DAISIES" -- "Oh Oh Oh . . . It's Magic" - Ned reluctantly agrees to help "The Great Herrmann" (guest-star Fred Willard), a famed magician whose animal assistants are being mysteriously killed off. The magician has been a surrogate dad to Ned's half-brothers Maurice and Ralston (Alex Miller, Graham Miller), ever since their father walked out on them. Meanwhile, Dwight Dixon (guest star-Stephen Root) insinuates himself into the Aunts' lives, but Lily is instantly suspicious of his motives, on "Pushing Daisies" WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"DIRTY SEXY MONEY" -- "The Injured Party" - Letitia hits a young, pretty bicyclist with her car. To avoid another public scandal, Tripp invites Wrenn (guest-star Sarah Carter) to recuperate at the Darling mansion, where she charms a few but makes others suspicious. The claws come out during a catty showdown between Lisa and Karen over Nick. Meanwhile fired prosecutor Nola Lyons delights Patrick with her aggressive ways as his new Chief of Staff, but Tripp and the spurned Jeremy are less than pleased by her presence; and, much to Brian's surprise, Andrea refuses to fight her cancer by entering a medical trial, on "Dirty Sexy Money," WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"UGLY BETTY" - "When Betty Met YETI" - Competition gets fierce when Betty and Marc both apply to YETI, the Young Editors Training Program that could be their ticket out of assistant-land... but there's only room for one of them. Meanwhile Justin makes an unlikely friend, Daniel finds himself attracted to Molly (guest star Sarah LaFleur) and Wilhelmina does her best to get Connor's (Grant Bowler) attention, on ABC's "Ugly Betty," THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Fashion icons Mark Badgley and James Mischka guest-star as themselves.

"AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS" - Jimmy Kimmel will return to host the "2008 American Music Awards" - marking Kimmel's fifth time as the event host. The live broadcast will take place at the NOKIA Theatre on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. Performers on the special will include Kanye West, Alicia Keys, The Fray, P!nk, Jonas Brothers, Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Taylor Swift, Pussycat Dolls and New Kids on the Block, among others still to be announced. Also on the live special, Annie Lennox will receive the AMA's special "Award of Merit" and perform, plus Miley Cyrus will celebrate her 16th Birthday - the real date -- on the show. For the second time in American Music Awards history, winners will be determined by online voting at amavote.com (votes will be collected from October 14 to November 7). Leading into the live AMAs, the one-hour pre-show "2008 American Music Awards Red Carpet Live!" (7:00-8:00 p.m., ET) will feature reports on red carpet arrivals, early looks at the night's top fashions and jewelry, sit-down interviews, sneak peeks at last minute preparations and rehearsals, plus an exclusive live performance.

"DANCING WITH THE STARS" (PERFORMANCE SHOW) SEASON FINALE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24 (8:00-9:32 p.m., ET) - TBA.

"A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING" -- ABC Television Network will celebrate the start of the holiday season with the classic half-hour animated Thanksgiving-themed PEANUTS special, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, airing with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network (Rebroadcast. ABC OAD: 11/16/01)

"DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW" SEASON FINALE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) - The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived. On the season finale of "Dancing with the Stars," one team will raise the coveted mirror ball trophy and be crowned champion of "Dancing with the Stars." Who among the three finalists will it be?

"PUSHING DAISIES" -- "Robbing Hood"- Ned, Chuck and Emerson investigate the case of a dead millionaire (Shelley Berman) who may have been murdered by a latter-day Robin Hood (Danny Comden)...or his much-younger money grubbing widow (Jennifer Elise Cox). Meanwhile, Lily fumes as the suspicious Dwight Dixon (Stephen Root) begins romancing clueless Vivian, on "Pushing Daisies," WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"DIRTY SEXY MONEY" -- "The Facts" - The Darlings are away celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. Back at their New York mansion, Clark the chauffeur must appease a relentless and sexy reporter by setting straight Darling rumors regarding family betrayal, possible criminal cover-ups and murder accusations. His version of the way things happened include Patrick's subpoena to Tripp over his association with the lowlife Fantini brothers, Karen's anger over the intrusion of Simon's beautiful ex-wife, Ama (guest-star Gina Torres), and Juliet's (Samaire Armstrong) adventures with her lover, Kai. Meanwhile, under house arrest, Letitia holds the Ferragamo fashion show at the Darling mansion and one of the socialite attendees (guest-star Donna Mills) has some angry words for the family matriarch, on "Dirty Sexy Money," WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.

[Scoobiedoo30]

ABC is the place to be this November.

[Zedman2]

ABC schedulers have once again shown they do not learn from their mistakes. I understand it is the final night of sweeps however, to waste new episodes on Thanksgiving Eve is just plain stupid. The series will hit season and series lows that night. This is the same mistake they have made the past two years. If they are trying to bury their shows then they are proceeding in the right path. Why not air Polar Express that evening or any number of holiday programming.

[tvcrazed]

If you notice they have not announced a PP description for that night. I think they will not run it and conserve that episode.

Here's an idea. The last Grey's of the Nov Sweep will be its 9th episode. They usually show one more (the tenth) in Dec. I think they should save that episode and not run any until Jan 29th. Assuming they can produce 25 hours this year (that's what they did 2 seasons ago, last year was a strike shortened season) they can run 16 conescutive eps from Jan 29th until its season finale in May - with NO reruns. The following week Lost will kick off its 16 week run (17 hours assuming a 2hr finale). I think we are all assuming it will air on Wed. This way they can advertise all through the holidays and Jan that 2 of their biggest hits, LOST and GA, will be rerun free for the next 4 months. Assuming PP moves after Grey's, they can run 7 or 8 eps this fall and have 16 new eps to follow Grey's on Thurs. I think we are all assuming it will move after Grey's in the Winter. Grey's and PP rerun free from Jan 29th until May. Maybe LOM can follow LOST on Wed. More male skewing shows together. I think its worth holding off a few eps in January in order to promote 16 consecutive weeks of no reruns. Plus William Peterson's last ep is their first one back in January. I don't think ABC should schedule a new ep against that, so it would make more sense to wait til the end of January.

[Pavan]

I talked to McPherson about Thanksgiving Eve. I suggested to him that ABC should air Shrek/Grinch at 8 and a new PD at 9 (why not? it makes the most sense out of holiday specials) and a Primetime special or something at 10. He said it is not fluid still and can change. As of now, original episodes of all three shows are slated for the night, which I hope doesn't happen.

[Zedman2]

I understand Private Practice will be preempted on Nov 12 due to the CMA Awards, however, is there any reason why, outside of Nov 5th, the show is not listed in their sweeps announcement?

[Pavan]

I'm not sure, but I do see it listed in the listings for Nov. 5, 19, and 26 in sweeps. Possibly the episode details for Nov. 19 and 26 are not in yet.

[Scoobiedoo30]

I will have to tell my mom about Private Practice Being Pre-empted.

[tvcrazed]

After watching ABC all weekend, every show has been promoted (some incredibly well like DSM) except one: Pushing Daisies. It's sad to me that they can't even run one promo. Boston Legal gets the same numbers lead in or not, promo or not. PD gets a 1.9 with no promotion or lead in. BL got just 2 tenths higher with both. I don't know why they can't promote it.

[Pavan]

tvcrazed, rest assured Pushing Daisies will be promoted tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday. Tomorrow during Samantha Who and Kimmel. Tuesday during Charlie Brown, Dancing, Kimmel. And Wednesday during ABC Daytime.

Last week was the only time ever they didn't promote it.

[tvcrazed]

thanks for the update Pavan, but the week before it got promos starting tues night with Kimmel - less than 24 hours worth and no primetime ones. This is its 5th epsiode and outside of the first week (and the Summer leading up to it, it has been virtually ignored). I guess since its a self starter, to me, it needs more promos than BL or ELI and they will get ample promos in the heavily watched shows that night.

[MusicJunkie]

Eli Stone never aired after Grey's Anatomy new or repeat last year. It aired after new episodes of Lost for the first half then repeats of Lost...and built on Lost repeats. And it was never "4-5" million. Eli track for last year in total viewers (millions):
After new episodes of Lost:
11.14
8.83
7.46
7.19
7.15
7.14
6.92
7.32
After repeat episodes of Lost:
6.53
5.15
5.88 after a special Thurs. Housewives repeat
8.81-Sunday special after a new Housewives
6.23

did you see where I said it's one of the ABC series I like (much like the Life On Mars post that was deleted for no reason because I found the ER/Eleventh Hour bashing pointless and disrespectful)? Why play the role of Mr. Defensive when two of the episode airings were precisely in the 5 million range, when you said it never was that low. You almost make me want to cut Desperate Housewives and Brothers And Sisters out of my weekly viewing habits because I don't like the ABC bias, and that would be a shame because B&S is probably the best drama on television at the moment.

[Pavan]

MusicJunkie, if you want to make valid points, use valid facts. You said 4-5 million range, where it was only under 6 million twice. Not much of the season, is it? And you also said it aired after Grey's. Which it did not. All I'm doing is correcting what you said. I don't understand how this is biased when all I did was state facts. I didn't put an opinion in it.

[tvcrazed]

Fringe was a re-run and every net but ABC benefits. Mentalist and BL both up. DWTS stays same rating as last week. Don't get it.

[Pavan]

It's not the same audience, tvcrazed. Mentalist and BL didn't go substantially up.

[tvcrazed]

Mentalist went 3.4 to a 3.9, that's pretty substanial. Biggest Loser is reality competition aimed at Women. Same audience and it gets far less press. For it to be 3 tenths of a point behind DWTS is worrisome.

Now I see ABC is scheduling ATJ to take over for the results show in Dec. I hope that's only for December because JIm gets 1's now. Maybe their thinking is out of Christmas Specials it will hold most of the audience. As long as it is not there in the Winter. The best thing that worked againbts 2 hour Idols was Primetime..

[Pavan]

More updates to come, but here a few:

Friday, November 14
8:00PM SUPERNANNY (SPECIAL TIME)
9:00PM SUPER-MANNY (PILOT)

Wednesday, November 26
10:01PM-11:00PM Barbara Walters Special
This special is a Barbara Walters interview with President-elect Barack Obama.

Thursday, November 27
8:00-9:02PM A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING/THIS IS AMERICA CHARLIE BROWN: THE MAYFLOWER VOYAGERS (ENCORE FROM TUESDAY)
9:02-11:00PM GREY'S ANATOMY (R)

Friday, November 28
8:00PM-10:00PM ABC FRIDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK: THE POLAR EXPRESS

Monday, December 1
8:00 PM SHREK THE HALLS
8:32 PM DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (animated)
9:02 PM SAMANTHA WHO?
9:31 PM SAMANTHA WHO?

Tuesday, December 2
8:00 PM SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN

Tuesdays effective December 2
9:00PM & 9:30PM ACCORDING TO JIM (includes new holiday episode)

Thursday, December 4
10:00PM BARBARA WALTERS SPECIAL: 10 MOST FASCINATING PEOPLE OF 2008

Friday, December 5
8:00PM-10:00PM ABC FRIDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK: HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

Sunday, December 7
7:00PM TY PENNINGTON: BEHIND THE SCENES (followed by new episodes of EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, AND BROTHERS & SISTERS)

Monday, December 8
8:00 PM A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
9:00PM-11:00PM BOSTON LEGAL (series finale)

Tuesday, December 9
8:00-9:00PM AFV CHRISTMAS (NEW)

Saturday, December 13
8-9PM America's Funniest Home Videos Christmas (repeat from Tues, Dec. 9)
9-11PM ABC Saturday Movie of the Week: Surviving Christmas

Sunday, December 14
8:00PM-10:00PM THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY: THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
10:00PM DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (R)

Monday, December 15
8:00 PM I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN
9-11PM DRAMA HIGH: THE MAKING OF A HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Tuesday, December 16
8:00-9:00PM A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (encore)

Saturday, December 20
8-9PM I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
9-11PM ABC Saturday Movie of the Week: Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (Live-Action Film)

Sunday, December 21
8:00PM-10:00PM EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (two hours)
10:00PM DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (R)

Monday, December 22
8:00PM SHREK THE HALLS (encore)
8:30-11:00PM ABC MONDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Tuesday, December 23
8:00PM-9:00PM DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (expanded edition)
9:00PM REDISCOVERED (special) - The casting director who discovered Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera auditioned thousands of kids...most didn't go on to become celebrities. Now 20 years later, five of these former child performers will step on stage for a one night only performance…they'll live their dream, perform for millions of people and the audience favorite will take home $50,000 plus a special surprise from hosts Donny and Marie Osmond.
10:00PM THE LIST- The List is an entertainment information show that takes what's happening in show business and pop culture and counts it all down.

Wednesday, December 24
8:00-11:00PM THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (R)

Saturday, December 27
8:00-11:00PM ABC SATURDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK: MIRACLE

Sunday, December 28
7:00-11:00PM ABC SUNDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK: THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Monday, December 29
8:00-11:00PM ABC MONDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

Tuesday, December 30
8:00PM-8:30PM HAPPY NEW YEAR, CHARLIE BROWN
8:30PM-9:30PM RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR

Wednesday, December 31
8:00-10:00PM ABC WEDNESDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK: SHREK 2
10:00PM-11:00PM Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest
11:35PM-2:05AM Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest

Saturday, January 3
8:00-11:00 PM ABC SATURDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK: SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993) TOM HANKS, MEG RYAN

Wednesday, January 7
8:00 PM SCRUBS (R, 1/6)
8:30 PM SCRUBS (R, 1/6)
9:00 PM A SPECIAL EDITION OF 20/20 - MISSING IN MILWAUKEE
10:00 PM BARBARA WALTERS SPECIAL - PATRICK SWAYZE: THE TRUTH
(NOTE: EARTH 2100 WILL BE RESCHEDULED TO A LATER DATE)

Saturday, January 10
8:00 PM THE BACHELOR (R, 1/5)
10:00 PM TRUE BEAUTY (R, 1/5)

Wednesday, January 14
8:00PM-11:00PM LOST (R, season finale from May 2008)

Sunday, January 25
10:00PM DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (R)

TBD
EARTH 2100
A look at what the world will look like in 2100 where cities are abandoned and our population has dropped by 80 percent if we do not head the warning signs. Experts say over the next hundred years the "perfect storm" of population growth, resource depletion and climate change will converge in an unstable world with catastrophic results. In this scenario the combination of war, famine and disease has the potential to create a post apocalyptic world in less than a hundred years. The scientists will tell us what actions we must take to survive and describe the world we can create to make earth in 2100 one we would be proud to imagine.



Winter Midseason

Monday, January 5
8:00-10:00PM The Bachelor (season premiere)
10:00PM True Beauty (season premiere)

Tuesdays, effective January 6
8:00PM Border Security USA
9:00PM Scrubs
9:30PM Scrubs

Thursdays, effective January 8
10:00PM Private Practice

Mondays, effective January 12
8:00PM-9:30PM The Bachelor (thru and including 3/2)
9:30PM Samantha Who?
10:00PM True Beauty (thru and including 2/23)

Wednesday, January 21
8:00-9:00pm Lost Clip Show
9:00-11:00PM Lost (two-hour season premiere)

Wednesdays, effective January 28
9:00PM Lost
10:00PM Life on Mars

[Scoobiedoo30]

I am glad According to Jim is Returning December 2, 2008.

[Pavan]

One more change:

Friday, November 14
8:00-9:00PM SUPERNANNY: Howat Family (UK episode)

This will lead-in to the Super-MANny pilot at 9pm.

[Pavan]

I got word that Scrubs is coming December 2, Tuesdays 9-10pm ET/PT instead...will try to confirm soon. Jim would be 8-9pm starting Dec. 9. Not confirmed though...

[Scoobiedoo30]

so Scrubs will be on from 8:00 pm until 9:00 pm Central Time.

[View]

I thought ABC would have learned last year not to put original programming on Thanksgiving Eve and day. Do they not learn? The ratings will be even worse than last year if they put new programming those days.

[Pavan]

There is no new programming on Thanksgiving Day (just a cheap special), as that is not part of sweeps. Thanksgiving Eve, AS OF NOW, has the regular line-up, as that is the last day of sweeps. CBS also has their regular line-up, Fox has a new Bones, and NBC has an all-new lineup as well (Knight Rider, Rosie Live, Deal or No Deal).

[DSfan]

Sorry if this sounds dumb of me, but what does a sweep mean?

[Pavan]

Sweep month occurs during the TV season in November, February, and May. That's when the networks put all-new programming to gain ratings. Good months for advertising.

[Zedman2]

There is no new programming on Thanksgiving Day (just a cheap special), as that is not part of sweeps. Thanksgiving Eve, AS OF NOW, has the regular line-up, as that is the last day of sweeps. CBS also has their regular line-up, Fox has a new Bones, and NBC has an all-new lineup as well (Knight Rider, Rosie Live, Deal or No Deal).

Regardless of this being the final night of sweeps, ABC programming new episodes of regular series on this night will be a huge mistake as all three shows will hit record series and season lows. The only shows that will do relatively well that evening will be CBS procedurals and NBC's Deal or No Deal due to their appeal to the older demo. ABC should re-schedule "Polar Express" from the Friday evening and air it on this night.

[Scoobiedoo30]

I was wondering is Sweeps Month's For daytime Programming as well

[JulieSomoski]

Regardless of this being the final night of sweeps, ABC programming new episodes of regular series on this night will be a huge mistake as all three shows will hit record series and season lows. The only shows that will do relatively well that evening will be CBS procedurals and NBC's Deal or No Deal due to their appeal to the older demo. ABC should re-schedule "Polar Express" from the Friday evening and air it on this night.

Yeah, but just because its the day before Thanksgiving doesn't mean they should waste the final night of sweeps. Airing regular programming on Thanksgiving would be a dumb idea, but the day shouldn't matter that much.

[View]

It mattered last year, ABC did the same thing and ratings were low. Now the Wednesday line up is doing even worse than last year, the ratings will be worse. Wednesday is a traveling day, ABC is just throwing away regular programming already doing badly by airing that day.

At least they learned from their airing new Ugly Betty & Grey's Anatomy on Thanksgiving day idea from last year.

I was wondering is Sweeps Month's For daytime Programming as well

Yes, daytime soaps pull out the weddings/babies/natural disasters/shootings all for November. Talk shows pull out bigger guests and specials like location shoots.

[Stuck In The '70's]

Regardless of this being the final night of sweeps, ABC programming new episodes of regular series on this night will be a huge mistake as all three shows will hit record series and season lows. The only shows that will do relatively well that evening will be CBS procedurals and NBC's Deal or No Deal due to their appeal to the older demo. ABC should re-schedule "Polar Express" from the Friday evening and air it on this night.
That is so true. Just like last year when I missed UB, I don't watch regular television on Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Eve.

[Zedman2]

It mattered last year, ABC did the same thing and ratings were low. Now the Wednesday line up is doing even worse than last year, the ratings will be worse. Wednesday is a traveling day, ABC is just throwing away regular programming already doing badly by airing that day.

At least they learned from their airing new Ugly Betty & Grey's Anatomy on Thanksgiving day idea from last year.



Yes, daytime soaps pull out the weddings/babies/natural disasters/shootings all for November. Talk shows pull out bigger guests and specials like location shoots.

Last year Thanksgiving Day was in the sweeps period and that why new episodes aired. This year it fall outside of the sweeps period, thus the repeats.

[Pavan]

I got word that Scrubs is coming December 2, Tuesdays 9-10pm ET/PT instead...will try to confirm soon. Jim would be 8-9pm starting Dec. 9. Not confirmed though...

Looks like Scrubs coming back Dec. 2 is not happening. According to Jim will remain 9-10pm starting Sept. 2. No news on Scrubs yet. See more changes:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=4053308&postcount=225

[Pavan]

Tonight during the Election results on ABC (7pm-2am), you'll see premiere promos for Lost Season 5 and promos for the new series Border Security USA. Both are coming in early 2009.
In the 7pm hour you'll se both. 8pm hour will have Lost only. 9-11pm portion will have Border Security USA only. 11:35pm half-hour will also have Border Security USA. The last hour, 1am, will have both.

Border Security USA is ordered for 11 episodes. Border Security USA is a realistic, "front-line" look at the men and women of The Department of Homeland Security who protect our land, sea, and air borders, and all our ports-of-entry from everything illegal and dangerous. The series chronicles what happens when our film crews shadow the Transportation Security Administration, United States Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol, Immigration Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services all over the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. It's not only the story of the people of DHS but the endless characters from around the world whom they meet every day.

[JulieSomoski]

Tonight during the Election results on ABC (7pm-2am), you'll see premiere promos for Lost Season 5 and promos for the new series Border Security USA. Both are coming in early 2009.
In the 7pm hour you'll se both. 8pm hour will have Lost only. 9-11pm portion will have Border Security USA only. 11:35pm half-hour will also have Border Security USA. The last hour, 1am, will have both.

Border Security USA is ordered for 11 episodes. Border Security USA is a realistic, "front-line" look at the men and women of The Department of Homeland Security who protect our land, sea, and air borders, and all our ports-of-entry from everything illegal and dangerous. The series chronicles what happens when our film crews shadow the Transportation Security Administration, United States Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol, Immigration Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services all over the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. It's not only the story of the people of DHS but the endless characters from around the world whom they meet every day.

I bet ABC is counting down the days until Lost returns.

Border Security sounds like a show that should be on the Discovery Channel or something. Doesn't sound like a show ABC would normally go for, but maybe a show they'd air in the summer. It'll be interesting to see how it does.

[Zedman2]

'Beauty' to follow 'Bachelor' on ABC

Reality shows set to premiere on January 5
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

ABC has firmed up its winter plans for Monday night, starting with the return of "The Bachelor."

Alphabet net will preem a two-hour edition of "The Bachelor" on Monday, January 5, followed by the launch of "True Beauty" - the formerly untitled reality competish from Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher.

The following week, "The Bachelor" will shrink down to its normal 90 minute frame, leaving room for "Samantha Who?" in its regular 9:30 p.m. slot. "True Beauty" continues at 10.

"The Bachelor" fills the void left by "Dancing with the Stars," which returns in the spring. "True Beauty," meanwhile, takes over for "Boston Legal," which finishes off its series run later this fall.

Next "Bachelor" reps the 13th edition of the romantic reality skein; Jason Mesnick, who was turned down by DeAnna Pappas in the season finale of the last "The Bachelorette," will star as the new "Bachelor."

Meanwhile, the Alphabet net has kept details of "True Beauty" under wraps. But the show, from Warner Horizon, Bankable Prods. and Katalyst, revolves around people who live in a house together and compete in a beauty pageant.

Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117995265.html

[Zedman2]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i083596716ab8fb8689b41435566302e1

ABC gives up 'Single' life
Network drops midseason comedy starring Alyssa Milano

By Nellie Andreeva

Nov 5, 2008, 04:37 PM ET
It's a no go for ABC's midseason series "Single With Parents."

ABC and ABC Studios on Wednesday pulled the plug on the comedy over creative differences with creator Kristin Newman and the rest of the show's producing team.

The ABC Studios/DreamWorks-produced "Single" -- in which Alyssa Milano juggles her dysfunctional family, friends and boss -- was one of five pilots ordered in August to series for midseason.

However, production on the project had been postponed several times over disagreements about the show's creative direction.

Ultimately, the disagreements could not be resolved, and ABC on Wednesday opted not to proceed with "Single" beyond the pilot.

ABC has three other half-hours on tap for midseason -- Internet transplant "In the Motherhood," Victor Fresco's "Better Off Ted" and Mike Judge's toon "The Goode Family." They could be joined by the fast-tracked Bill Lawrence/Courteney Cox pilot "Cougar Town."

Meanwhile, the network also is talking to 20th TV about ordering eight scripts for Judge's recently canceled Fox comedy "King of the Hill" for a possible fall bow.

[Zedman2]

This was posted at pifeedback.com http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&f=62910193&m=541105561&r=242106171#242106171

ABC midseason shows Castle and The Unusuals had their orders cut from Pilot + 12 to Pilot + 9 (so 10 episodes total each) for economic reasons.

Can anyone confirm?

[Zedman2]

Posted at pifeedback.com:

'Pushing Daisies officially canceled. Not sure if they'll finish airing the rest. It's off air next week for CMA Awards, along with the rest of ABC's regular Wednesday lineup. The might finish airing it, because the network doesn't have midseason stuff ready to go yet.'

[Pavan]

Forgot to post this yesterday...sorry, 7 minutes from now:

ABC News will carry the first post-election news conference of President-Elect Obama on Friday, November 7, 2008 live at approx. 2:30 PM ET.
Coverage is expected to last approx. an hour and Charles Gibson will anchor from NY.

[Pavan]

Please check http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=4053308&postcount=225 for more updates for December/holiday programming. More was added today, with more to come.

[Buffyboy323]

ABC midseason shows Castle and The Unusuals had their orders cut from Pilot + 12 to Pilot + 9 (so 10 episodes total each) for economic reasons.

Can anyone confirm?
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i584ca84fe0cfe94185401874565e44c3

Per the Hollywood Reporter, ABC has cut down the orders of two midseason shows.

Both "Castle" and "The Unusals" have both been "downgraded" from 13 episodes to 10 for their first year.

"Castle" is a about a horror novelist (Nathan Fillion) who helps the police solve crimes.

"The Unusuals" is an ensemble dramedy set in a NY police precinct, and stars Amber Tamblyn.

The network stresses that the cutbacks were not for creative, but for inventory reasons, as ABC has a lot to roll out come early next year.

Meanwhile, "Single With Parents", a new comedy starring Alyssa Milano as a single-mother struggling with her dysfucntional family and her boss, has been scrapped due to creative differences. ABC could not get on the same page with creator/exec producer Kristin Newman.

[Buffyboy323]

'Pushing Daisies officially canceled. Not sure if they'll finish airing the rest.
And Private Practice is still on the air!? :rolleyes: