ABC announced their Fall 2007 TV Schedule, which includes seven dramas, four comedies and one new unscripted show that has Oprah giving big. Five of the dramas and three comedies give ABC a total of eight news shows for the fall with four waiting in the wings. They have their Thursday and Sunday night lineups mostly untouched. Yesterday, NBC announced their Fall 2007 TV Schedule, CBS does so tomorrow and The CW and FOX on Thursday.
Update 8-21-2007: Check out the Ultimate Guide to the Fall 2007 TV Schedule.
The interesting thing about ABC’s schedule is Wednesday night. They will be launching three new dramas on the night. This includes the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off in the second hour of primetime. ABC is hoping the Grey’s Anatomy halo effect will help launch this show and the other two new shows they have surrounded it with, Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money. NBC is launching two new shows on Wednesday night as well.
ABC is trying to become the escapist TV network. They seem to be staying away from high concept shows like Lost and other serials like last season’s The Nine and Six Degrees, which failed to connect to a large audience.
So, what does the new NBC Fall 2007 Schedule look like?
Sunday
America’s Funniest Home Videos
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Desperate Housewives
Brothers & Sisters – One of the best new shows of last season.
Monday
Dancing With the Stars – Will start the season with two hour shows then move to 90 minute offerings with Sam I Am following it. Wife Swap will take the first hour primetime slot after Stars finishes its fall run.
Sam I Am – Christina Applegate (Jesse, Married with Children) stars as an amnesiac trying to begin again. Barry Watson (What About Brian) also stars, so I guess that tells you what happened to Brian. Notes from the Underbelly has gotten a 13 episode order and will be paired up with Sam I Am after Dancing With the Stars ends its fall run.
The Bachelor – October Road is slated to fill this timeslot after The Bachelor picks another woman he won’t marry.
Tuesday
Cavemen – Based on the Gieco Cavemen advertisements. Is supposed to examine racial relationships and minorities. This is one that will definitely either be really good or really bad. Which side do you think it will fall on?
Carpoolers – Four guys from different backgrounds all share a ride to work in the carpool lane where they are free to be themselves and commiserate about their lives and jobs.
Dancing With the Stars: Results – Cashmere Mafia is set to take over this timeslot once a new Dancing With the Stars champion is crowned.
Boston Legal – ABC may premiere Cashmere Mafia in this timeslot to kick off the fall.
Wednesday
Pushing Daisies – The one high concept show to make the schedule on ABC. The story of a guy that can bring people back from the dead. It is a cop show with a little romance and fantasy thrown in.
Private Practice – The Grey’s Anatomy spin-off with Kate Walsh’s Dr. Addison Montgomery heading for California to attempt to restart her life. Also stars Merrin Dungey (The King of Queens, Alias), Tim Daly (The Nine, Wings), Taye Diggs (Day Break, Kevin Hill), Amy Brenneman (Judging Amy, NYPD Blue).
Dirty Sexy Money – An idealistic lawyer becomes the attorney for a big and powerful family, which has all kinds of problems one might need to have a attorney for. Stars Peter Krause (Six Feet Under) as said attorney. Also stars Donald Sutherland (Commander in Chief) and Victoria Pratt (Day Break, Mutant X).
Thursday
Ugly Betty
Grey’s Anatomy
Big Shots – The story of four high powered CEOs and their family and business lives. Sounds a lot like NBC’s Lipstick Jungle in description, except all these CEO’s are guys.
Friday
Men in Trees (New night and time) – May debut a bit later in the fall along with Women’s Murder Club that follows than the rest of the ABC lineup, so they can rerun episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice for the first few week’s of the season.
Women’s Murder Club – Based on the best-selling novels by James Patterson
20/20
Saturday
Saturday Night College Football
Other ABC Fall 2007 TV Schedule Info
According to Jim could still return. Lost is set for a return at the beginning of 2008 and will run for 16 straight episodes without interruption. As of now it looks like it could return in February in either of the first two hour of primetime timeslots on Wednesday nights. October Road, Notes from the Underbelly and Wife Swap will return on Mondays after Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor end their fall run. Supernanny is also waiting in the wings. The newsmagazine Primetime will be used in limited series runs, much as they did this past season with a series called Primetime: Medical Mysteries and a couple of others.
The ABC shows that won’t be returning are Big Day, Day Break, Extreme Makeover, George Lopez, The Great American Dream Vote, Help Me Help You, In Case of Emergency, The Knights of Prosperity, The Nine, Show Me the Money, Six Degrees and What About Brian.
New shows waiting in the wings are Eli Stone, Miss/Guided and Oprah’s Big Give. Also, Cashmere Mafia, which will takeover the Dancing With the Stars results show timeslot.
The shows that sound interesting to the TVaholic at this point are Private Practice, Cavemen, in a sort of car wreck fascination kind of way, and Women’s Murder Club for some reason, maybe because NBC cancelled Crossing Jordan that also starred a Law & Order alum.
What new ABC shows look good to you? What shows are you sad to see didn’t make it? What do you think of ABC’s Fall 2007 TV Schedule?
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