ABC announced their Fall 2008 TV Schedule today and it pretty much looks like their Fall 2007 Schedule. Only two new shows will be debuting this fall. In midseason there are a couple of more, along with the returning, but new to ABC, Scrubs.
While there aren’t a lot new shows, at present, in the ABC lineup, they sure did cancel a lot of shows that played at some point last season.
ABC presently has 17 pilots presently in development, so there could be a lot more new to come in midseason and into the spring.
You can see the full primetime schedule, new and returning midseason series and cancellations below. Bold Italic denotes new show.
Update 5.18.2008: See what the rest of the networks are doing for Fall 2008.
ABC Fall 2008 Primetime TV Schedule
Sunday
America’s Funniest Home Videos
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Desperate Housewives
Brothers & Sisters
Monday
Dancing with the Stars – This slot will be filled by an Untitled Tyra Banks-Ashton Kutcher Show after it completes its fall run, which will be some sort of beauty pageant competition reality show.
Samantha Who?
Boston Legal – ABC has ordered 13 episodes of the show for fall and announced this would be the show’s final season. The Bachelor will then play in this timeslot. Still think that this would have been a good spot for the cancelled Men in Trees.
Tuesday
Opportunity Knocks – A traveling game show that shows up on people’s doorsteps and tries to find out how much they know about each other.
Dancing With the Stars the Results – Scrubs, moving over from NBC and new animated comedy The Goode Family will takeover this timeslot after the show’s fall run.
Eli Stone – Very glad to see this show coming back, it started out slow, but became a favorite by the end of its first season run.
Wednesday
Pushing Daisies – One of the best new shows from last season, very much looking forward to its return.
Private Practice
Dirty Sexy Money
Thursday
Ugly Betty
Grey’s Anatomy
Life on Mars – It is based on the BBC series of the same name. It is about a present day police detective that wakes up after being in a car crash to find he has somehow been transported back to 1973, but is still working as a detective. Sounds interesting and the BBC version is supposed to be really good, but I wonder how well it will do in this timeslot. Will the Grey’s audience stick around and watch?
Friday
Supernanny
Wife Swap
20/20
Saturday
Saturday Night College Football
ABC Shows – Retuning at Midseason
Coming back, but not until later are: According to Jim, The Bachelor, Lost and Primetime: What Would You Do?
ABC Shows – New for Midseason
Debuting in late fall or early 2009 are: The Goode Family, Scrubs, well new to ABC anyway, and the Untitled Tyra Banks-Ashton Kutcher Show.
ABC Shows – Cancelled/Not Returning
They have said goodbye to: Big Shots, Carpoolers, Cashmere Mafia, Cavemen, Men in Trees, Miss Guided, Notes From the Underbelly, October Road, Oprah’s Big Give, and Women’s Murder Club.
TVaholic’s Take on the ABC Fall 2008 TV Schedule
My happiness for the return of Eli Stone is tempered by the cancellations of Men in Trees and Women’s Murder Club. Also would have liked to see Miss Guided get a better shot than they did, it was actually pretty good.
Looking forward to the midseason return of Scrubs and learning more about the many comedies that ABC has in the pipeline. On the drama side, can’t wait to hear about Cupid making a winter or spring debut.
Except for Samantha Who?, it looks like the TVaholic will have ABC free Mondays and Fridays. But, overall the schedule looks pretty strong, with eight returning shows that I will be watching and one new show that I will be checking out.
How about you? What do you like about ABC’s Fall 2008 Schedule? What don’t you like? What shows do you wish they hadn’t cancelled? Let us know in the comments.
October Road was really one of the best new show abc has since grey’s anatomy . I can’t believe they bother with scrubs but won’t give this show a chance. I will definately be tunning into to another station. Really this was original, how many times can meredith & derek break up & go back? ANd for how much longer are we going to be interested in the survivors of Lost before that get’s old? Oct.Rd.atleast has some topics to explore.
Ana D, I wouldn’t say that October Road was “one of the best,” far from it really. It was horribly written, from a dialogue standpoint. They may have had “some topics to explore,” but they weren’t doing them much justice. I’m just disappointed that we never found out who Sam’s father really was.
Really disappointed that this is the last season of Boston Legal. Absolutely love that show.
So sad about Men in Trees, Miss Guided, and October Road. But really super excited they picked up Scrubs for the last season. Its a great show.
I am so mad that October Road was cancelled, but Private Practice is still on. Also Miss Guided was cancelled after like four episodes? What is up with that, I am very disappointed in the new fall line up. Please bring October Road and Miss Guided back!
I can not believe that October Road is not on the ABC fall lineup. That was such a great show and I am very disappointed!
Really disappointed they didn’t bring October Road back at least to sum up the loose ends that hadn’t been discovered. I don’t like that we don’t really know who Sam’s dad is, will Hannah marry Ray, will Eddie & Janet stay together, what about Mr. Garrett does he survive his cancer? And so on. They could of at least brought it back to help put some closure to it. Not a good ending if you ask me.
I am disappointed that October Road was not picked up by ABC for the Fall season! Maybe another network will pick it up.
Mississippi, Not likely, but October Road fans may yet get some closure. Check out the link for comment #8 above for more info on the possibility of a compact series finale episode.
Bring back Men In Trees, October road and Notes from the Underbelly – in fact ABC leave the darn schedula ALONE put a show in a spot and LEAVE it there. we don’t watch because we can’t find our shows when they move from week to week.
Very disappointed that Cashmere Mafia has been cancelled. The start of the show was okay, but it got more excited later on. The cast is awesome. It could have been a really great show since SATC. I hope Sam Who? will return tho. Instead of cancelling those, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives are getting slow and losing the excitement.
Bring back Men in Trees! That was one of the better shows ABC had going for them and they bounced it around without making the viewer aware. MIT had a great cast and story line but as long as the show was in the hands of ABC it didn’t have a chance. ABC keep doing what you did to MIT and you WILL continue to run off your viewers!!
So sorry Men in Trees is canceled. It was one of the better shows on TV. NO wonder people are switching to alternative networks!
Joyce, I share your sentiments. It’s cancellations like Men in Trees that are driving people to alternate forms of entertainment.
Men in Trees should NOT have been canceled….. it’s one of the few shows that didn’t depend on sex, violence or blood and guts and the characters were both believable and likable. It was a great philosophical commentary on relationships and life. It is very definitely a loss. ABC has missed the boat on this one!
I really liked Men in Trees. I think there would be a lot of stories left to tell. It had very good acting with seasoned actors, and the plots were so funny and relaxing to watch. I will truly miss it and think ABC should reconsider this one…
Our family is very upset about the cancellation of Men In Trees! I can’t believe the way they bounced it around so you never knew when it would be on! We loved it. Also we really liked Women’s Murder Club. Bring ’em back ABC!
I am really bummed about Women’s Murder Club. I thought it was one of the best new shows last year, and waited anxiously for its return after the strike, only to have it cancelled!
I am with all the others expressing disappointment that October Road, Women’s Murder Club and Men in Trees were all cancelled. I too shall be tuning into another channel with hopefully some good down to earth programs offered that are okay for general viewing. I shall really miss all three of these shows.
I’m extremely disappointed that October Road won’t be back. It was the one show I was looking forward to this fall…..thank you ABC for pulling us all in for a bit, and then greatly disappointing us. It’s like giving a kid an ice cream cone and then taking it back after they had a couple of licks.
Judy and Vivian, I’m with you. It was nice to have something nice on the air and it definitely had more stories to tell.
Linda and Scriptyhall, I really liked Women’s Murder Club as well. Thought it would have done better than it did.
Jen, Well, at least you may get a little closure on October Road.
http://www.tvaholic.com/2008/05/28/who-is-sams-father-on-october-road-will-we-ever-find-out/
I am very upset that Big Shots, October Road and Cashmere Mafia were all cancelled for this upcoming fall 2008 schedule. They were your best shows and with the writer strikes we missed out on more episodes. I hope you reconsider bringing these shows back.
DO NOT CANCELLE MEN IN TREES its the BEST SHOW YOU HAVE !! I am so angry, I wont watch ABC anymore. I got soo tired of trying to FIND when it was on, they way you all bounced it around, JUST LEAVE IT ALONE ABC and give it back to us !!
I wish that Men in Trees, Cashmere Mafia, October Road and Big Shots were still on. I loved Dylan McDermott in Big Shots and Lucy Liu in Cashmere Mafia. I watched every single one of those shows. I am happy that Grey’s, Samantha Who, Private Practice, Ugly Betty and Pushing Daisies are still on. Scrubs? please.
I WANT MEN IN TREES BACK!!!!!!
Teresa, You are not alone, as you can see from the other comments above and the ones over on the following post as well: http://www.tvaholic.com/2008/05/05/has-men-in-trees-been-cancelled/
I think ABC really messed up and could have had a real ratings winner on Fridays, if they would’ve just left it alone.
Isn’t everyone used to ABC pulling this on us yet. Last time it was “What About Brian,” now it’s “Men in Trees,” and “October Road.” I don’t think ABC listens to it’s viewers or even gives their shows a chance. I wished they’d realize when they have a good show and keep it, we are tired of Reality Shows too! – Oh yeah, what ever happened to “Invasion” or “The Nine.”
Bring back What About Brian and October Road!! ABC takes good shows off and puts stupid ones on!!
October Road was one of the best new shows on TV.. Great cast, great story lines and set in an all american city.. What needs to be done to bring it back?
Dee, October Road is dead and isn’t coming back. The producers are working on a 15-minute episode that will wrap up the series, but no word yet on when or where you will be able to see it.
I feel as if I am in mourning or something. ABC is cancelling Eli Stone. What a bummer. Isn’t there anything that fans can do? This show has got to be one of the most thought provoking, poignat, well written, funny and entertaining shows on television. What is the matter with the execs at ABC? “Eli” not drivel enough? Thanks for your forum to vent.