ABC Upfront: Fall 2006

[Pavan]

Rough schedule leaked...and it looks to be very rough, ABC is keeping a lid on it:

Sundays
7:00PM America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00PM Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00PM Desperate Housewives
10:00PM Six Degrees (NEW)

Mondays
8:00PM Wife Swap
9:00PM Supernanny
10:00PM The Bachelor

Tuesdays
8:00PM In Case of Emergency (NEW)
8:30PM Help Me Help You (NEW)
9:00PM Boston Legal
10:00PM Brothers AND Sisters (NEW)

Wednesdays
8:00PM Ugly Betty (NEW)
9:00PM Lost
10:00PM The Nine (NEW)

Thursdays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars
9:30PM Let's Rob Mick Jagger (NEW)
10:00PM Grey's Anatomy

Fridays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars: The Results
9:00PM Men in Trees (NEW)
10:00PM 20/20

Saturdays
8:00PM College Football


Stay tuned tomorrow morning at approx. 9am for the OFFICIAL line-up.

[Brent88]

WOW. I thought if Grey's was on Thursday it would air at 9 to prop up another new drama.

Anyway, it is very rough. Mondays look only average, if that's the actual schedule it will not challenge NBC and CBS only at 8pm(perhaps).

Ugly Betty? Looks like a flop.

Thursday and Sunday looks great, Friday looks good, what is "College Football" on Saturday?

[Pavan]

ABC is being very secretive. They have some interesting plan for Lost next season, that they will announce tomorrow. Mondays looks to be the most rough, I think that will change tomorrow. Ugly Betty has tested very well, and seems to be an addictive soap.

ABC will air College Football in the fall and more sports, like NASCAR on Saturdays. I don't know what they will do with According to Jim, GLo and What About Brian. Like I said...ABC has some stratgey that is secretive.

[Pavan]

Commander in Chief....might not be dead just yet. It could be back in some form.

[Brent88]

Originally Posted by pavanbadal

Commander in Chief....might not be dead just yet. It could be back in some form.

Please let this be true.

[Brent88]

From Variety:

"McDreamy and Meredith are on the move.

In what will likely be the boldest move of upfrontupfront week, ABC is today expected to announce plans to move megahit "Grey's Anatomy" to Thursday nights in the fall.

Shift immediately shakes up the established order on a night coveted by networks because of the huge ad coincoin movie studios spend. Over the past 15 years, only NBC and CBS have been serious long-term players on Thursday, with the Eye now the dominant force.

If "Grey's" puts ABC in the game on Thursdays, net stands to reap tens if not hundreds of millions in added revenue over the long haul.

That ABC is moving "Grey's Anatomy" isn't itself a surprise, as there's been speculation about a shift for months. The stunner is the Alphabet's decision to go for the brass ring and move its hottest skeinskein to Thursday.

Most industry speculation had been focused on Monday nights, particularly after the net decided to air the show's second-season finale on the night.

Not immediately clear late Monday was whether "Grey's" will air at 9 or 10 p.m. on Thursday. ABC was keeping a tight lid on its schedule and refused to confirm or deny any moves.

However, there was word late Monday that "Commander in Chief" -- presumed to be dead -- may yet have a pulse. ABC is talking to some of the show's creative team and studio Touchstone TelevisionTouchstone Television about a way to keep it alive in some form.

As for "Grey's Anatomy," slotting the show at 10 p.m. would be the safest choice. NBC's "ER""ER" is fading, while there's been buzz that "Without a Trace""Without A Trace" could switch nights, perhaps to 9 p.m. Sundays. There's also no chance of Fox throwing a spoiler like "American Idol" or "House" into the mix, and sheer ratings would likely be higher at 10.

Under such a scenario, ABC could air a 90-minute version of variety hit "Dancing With the Stars" from 8-9:30 p.m., a new comedy at 9:30 and "Grey's" at 10.

Airing "Grey's Anatomy" at 9 p.m., meanwhile, would follow the CBS model for Thursday night.

Net changed the night forever in 2001 when it moved budding frosh hit "CSI" to 9 and aired the second season of reality smash "Survivor" at 8. It then slowly grew "Without a Trace" into a hit at 10.

ABC could keep "Dancing With the Stars" at 8 p.m. and slot a hot newcomer at 10. However, that move would mean pitting "Grey's Anatomy" against CBS' still-strong "CSI," perhaps reducing ratings for both.

Most radical scenario imaginable would have ABC shifting "Desperate Housewives" to Thursdays as well, essentially moving the bulk of its Sunday powerhouse lineup to a more lucrative night.

Net also could shift "Lost" to Thursdays, though such a move would mean giving the show its third timeslot in as many seasons.

Wherever "Lost" ends up, insiders indicate the network plans to answer fans' prayers by radically revamping the show's air pattern. Skein is expected to air in two big chunks of originals -- one in the fall and one in the spring. ABC then could launch a new show in the "Lost" timeslot come January.

ABC also plans to take a different approach to Saturday nights, at least in the fall. Net's struck a deal to air college football games on Saturdays.

As for the rest of the Alphabet skedsked, net has plenty to play with.

ABC has already ordered a whopping seven dramas and five comedies. New dramas include the family sudsersudser "Brothers & Sisters," the cop-on-the-run thriller "Day Break," the Alaska-set romantic comedy "Men in Trees," bank robbery entry "The Nine," the ensemble soap "Six Degrees," the terrorism whodunitwhodunit "Traveler""Traveler" and the telenovela adaptation "Ugly Betty."

"Betty""Betty" and "The Nine" seem good bets for fall, with "Betty" a possible 8 or 9 p.m. player. "The Nine" performed particularly well with test auds and could be a contender for a slot behind "Grey's Anatomy" if the latter skein settles in at 9 p.m.

On the comedy side, the Alphabet has in its arsenal the wedding-day snapshot "Big Day," therapy laffer "Help Me Help You," the thirtysomething friends entry "In Case of Emergency," the offbeat Mick Jagger caper from Burnett/Beckerman and the babycentric "Notes From the Underbelly."

"What About Brian" also will be back next season, as will "Dancing With the Stars" and reality shows "The Bachelor," "Supernanny" and "Wife Swap." "The Bachelor," which had a successful winter relaunch this year, will be back on the net's fall sked, perhaps on Mondays.

Also returning for the fall: newsmags "20/20" and "Primetime."

For the first time in more than 30 years, Alphabet will have to start a fall season with scripted skeins on Mondays, since "Monday Night Football" will move to ESPN. It seems likely net will keep a femme focus on the night. "Supernanny" and "Wife Swap" were sleepersleeper successes on Mondays in the spring, so ABC may play a pat hand and bring one or both back on the night.

While "Dancing" may keep its Thursday/Friday air pattern, there's been buzz that ABC could try a Wednesday/Thursday sked for the skein.

As for the "Grey's Anatomy" shift, nets rarely go for the gusto and make major game-changing moves like the "Grey's" Thursday shuffle -- but in many cases, the press frenzy that follows the shift helps ensure its success.

Take Fox's gutsy 1990 decision to shift "The Simpsons""The Simpsons" head on against NBC's "The Cosby Show." "Cosby" had been fading, and the upstart network detected an opening for younger auds. But Fox was still considered a wannabe net at that point -- and media outlets couldn't resist the David vs. Goliath battle that ensued.

Shift worked and was the first major scheduling move that turned Fox into one of the big boys.

More recently, CBS finally got into the Thursday game, after a decade as an also-ran on the night, by sensing a similar vulnerability on NBC in January 2001. Eye finally had the goods -- "Survivor" and "CSI" -- and in one swift move managed to alter the balance of power on the night.

"Survivor" and "CSI" didn't immediately win the night for CBS, but it helped crumble NBC's lock on Thursday. Eventually, the Eye pulled off a feat once thought impossible: winning Thursday night in the youthful 18-49 demo.

ABC has taken several stabs through the years at finally making some noise on Thursday. Net briefly broke through on the night at the start of this decade thanks to the "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" phenom. But that streak was short-lived.

Alphabet really hasn't had a consistent Thursday night since the late 1970s, when shows like "Mork & Mindy" gave the net a strong showing. But in a case of making a game-changing move that didn't work out, Alphabet shifted that Robin WilliamsRobin Williams show to Sunday, where it tanked. ABC quickly moved it back, but the damage was done. It's those kinds of risks in moving established hits that make network execs lose sleep."

[Raisingdad2004]

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/pr.aspx?id=20060516abc01 Its out.

[Brian Damage]

I've seen "Ugly Betty" before, I watched it on Univision or Telemundo when it was called "Betty La Fea." I was addicted to it. This is obviously a remake of that spanish speaking series. I heard rumors that Salma Hayek was attached to it. I don't know how true that is, but I loved the original.

[Pavan]

Scheduled to debut next season are six new comedy series -- "Betty the Ugly," "Big Day," "Help Me Help You," "In Case of Emergency," "Let's Rob..." and "Notes From the Underbelly," along with six new drama series -- "Brothers & Sisters," "Day Break," "Men in Trees," "The Nine," "Six Degrees" and "Traveler." Alternative series debuts will include "Set for the Rest of Your Life," "Just for Laughs" and "Greg Behrendt's Wake-Up Call."

In addition to the new series, ABC has ordered season renewals for "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," "Boston Legal," "Dancing with the Stars," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "George Lopez," "Supernanny," "What About Brian," "According to Jim," "America's Funniest Home Videos," "American Inventor," "The Bachelor" and "Wife Swap."

Also joining the fall schedule is "ABC Saturday Night College Football." Beginning SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2006 (8:00 p.m., ET), ABC Sports will televise 12 games, concluding with the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship game on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 (8:00 p.m., ET).

MONDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Wife Swap"
9:00 p.m. "The Bachelor"/"Supernanny"
10:00 p.m. "What About Brian"

TUESDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars" (new night)/"Set for the Rest of Your Life" (new alternative series)
9:00 p.m. "Let's Rob..." (new comedy series)
9:30 p.m. "Help Me Help You" (new comedy series)
10:00 p.m. "Boston Legal"

WEDNESDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars" (new night)/"George Lopez"/
"According to Jim" (new night)
9:00 p.m. "Lost"
10:00 p.m. "The Nine" (new drama series)

THURSDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Big Day" (new comedy series)
8:30 p.m. "Notes from the Underbelly" (new comedy series)
9:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy" (new night and time)
10:00 p.m. "Six Degrees" (new drama series)

FRIDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Betty the Ugly" (new comedy series)
9:00 p.m. "Men in Trees" (new drama series)
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

SATURDAY:
8:00 p.m. "ABC 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 drama series)

Shows picked up but not listed on the schedule will debut later in the 2006-07 season.

[Pavan]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

I've seen "Ugly Betty" before, I watched it on Univision or Telemundo when it was called "Betty La Fea." I was addicted to it. This is obviously a remake of that spanish speaking series. I heard rumors that Salma Hayek was attached to it. I don't know how true that is, but I loved the original.

Yes, she's the executive producer.

[Pavan]

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/20...t-2006-07.html out blog post. Will be updated throughout the day...I have access to the upfront presentation today starting at 4 p.m., so I will let you all know what is said.

[TVJunkie101]

What are your thoughts on the schedule Pav?

Me? I like it, for the most part. A lot of new shows which is always risky. Grey's at 9PM is brilliant. I'll be watching Ugly Betty (I refuse to call it Betty the Ugly, should of kept the first name) on Fridays and of course will be watching Dancing with the Stars (I'm so happy it's not on Thursdays, but I think it should of been, it would of been a killer lead in to Grey's, sitcoms won't do it).

I see the sitcoms on Thursday bombing. I think the rest will be good to g.

And any news about Commander in Chief, Pav?

[Brent88]

This schedule sucks in some areas and in some it's really good.

Mondays-God, where to begin? Brian is not going to survive there. This is NBC's night now.

Tuesdays-Great... but once Dancing is over, the night collapses.

Wednesday-Good... but after Dancing, once again, 8pm is very weak.

Thursday-A HUGE risk. 9pm is going to be a warzone(and Grey's is going to be down in that timeslot). 8pm hour looks weak.

Friday-Not good.

Saturday-Interesting.

Sunday-Good, but I really think Football is going to hurt this night.

[PhilaEaglesHater]

Damm Less than Perfect didn;t make the schedule

[robyrob]

so other than GL, there are basically NO returning sitcoms?

looks like i will only be watching 2 hours of ABC a week then.

...and shouldn't it be 8:55pm for LOST, or are they going to give us a break?