ABC unveiled its Fall schedule today and it features an ambitious lineup of new series to premiere all season long. The schedule features eight new shows, including a Wednesday night that contains nothing but new programs. This is identical to the strategy ABC used two years ago when it premiered three new hour-long shows on Wednesdays.
The new Wednesday, however, features four new half-hour comedies which I will tentatively title the Back to You reject lineup, as three of the sitcoms star former cast members of that failed FOX sitcom, including Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton and Ty Burrell. The other big change to the schedule is that Ugly Betty has been bumped to Fridays, wedged between Supernanny and 20/20.
More Fall Lineups:
FOX
ABC
NBC
CBS
The CW
Here’s a quick rundown on the new shows:
Shark Tank: A reality show in which ordinary Americans get the chance to present their money-making ideas to a group of wealthy investors with hopes of winning money to help grow their ideas. It sounds a bit like American Inventor crossed with The Apprentice.
The Forgotten: A group of normal citizens investigate unsolved crimes the police have given up on. It stars 24‘s Reiko Aylesworth.
Hank: Frasier’s Kelsey Grammer plays a former CEO who finds himself out of work and forced to spend time with the family he’s left at home this whole time.
The Middle: Starring Patricia Heaton, I’ll let ABC’s official description explain:: “The Hecks are a middle class family living in the middle of Indiana, just trying to keep their heads above water.”
Modern Family: Much like The Office, this show is filmed from the POV of a documentary filmmaker observing three modern American families. It stars Married…with Children’s Ed O’Neill.
Cougar Town: Courtney Cox plays a divorced older single mom who tackles a dating world obsessed with youth.
Eastwick: A TV version of the John Updike novel The Witches of Eastwick about three women who have special powers. It stars Rebecca Romijn.
Flash Forward: You’ve probably already seen the promos for this show in which the entire world blacks out and sees a glimpse of the near future at the same time.
Here is ABC’s Fall schedule:
MONDAY:
8pm – Dancing with the Stars (two-hour performance)
10pm – Castle
NOTE: The Bachelor will will the 8pm time slot after DWTS finishes its run.
TUESDAY:
8pm – Shark Tank (NEW)
9pm – Dancing with the Stars (results show)
10pm – The Forgotten (NEW)
NOTE: Better Off Ted and Scrubs will air at the 9pm hour following the end of DWTS.
WEDNESDAY:
8pm – Hank (NEW)
8:30pm – The Middle (NEW)
9pm – Modern Family (NEW)
9:30pm – Cougar Town (NEW)
10pm – Eastwick (NEW)
THURSDAY:
8pm – Flash Forward (NEW)
9pm – Grey’s Anatomy
10pm – Private Practice
FRIDAY:
8pm – Supernanny
9pm – Ugly Betty
10pm – 20/20
SUNDAY:
7pm – America’s Funniest Home Videos
8pm – Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9pm – Desperate Housewives
10pm – Brothers and Sisters
In addition, ABC has quite a few shows on reserve for mid-season. For returning shows, those include Wife Swap, a second season of the reality show True Beauty, and the final season of Lost. There are also three more new scripted shows:
The Deep End: A show about four young lawyers picked to join a high-end L.A. Firm. It stars Tina Majorinio (Mac from Veronica Mars) and total bad-ass Clancy Brown.
Happy Town: A peaceful town in Minnesota is turned upside down when bad things start happening, revealing that everyone has a secret. It sounds a bit like Twin Peaks and stars Gilmore Girls‘ Lauren Graham.
V: A reimagining of the classic miniseries about Earth’s first encounter with alien life. The show stars Lost‘s Elizabeth Mitchell.
-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
