The 2008 Fall TV Upfronts - ABC

ABC has announced their 2008 Fall Schedule.

I'll update this with comments later and expand on the information (why does all the entertainment news come on the same day?) when I have more time. Generally, there are very few changes since ABC probably had arguably the strongest lineup this past year (that didn't rely on procedurals) so there are very few new shows. Basically a stolen Scrubs, the new US version of Life on Mars (the British version is terrific and the new US one is with Brit Jason O'Mara who seemed to train on ABC this year on Men In Trees and Grey's Anatomy), a returning Eli Stone (Yay!), and Lost returns in the midseason (so thus isn't on the schedule).

ABC primetime schedule for 2008-2009

Mon.

8:00 pm Dancing with the Stars / untitled Tyra Banks, Ashton Kutcher reality show (midseason)
9:30 pm Samantha Who?
10:00 pm Boston Legal / The Bachelor


Tue.

8:00 pm Opportunity Knocks
9:00 pm Dancing with the Stars (results show)/ Scrubs and The Goode Family (midseason)
10:00 pm Eli Stone


Wed.

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


Thur.

8:00 pm Ugly Betty
9:00 pm Grey’s Anatomy
10:00 pm Life on Mars


Fri.

8:00 pm Wife Swap
9:00 pm Supernanny
10:00 pm 20/20


Sat. Saturday Night College Football


Sun.

8:00 pm Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 pm Desperate Housewives
10:00 pm Brothers & Sisters

ABC kept a lot of shows but also had the most shows to cancel.

These will not be returning to ABC:

Oprah's Big Give
Miss Guided
Women's Murder Club
Cavemen
Big Shots
Carpoolers
Men in Trees
Cashmere Mafia
October Road

Though other than Men In Trees and maybe Miss Guided and just a little maybe Cashmere Mafia, I'm not really crying over any of them.

Here's more info on the new shows:

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.


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.


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.


UNTITLED ASHTON KUTCHER/TYRA BANKS PROJECT

A beauty pageant unlike any you've ever seen, from executive producers Ashton Kutcher and Tyra Banks.


CBS 2008
NBC 2008
The CW 2008
Fox 2008

For the FOX 2008-2009 Video Previews
For the CBS 2008-2009 Video Previews