ABC's New Fall Schedule: Scrubs, David E. Kelley on Mars and a Beauty Pageant From Ashton Kutcher and Tyra Banks

You know you're in trouble when the big fall announcement for a network's new fall schedule begins with a long speech on revaluing ratings figures.

But that's how ABC chose to kick off its press conference today announcing its slate of nerw shows for the 2008-09 TV season. Perhaps the anticlimatic vibe emerged because ABC has just two new shows coming this fall and three new shows planned for midseason, including an import from NBC, Scrubs.

The new fall shows: Opportunity Knocks is a so-called "alternative" game show developed by Ashton Kutcher (is this guy the new Aaron Spelling, or what?) featuring a truck that rolls up to a home and inhstantly quizzes the inhabitants on their family. Life on Mars is an Americanized version of the British series about a cop who finds himself mysteriously transported back to 1973 after a car crash -- the minds behind this adaptation, years in the making, include Boston Legal creator David E. Kelley and West Wing executive producer/director Tommy Schlamme.

Scrubs, saved from cancellation by NBC because Disney-owned production studio Touchstone Television makes it, will appears in midseason -- along with a new animated comedy from King of the Hill mastermind Mike Judge (The Goode Family) and a yet-untitled beauty pageant from Kutcher and America's Next Top Model Tyra Banks (who is on track to be the next Oprah)

Among the shows fully and finally dead: Miss Guided (sniff!), Women's Murder Club, Cavemen (yay!), Carpoolers, Big Shots, October Road (another yay!), Men In Trees and Cashmere Mafia.

A few tidbits: Scrubs is expected to finish its run with 18 episodes on ABC. They won't be reprising the reality series Oprah's Big Give; their stated reason: Oprah doesn't want to do another installment. Kelley is expected to move over to Boston Legal and write nearly all of that show's 13 episodes next season, likely it's last season on the network.

Here's the schedule planned for this fall, with the new shows in bold....

MONDAY: 8:00 p.m.  “Dancing with the Stars”
9:30 p.m. “Samantha Who?”
10:00 p.m. “Boston Legal”
 
TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Opportunity Knocks”
9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 p.m. “Eli Stone”

WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m.  “Pushing Daisies”   
9:00 p.m. “Private Practice”
10:00 p.m. “Dirty Sexy Money”

THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Ugly Betty”
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10:00 p.m. “Life on Mars”

FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Wife Swap”
9:00 p.m. “Supernanny”
10:00 p.m. “20/20”
 
SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”

SUNDAY: 7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9:00 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
10:00 p.m. “Brothers & Sisters”

Comments

[Doug]

Still hatin' on the Cavemen, eh Eric? I kind of liked it.

I second Marissa on Carpoolers. Cool music, good cast. Too bad.

Eric, I believe you pronounced yourself a fan of Samantha Who?, Do you think it has sustained its initial charm? I'm sort of glad it's getting another season, but I thought the writing fell off after the first half dozen episodes. It may be a challenge, given the seemingly limited premise, for this to stay fresh.

Eric, save me from the spam filter!

[Marissa]

Hooray for Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies and Dirty,Sexy Money. I was concerned Eli was done because -- as I was told -- it was just a filler during the strike.

I was one of the 5 people who really enjoyed the quirks of Carpoolers (great music, too...always a walk down nostalgia lane).

[Jim Johnson]

Well... I can tell you without a doubt, the only thing I may watch on ABC is Saturday Night College Football -- that is, when USF is not playing... Go Bulls!

The funny thing is, I don't think I've seen a single episode of ANY of the shows listed there, except for 20/20, AFV, and a handful of Extreme Makeovers.

At least my DVR won't be too full...

Oh, and where's Lost?

[Chuck Welch]

That's good news about Scrubs. I was afraid they had been "Drew Carey'd."

When we watched what was billed at the series finale, we thought someone at the network was insane. It looked like the episode had been made long before and held because it was so bad. The kind of episode you throw under the bus at 10:30 pm on Thanksgiving.

[Eric Deggans]

yup...

[Mark]

Is "Lost" back on the schedule in January '09?

[jane]

Must add my own SNIIIFFF! to the cancellation of Men in Trees... a delightful quirky little show with the best music (in my opinion) and scenery on television.

However, Life on Mars looks promising -- the Kelley/Schlamme pairing is worth a cursory look for me, based on their track records alone.