The Fall TV Season presentations for all the new network shows take place
this week with the second announced today. Here's a full breakdown of
which
concepts have made the final list over on ABC.
Two years ago the beleaguered network turned itself around into a power
house thanks to three mega-hits - "Lost", "Desperate Housewives" and
"Grey's
Anatomy" which all regularly still sit in the Top Ten despite debates over
the quality of their second seasons. Other shows like "Boston Legal",
"Supernanny" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" have also found success
and loyal audiences - all of which guarantees the network's bright future.
Yet that future was tarnished a little last year with all of its new shows
struggling, and in practically all cases failing, to find an audience.
Despite a strong start, its biggest new hit "Commander-in-Chief" quickly
sank and as of today has officially been cancelled. "Invasion" followed a
similar track but on a smaller scale. All other new drama and comedy
series
launched at this time last year have been axed with only one or two
mid-season entries still hanging in there.
Thus it comes as no surprise the alphabet has decided to ditch all but
their
solid hits and introduce a whole lot of new programming including six new
dramas, six new comedies and three reality shows. Existing shows remain
the
same bar one big change - "Grey's Anatomy". The network is making a pretty
bold move with its #1 rating series and has moved it to a Thursday night
timeslot, a time the network launched the ill-fated "Night Stalker" in
last
year. In its place the network is trying one of its new soaps "Brothers
and
Sisters" which obviously will complement forerunner "Desperate Housewives"
better.
BROTHERS AND SISTERS
The adult children of William Walker, along with their respective
families,
have gathered to celebrate Kitty's birthday. Little do they know that, on
this day, their lives will take a dramatic turn.
Kitty's radio success has led to a TV pundit job in Los Angeles, but her
New
York boyfriend just proposed. Down to earth Thomas has joined forces with
his sister, Sarah, a high powered executive and mother of three, in an
effort to fix the family business.
Kevin's well-ordered life is shaken by the news that his ex-wife is moving
his adolescent son to Texas. Justin, a Gulf War vet, has kicked nicotine,
but other addictions keep him from moving forward in his career and love
life.
These siblings are about to find out that underneath the idyllic family
fagade lie many secrets that threaten to either tear the family apart or
bring them closer together.
As told through the insightful eyes of the family's most outspoken and
public sibling, Calista Flockhart ("Ally McBeal") stars alongside Rachel
Griffiths ("Six Feet Under"), Ron Rifkin ("Alias"), Dave Annable
("Reunion"), Patricia Wettig ("Prison Break"), John Pyper-Ferguson
("Smallville"), Sarah Jane Morris ("Felicity") and Jimmy "Jax" Pinchak
("CSI") in this warm, humorous and relatable drama from producer Ken Olin
("Alias") and Jon Robin Baitz, one of Broadway's most prominent
playwrights
("The Substance of Fire").
MEN IN TREES
Finding a good man in today's world isn't as difficult as some women
think.
You just have to watch out for the signs. You wouldn't drive with a
blindfold on but, for some reason, women continue to date with one.
Relationship coach Marin Frist knows what to look for, what to avoid and
what will make her happy. As the many fans of her two bestselling books
could tell you, we're all in charge of our own happiness. Marin's personal
happiness includes the upcoming wedding to her "perfect man." But like
many
people full of advice, she fails to apply it to herself.
On her way to a speaking engagement in Alaska, she learns that her fianci
has cheated on her... the wedding plans are instantly over. Slapped in the
face with personal failure, a snowstorm then leaves her stuck in a small
town full of the one thing she really doesn't need -- available men.
Marin's
friends and her publisher try to lend long-distance support, but the fact
remains she's been living with her eyes closed for too long.
Now that they're finally open, she sees the amazingly beautiful world
surrounding her, and for the first time she'll have the chance to stop and
breathe. Now if she could just get the raccoon out of her hotel room, this
place might be perfect.
From the head writer of "Sex and the City" and the director of the Academy
Award(r)-winning "Walk the Line" comes a fun and sexy drama about finding
love in the most unexpected places. Anne Heche ("Nip/Tuck"), James Tupper
("Gilmore Girls"), Suleka Mathews ("The West Wing"), Derek Richardson
("Felicity"), Emily Bergl ("Gilmore Girls"), Abraham Benrubi ("ER"), Sarah
Strange ("Life As We Know It"), Seana Kofoed ("Law & Order"), John Amos
("The West Wing") stars.
THE NINE
So much in life is beyond your control. You may g about your day like any
other when suddenly a random moment, an accident, a blessing, even a
stranger redirects your life forever. And on that day, it's up to you to
decide if that moment will stop you in your tracks or lift you up to new
heights.
Nine people will face just such an unexpected twist when they are caught
in
a bank robbery gone wrong and endure a 52-hour hostage standoff that will
leave more than one person dead. When all is said and done, these people
will never be the same. They will share the common bond of what happens
inside the bank and will be forever affected and intertwined because of
it.
From the creator of "Without a Trace" and an executive producer of "The
West
Wing" comes a dramatic character study that will keep audiences hooked
with
the mystery of what happened during the hostage standoff. Each episode
will
begin with a flashback to reveal another 10 minutes of the hostage crisis,
uncovering why and how these nine strangers are still linked today.
Tim Daly ("Wings"), Chi McBride ("Boston Public"), Jessica Collins
("CSI"),
Kim Raver ("24"), John Billingsley ("Star Trek: Enterprise"), Lourdes
Benedicto ("24"), Camille Guaty ("Prison Break"), Owain Yeoman ("Troy"),
Dana Davis ("Veronica Mars") and Scott Wolf ("Party of Five") star.
SIX DEGREES
Who will you touch? Who will touch you? They say that anyone on the planet
can be connected to any other person through a chain of six people, which
means that no one is a stranger... for long.
In this hour-long drama from the producers of "Lost" and "Alias," six very
different New Yorkers go about their lives without realizing the impact
they're having on one another - yet. A mysterious web of coincidences will
gradually draw these strangers closer, changing the course of their lives
forever. Is it happenstance? Fate? Is there a greater force at work in our
world, guiding us along and connecting our lives?
This intriguing tale of intertwined destinies reminds us that romance,
success, peace or forgiveness might be right around the corner, but they
can
also be lost in an instant. It's a story that underlines just how small
the
world really is, and how someone just five people away might be shaping
our
future right now.
Jay Hernandez ("Friday Night Lights"), Erika Christensen ("Flightplan"),
Bridget Moynahan ("Sex and the City"), Dorian Missick ("Lucky Number
Slevin"), Hope Davis ("About Schmidt") and Campbell Scott ("The Secret
Lives
of Dentists") star.
DAY BREAK (mid-season)
We've all had bad days... the kind of day where nothing goes our way and
we
just can't wait to put it behind us. Detective Brett Hopper is having one
of
those hellacious days... only he can't put it behind him because he's
living
the same day over and over again.
On this particular day, Hopper will be accused of killing Asst. DA Alberto
Garza. He will offer a solid alibi which no one will believe. He will
realize he's been framed. And he will run, discovering en route that not
only he, but his loved ones, are also in danger. He'll then wake up and
relive the same day over and over again.
In order to break the cycle and move on, he will have to figure out who
framed him and solve the complex mystery surrounding Garza's death. He
will
also be forced to heal the fractured relationships with those he loves.
Only
when Harper figures out why his life is broken and how to fix it will he
awaken to a brand new day.
Taye Diggs ("Kevin Hill"), Meta Golding ("JAG"), Moon Bloodgood ("Eight
Below"), Victoria Pratt ("Mutant X"), Ramon Rodriguez ("Rescue Me"), and
Adam Baldwin ("NCIS") star in an action-packed, thrilling re-imagining of
the "Groundhog Day" concept from director Rob Bowman ("The X-Files,"
"Reign
of Fire") and the writer of "After the Sunset."
TRAVELER (mid-season)
Jay, Tyler and Will are friends who have spent the last two years in grad
school. They are about to depart on a summer trip when a simple prank to
rollerblade through one of New York City's most famous museums makes Jay
and
Tyler prime suspects in a terrorist bombing that destroys the museum
seconds
later.
Hopeful that Will can help clear up this misunderstanding, they learn he's
been missing since the exploion and think he may be dead. They're unable
to
turn to authorities when they realize they can't prove Will even exists.
In
every photo from the past two years, he has managed to block his face.
Who will believe them? Friends, family, lovers? The boys are pawns in a
conspiracy that will take years to unravel, and the government may not
have
their best interests at heart. Their friendship will be tested like never
before as they try to uncover the truth, while avoiding detection of not
only the FBI, but everyone in America who has seen their faces on TV as
suspects in the bombing.
Director David Nutter, who has defined many series including "The
X-Files,"
"Without a Trace" and "Supernatural," along with the writer of "Eight
Below"
and the Oscar(r)-winning producers of "American Beauty" combine "The
Fugitive" with "Enemy of the State" in a taut, tense thriller of innocents
on the run. Flashing back to the prior two years to illustrate the
formation
of this friendship and Will's insidious behavior, this action-packed drama
taps into our paranoia with pure adrenaline-fueled entertainment. Matthew
Bomer ("Tru Calling"), Aaron Stanford ("X-Men 2"), Viola Davis ("Law &
Order: SVU"), Steven Culp ("Desperate Housewives") and Logan
Marshall-Green
("The O.C.") star.
BETTY THE UGLY
In the superficial world of high fashion, image is everything. Styles come
and go, and the only constants are the wafer-thin beauties who wear them.
How can an ordinary girl -- a slightly plump plain-Jane from Queens --
possibly fit in?.
If you took a moment to get to know Betty Suarez, you'd see how sweet,
intelligent and hard-working she is. But few people do because, in the
world
of fashion, Betty is the oversized square peg in the petite round hole.
When
publishing mogul Bradford Meade hands the reigns of his fashion magazine,
Mode, over to his son, Daniel, he specifically hires Betty as his son's
new
assistant - mostly because she's the only woman in NYC Daniel won't sleep
with.
Though this "player" is reluctant to accept her at first, Betty's
indomitable spirit and bright ideas will eventually win him over. Neither
of
them really knows the ins and outs of the fashion world, but the two of
them
are a formidable team against the label-wearing sharks who will do
anything
to see them fail.
Executive producers Salma Hayek and Silvio Horta, the creator of "Urban
Legend," bring the Latino television phenomenon to an English-speaking
audience. America Ferrera ("The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants") and
Eric
Mabius ("The L Word") are the "Working Girl" couple who tackle the
colorful,
cutthroat world of fashion head on. Ana Ortiz ("Boston Legal"), Vanessa
Williams ("Chicago Hope"), Tony Plana ("24"), Becki Newton ("Charmed"),
Alan
Dale ("The O.C."), Mark Indelicato and Ashley Jensen also star.
BIG DAY
If "24" married "Father of the Bride," their child would be "Big Day."
Everything matters at a wedding, and the smallest imperfections can
reverberate throughout the event as if lives actually hang in the balance.
Choice of side salad? A trivial decision you would think, but for the
mother
of the bride, this might as well be the most critical decision of her
life,
and if you're the caterer, you'd better get it right. That's just the
beginning -- the maid of honor accidentally drinks the best man's contacts
after sleeping with him, and the father of the bride wants to stop the
wedding.
Things are about to get even more complicated for Danny and Alice, as
their
day turns into a season-long roller coaster where nothing goes according
to
plan. Over the course of an entire season, each episode will focus on one
day - Danny and Alice's wedding day.
The writers of "What Women Want" and "13 Going on 30" take a full season
to
dissect the biggest day in any family's life. Marla Sokoloff ("Desperate
Housewives"), Josh Cooke ("Four Kings"), Wendie Malick ("Just Shoot Me"),
Kurt Fuller ("Desperate Housewives"), Miriam Shor ("Hedwig and the Angry
Inch"), Stephen Rannazzisi ("Kitchen Confidential"), and Stephanie Weir
("Fun with Dick and Jane") star.
HELP ME HELP YOU
Whoever came up with the idea of group therapy? Take a bunch of people who
are all really messed up in different ways and put them in a room together
to try and help each other out. he group leader, Dr. Bill Hoffman, is
probably the craziest and most self-obsessed of all, but his patients
would
never know it because he hides behind his very respectable celebrity image
as a bestselling author of phenomenally successful self-help books.
Directed by Brian Dannelly ("Saved," "Weeds"), the series explores the
comical side of group therapy as members of the group apply the good
doctor's advice to the real world with enthusiastic effort, until they
begin
to realize maybe Dr. Bill should be doing the heavy lifting along with
them.
Ted Danson ("Cheers"), Charlie Finn ("The Dukes of Hazzard"), Jim Rash
("That '70s Show"), Suzy Nakamura ("Dodgeball"), Darlene Hunt ("I Heart
Huckabees") and Jere Burns ("Good Morning Miami") stars.
LET'S ROB...
For almost 20 years, Eugene Gurkin has dreamt of opening a bar, but his
dead
end job on the late, late janitorial shift won't even fund a bottle of
premium booze. In the wake of a co-worker's death, he catches an episode
of
television. Call it divine intervention, call it a dumb idea, but whatever
it is takes hold of Eugene and soon he recruits a group of misfits into
his
"gang" for a heist to finance their dreams.
The target: Rock icon Mick Jagger's super-luxe Central Park West
apartment.
Working together, this band of affable, new-age Robin Hoods, who have
never
even shoplifted a candy bar, are soon casing the joint and prepping for
their crime. What they don't know is that there's a much richer target for
them... the chance to find hope, self-esteem and confidence within
themselves.
From Jon Beckerman and Rob Burnett, producers of "Late Show with David
Letterman" and creators of "Ed," comes a hilarious tale of haves and have
nots. Donal Logue ("Grounded for Life"), Maz Jobrani ("Life on a Stick"),
Sofia Vergara ("Four Brothers"), Kevin Michael Richardson ("The
Boondocks"),
Lenny Venito ("NYPD Blue") and Josh Grisetti star. Mick Jagger appears in
a
cameo.
NOTES FROM THE UNDERBELLY
Andrew and Lauren have just found out they're going to have a baby, and
they're having a difficult time following rule number one - keeping it
secret. Suddenly switching to decaf, becoming a teetotaler at cocktail
parties, and going to the OBGYN are all difficult to keep from family and
close friends.
Well Andrew and Lauren are about to learn that, when the secret gets out,
the politics of parenthood can be just as demanding as raising a child.
Sometimes all that "help" from loving but intrusive parents and "advice"
from well-meaning but competitive friends who are trying to show you what
great parents they are is not exactly what you're looking for. Knowing
what's best for the child could be the easiest part... maintaining your
relationships with family and friends can be the real challenge.
Director Barry Sonnenfeld and two producers of "Two and a Half Men" create
a
comic take on life's greatest adventure. As these friends watch their
lives
change to accommodate the little stranger, their relationships change in
ways they never expected before they were expecting. Peter Cambor ("Up to
the Roof"), Jennifer Westfeldt ("Numbers"), Melanie Paxson ("Cupid"),
Rachael Harris ("The West Wing"), Michael Weaver ("Monk") and Sunkrish
Bala
("Barbershop") star.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY (mid-season)
Who you were in high school is usually not who you end up being. Harry,
Jason, Sherman and Kelly all went to the same high school. Several years
on
since graduation, their lives haven't exactly turned out the way they
planned. Diet guru Sherman will hijack a pastry truck and over-indulge
after
discovering his wife left him and cleaned him out.
In the face of a fraud indictment, financial whiz Jason will dodge the
suicide bullet only to shoot himself in the foot... literally. Unhappily
divorced, Harry goes for a relaxing "massage," only to discover his
scantily
clad "masseuse" is Kelly, their high school valedictorian. A series of
emergencies will reunite this hapless brood and they'll find, at the end
of
the day, that they've got each other in case of emergency.
Director Jon Favreau ("Elf," "Swingers") directs Jonathan Silverman
("Jekyll"), David Arquette ("Scream"), Greg Germann ("Ally McBeal"), and
Kelly Hu ("The Scorpion King") as a fresh quartet of emotionally and
physically injured oddballs, and Lori Laughlin ("Full House") as the
doctor
who grounds them all. Together, they're proving that any colossal mistake
can be overcome with a lot of help from your friends... and pain killers.
GREG BEHRENDT'S WAKE-UP CALL (mid-season)
Greg Behrendt, acclaimed author of He's Just Not That Into You, will
address
one couple's major issues and use his knowledge of relationships to give
them the tools to fix theirs. Through his off-the-cuff comedy and
bruised-and-battered romantic experience, Greg takes a close look from a
different angle to give our couple advice as a close friend, but also that
of sage wisdom.
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JUST FOR LAUGHS (mid-season)
ABC has licensed six half-hour episodes of the hidden-camera comedy
series.
The series cuts across cultural boundaries and has universal appeal,
entertaining audiences of all ages and demographics by mixing clever
practical jokes, hidden cameras and a few unsuspecting victims.
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SET FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
Just imagine: You're leaving the studio financially independent with a
monthly payment for as long as you live! Yes, even if you are to live
another 100 years. With a big smile on your face, you will be cashing a
monthly check for the rest of your life. Now how does that sound?
In this high-tension game show, the contestant will first battle for the
highest monthly check possible. Does he end up with $50 a month? $500 a
month? Or will he receive well over $10,000 a month? The contestant's next
battle is even more important: Time! Does he win that payment just for one
month? For a quarter of a year, half a year, one year? For three, ten,
twenty years maybe? Or... for the rest of his life?
And... did the contestant's partner, hidden in a sound-proof isolation
booth
away from where it's all happening, help to make that dream come true or
turn that dream into a nightmare? "Set for the Rest of Your Life" is a
game
show for strong relationships only, that's for sure!.
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Renewals include "According to Jim", "America's Funniest Home Videos",
"American Inventor", "The Bachelor", "Boston Legal", "Dancing with the
Stars", "Desperate Housewives", "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", "The
George Lopez Show", "Grey's Anatomy", "Lost", "Supernanny", "What About
Brian", "Wife Swap"
Cancellations include "Alias", "Commander-in-Chief", "Freddie", "Hope and
Faith", "Invasion" and "Sons and Daughters".
More details about the Fall line-up can be found at the network's official
site. The nightly ABC schedule will be as follows:
MONDAY
8pm: "Wife Swap"
9pm: "The Bachelor " (through January)
9pm: "Supernanny" (from January)
10pm: "What About Brian"
TUESDAY
8pm: "Dancing with the Stars" (through January)
8pm: "Set for the Rest of Your Life" (from January)
9pm: "Let's Rob Mick Jagger"
10pm: "Boston Legal"
WEDNESDAY
8pm: "Dancing with the Stars" (through January)
8pm: "George Lopez" (from January)
8:30pm: "According to Jim" (from January)
9pm: "Lost"
10pm: "The Nine"
THURSDAY
8pm: "Big Day"
8:30pm: "Notes from the Underbelly"
9pm: "Grey's Anatomy"
10pm: "Six Degrees"
FRIDAY
8pm: "Betty the Ugly"
9pm: "Men in Trees"
10pm: "20/20"
SATURDAY
8pm: "ABC Saturday Night College Football"
SUNDAY
7pm: "America's Funniest Home Videos"
8pm: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
9pm: "Desperate Housewives"
10pm: "Brothers & Sisters"
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