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From The Hollywood Reporter

ABC went for stability with its fall 2008 schedule as expected, adding only a handful of new shows -- the time-traveling police drama "Life on Mars," Ashton Kutcher's alternative game show "Opportunity Knocks," as well as another Kutcher-produced reality series, a beauty pageant with a twist, which he is doing with Tyra Banks.

At the Tuesday morning press conference in New York City, ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson also officially announced the acquisition of NBC comedy "Scrubs." Among the news at the presentation: The 2008-09 season will be "Boston Legal's" last and "Oprah's Big Give" is not coming back.

"Big Give" had modest sucess and won its time period on Sunday nights.

"We loved that show and absolutely would have loved to bring it back," ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson said. "But it was something (Oprah) didn't want to do."ABC describes the Tyra Banks/Ashton Kutcher reality show as "a beauty pageant unlike any you've ever seen.

"It combines 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" with 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' and is right in our brand," McPherson said.

ABC plans to roll out the bulk of its fall schedule during premiere week in September.

McPherson also touted the potential of "Scrubs" on ABC, which may go beyond next season.

"We think its been in 17 time periods on (NBC) and they rarely promoted it at all and it still performed a 3.5 rating on Thursday second only to 'The Office.' We think it's a great addition to our comedy brand, it gives us a real opportunity and another piece to play with.

"For midseason, ABC has 17 pilots in development in addition to the return of "Lost" to an undisclosed time period. "We have an incredible stable schedule, we were dominating in the fall until the strike hit," McPherson said.

After the press conference, McPherson commented on ABC's plans to go after departing "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno.

"I'm really interested to see what happens to NBC late night when he leaves," McPherson said. "He is still the No. 1 late night talk show host, so it is an odd time for him to be leaving.

But McPherson stressed that "any conversation would have to be done in conjunction with Jimmy" Kimmel.

He also confirmed that Dana Delany will continue on "Desperate Housewives" and that Lindsay Lohan will do more episodes of "Ugly Betty.

As for ABC's decision not to produce pilots before the upfront, "we're trying to do it in two cycles," McPherson said. "We're trying to have comedies done midsummer and then dramas in fall.

Here's the ABC 2008-09 lineup:

Mondays

8 p.m. -- Dancing with the Stars / Untitled Tyra Banks-Ashton Kutcher [New]
9:30 p.m. -- Samantha Who 10pm -- The Bachelor / Boston Legal

Tuesdays
8 p.m. -- Opportunity Knocks [New]
9 p.m. -- Dancing Results Show / Scrubs [New] / Goode Family [New]
10 p.m. -- Eli Stone

Wednesdays
8 p.m. -- Pushing Daisies
9 p.m. -- Private Practice
10 p.m. -- Dirty Sexy Money

Thursdays
8 p.m. -- Ugly Betty
9 p.m. -- Grey's Anatomy
10 p.m.-- Life on Mars [New]

Fridays
8 p.m. -- Supernanny
9 p.m. -- Wife Swap
10 p.m. --20/20

Sundays
7 p.m. -- America's Funniest Home Videos
8 p.m. -- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9 p.m. -- Desperate Housewives
10 p.m.-- Brothers and Sisters

CBS is Wednesday

From The Hollywood Reporter

CBS returns to crime, comedy roots
'Christine' to launch expanded Monday sitcom block
By James Hibberd

May 14, 2008, 09:14 AM

Crime and comedy are coming back in full force to CBS' schedule next season as the network re-embraces the genres that have performed best for it in recent years.

After taking a creative detour in the fall with outside-the-box concepts such as singing gamblers and vampire detectives, CBS is adding new crime procedurals and opening up another night of comedy.

As expected, CBS will expand its successful Monday night sitcom lineup to Wednesdays. "The New Adventures of Old Christine," which the network renewed at the last minute on Tuesday, will launch the block. "Christine" is followed by newcomer "Project Gary," about a middle-class father who is played by Jay Mohr.

The network unveiled the schedule to reporters at its New York offices Wednesday morning.

"We really wanted to focus on comedy, and we had the goods to it this year," said CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler. "We've been looking to expand, to build out to another night. We have two of highest-testing new comedies we've had in years."

The network will also add newcomer "Worst Week," about an engaged couple, to its Monday night lineup, giving the show a lead-in from its top-rated comedy "Two and a Half Men." Unlike the rest of the Monday night lineup, "Week" is shot with a single-camera.

"There's no better place to launch a comedy on television than behind the No. 1 comedy on television," CBS scheduling chief Kelly Kahl said. "We want to give the new shows the best possible position to succeed."

The network's signature crime dramas will also have more company next season, though Tassler emphasized the procedurals will be more focused on character.

"We do very well with our procedurals, but we've added more character to them," Tassler said.

The dramas also will emphasize stronger female characters, with the female-driven "The Ex List" replacing "Moonlight" on Fridays and drama "The Unit" adding a new female character.

"Women drive network television," Tassler said. "Women watch our procedurals and comedies and we wanted to build on that. We've added more female faces to the network."

During the development processes, Tassler noted, the network looked at characters written as men and tried to see if they could be rewritten as women.

"Ex-List" (formerly "Mythological Ex") stars Elizabeth Reaser as a woman told she's going to get married in a year to a man she's already met, then goes about contacting all her former boyfriends.

When asked how the show will last more than one season if her wedding is in one year, Tassler said "fortunes change."

"Ex List," "Worst Week" and "Eleventh Hour" are based on foreign formats, continuing a recent trend for networks to purchase pre-tested concepts.

The dramas also include the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "Eleventh Hour," about a science professor who helps solve crimes. "Hour" has been given CBS' strongest lead-in, Bruckheimer's own "CSI," and will air Thursdays at 10 p.m.

Former time slot occupant "Without a Trace" will shift to Tuesdays at 10 p.m., a period that's proved tricky for the network to fill in recent years. Kahl said "Trace" always improves its time period and the network considers it a utility player that can help buck up the spot.

Another new procedural is "The Mentalist," starring Simon Baker, about a deceptive celebrity psychic who puts his observational skills to better use working for law enforcement.

"The Mentalist" takes over Tuesdays at 9 p.m., former home to "The Unit," which is shifting to Sundays at 10 p.m.

As expected, the serialized "Harper's Island," about a group of friends terrorized on an island off the Seattle coast, is set for midseason. Tassler described it as a cross between "10 Little Indians" and "Scream."

Regarding the cancellation of fan favorite "Moonlight," Tassler said the fall-off suffered by "Jericho" was a factor in the show's decision.

"We had a very passionate fan base, and that's a good thing, but we had to make some tough calls," she said.

Tassler also nixed the idea of "Moonlight" getting an afterlife on CBS Corp. sister network the CW.

Absent from the fall schedule were any new unscripted shows, though veteran reality shows "The Amazing Race" and "Survivor" will return, with the latter airing in high definition for the first time. Tassler noted the network is currently shooting Mark Burnett's game show "Jingles," which could serve as a replacement.

After the writers strike, CBS was the first network to return to the air and reaped ratings dividends as a result.

"We met on a weekly basis during the strike to make sure we would be ready on Day One to get back into production as quickly as we can," said Leslie Moonves, President and CEO of CBS Corp. "We hit the ground running, we got our schedule back right away, our ratings came back."

Moonves said his team saw about 18 pieces of material for fall, some of which were 20-minute presentations. Given the network's success coming out of the gate quickly post-strike, CBS is now mulling the possibility of launching some shows before the traditional late September premiere week.

"We're leaving the door open to going early," Tassler said.

Here's the lineup:

Monday
8-8:30 p.m. The Big Bang Theory
8:30-9 p.m. How I Met Your Mother
9:-9:30 p.m. Two and a Half Men
9:30-10 p.m. Worst Week (new)
10-11 p.m. CSI: Miami

Tuesday
8-9:00 p.m. NCIS
9-10 p.m. The Mentalist (new)
10-11 p.m. Without a Trace

Wednesday
8-8:30 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine
8:30-9 p.m. Project Gary (new)
9-10 p.m. Criminal Minds
10-11 p.m. CSI: NY

Thursday
8-9 p.m. Survivor
9-10 p.m. CSI
10-11 p.m. Eleventh Hour (new)

Friday
8-9 p.m. Ghost Whisperer
9-10 p.m. The Ex-List (new)
10-11 p.m. Numbers

Saturday
8-9 p.m. Crimetime Saturday
9-10 p.m. Crimetime Saturday
10-11 p.m. 48 Hours: Mystery

Sunday
7-8 p.m. 60 Minutes
8-9 p.m. The Amazing Race
9-10 p.m. Cold Case
10-11 p.m. The Unit

From The Hollywood Reporter

2008 FOX Line Up

Sci-fi action dramas and hour-long reality shows populate Fox's schedule for next season, which includes new shows from top creative producers J.J. Abrams ("Lost") and Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"). Fox's lineup includes three new dramas, two comedies and an unscripted series. The network plans to once again launch its fall season earlier than most competitors. During the week of Aug. 25, Fox will air special two-hour premiere episodes of several series. "Broadcast television needs a jolt," said Peter Liguori, Fox's entertainment chairman. "We feel it's our responsibility, as the No. 1 network for the last four seasons, to provide that electricity." The network's upfront announcement contains more new shows for next season than any other broadcaster, though CBS still ranks as having the most freshman shows set to launch in the fall. Fox will start its fall season with a two-hour "Prison Break" on Aug. 25. "Break" will then shift to 9 p.m. with the return of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" as its lead-in. The Abrams thriller "Fringe," about a trio who explore paranormal mysteries, will have a two-hour premiere on Tuesday, Aug. 26. The show will then settle into its regular time period at 9 p.m. after "House." A new workplace comedy starring Jerry O'Connell, tentatively titled "Do Not Distrub," will be paired with "Til Death" on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. "Bones" will air at 8 p.m. On Thursdays, "Moment of Truth" will air at 8 p.m., going up against CBS's top-rated reality show "Survivor." The game show will be followed by the return of "Kitchen Nightmares." Reality utility players "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" and "Don't Forget the Lyrics" will shift to Fridays. Though not included in Fox's release, the two-hour "24" prequel movie will also air in the fall. "We're going to make plenty of noise and yet potentially have more stability and success than we've had historically in the fourth quarter," said Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly. "We'll be focused in the fall with two new series - one comedy and one drama - and then use our big assets in January to launch an even more powerful second season." Fox's ratings fireworks typically do not kick in until midseason, with the return of "American Idol." In 2009, Fox returns the much-missed "24," which was sidetracked this year due to the writers strike. along with the Whedon series "Dollhouse," starring "Buffy" alumna Eliza Dushku as a member of an underground secret agent group who are imprinted with various personalities to carry out missions. "Dollhouse" will serve as a lead-in on Monday nights starting in January for "24." On Tuesdays, "Fringe" will get a significant boost from an "Idol" lead-in. Wednesday will pair "House" with the "Idol" results show. After performing so strongly in-season after the writers strike this year, Fox will seek to make the "Hell's Kitchen" move to spring permanent on Thursdays, paired with the debut of new reality series "Secret Millionaire. Though the Sunday night animated comedy lineup will remain unchanged in the fall, next year the network will try out two new shows:"Sit Down, Shut Up" from Mitchell Hurwitz ("Arrested Development"), a group of unconventional high school teachers, will air at 8:30 p.m. after "The Simpson's." The network will also launch the "Family Guy" spin off "The Cleveland Show" in the 9:30 slot after "Guy." Here's the lineup"

FALL

MONDAY 8:00-9:00 PM TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
9:00-10:00 PM PRISON BREAK

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE (NEW, wt)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-9:30 PM 'TIL DEATH
9:30-10:00 PM DO NOT DISTURB (NEW, wt)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?
9:00-10:00 PM DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS!

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS 9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK 11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv
Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

SUNDAY 7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY 9:30-10:00 PM
AMERICAN DAD

JANUARY

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM DOLLHOUSE (New)
9:00-10:00 PM 24

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE (New)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE

9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:30-10:00 PM TBA Comedy

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HELL'S KITCHEN
9:00-10:00 PM SECRET MILLIONAIRE (New, wt)

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-9:30 PM 'TIL DEATH
9:30-10:00 PM DO NOT DISTURB (New, wt)

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK
11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv
Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM COMEDY ENCORES
7:30-8:00 PM COMEDY ENCORES
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL (January) / SIT DOWN, SHUT UP (New, wt) (spring)
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD (January) / THE CLEVELAND SHOW (New, wt) (spring)