Pavanbadal is rather prescient when it comes to predicting the schedules for The Alphabet, so I'm thinking this is pretty close to the upfront that we'll see presented next week.
The good news...Miss/Guided, Boston Legal and Eli Stone are all being retained.
And I like that ABC is giving one more college try with an aggressive Friday adventure-comedies-20/20 sked too.
That Friday seems unlikely to me. I'd say Jim and Scrubs get the burnoff treatment right away and one would hope that the new Tuesday comedy block would be at 9 out of Dancing with the Stars so the shows have more of a chance. I'm also betting Cedric's comedy is one of those that goes there.
I don't like this schedule. It looks to similar to last year's schedule besides a few minor change, for example Brothers and Sisters and DSM switching spots. It's basiaclly the same schedule as last year, but new shows in the spots where this years shows failed. A few might hit, but the majority will fail. ABC could have done a lot better. I do like the idea of a new show Mondays at 10, they need to use that DWTS inflated Samantha Who to lead into something different than The Bachelor.
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ABC needs stability more than any other network imo. They're hits are in jeopardy because of the strike. Relaunching everything in the fall will be easier if its all in the same timeslots save for the swapping of B&S and DSM. A new show Monday at 10 makes sense. The other option is for DSM to go Monday at 10 right away anda new drama like Leap to go after Housewives.
quote:
Originally posted by himymfan22: I don't like this schedule. It looks to similar to last year's schedule besides a few minor change, for example Brothers and Sisters and DSM switching spots. It's basiaclly the same schedule as last year, but new shows in the spots where this years shows failed. A few might hit, but the majority will fail. ABC could have done a lot better. I do like the idea of a new show Mondays at 10, they need to use that DWTS inflated Samantha Who to lead into something different than The Bachelor.
Originally posted by himymfan22: I don't like this schedule. It looks to similar to last year's schedule besides a few minor change, for example Brothers and Sisters and DSM switching spots. It's basiaclly the same schedule as last year, but new shows in the spots where this years shows failed. A few might hit, but the majority will fail. ABC could have done a lot better. I do like the idea of a new show Mondays at 10, they need to use that DWTS inflated Samantha Who to lead into something different than The Bachelor.
This is what ABC has been preaching for the past 6 weeks that the fall schedule would pretty much look like last fall's schedule with very minimal changes.
This schedule is mostly on point with what I think ABC will do. I don't think ABC will lead in with a new comedy and then Miss Guided on Tuesday. It makes much more sense to do Dancing with the Stars and then something else. I don't think Miss Guided will be coming back on Tuesday either. If it comes back, it will be a Friday night show. I do think that there will be a two hour comedy block on Fridays made up of Scrubs, ATJ, Miss Guided, and either Cedric or the Alyssa Milano comedy. Atlas won't be on Friday but could make a good companion for DWTS and BL on Tuesday at 9. UB shouldn't be Thursday at 9, but I could see ABC putting it there.
He has the gist of it right in that there will be general stability, but considering ABC has been talking about this for over a month now, you're batty if your mock schedule doesn't follow that trend. I imagine almost all the "close decisions" will end up going in a different direction:
-- Would be shocked to see Atlas on Fri 8pm. It may have the Friday show "feel," but making this lead off Friday against GW and Crusoe means it (and Crusoe) will be fighting for pieces of a very small pie. I think it gets held for midseason until they figure out what's going on with Pushing Daisies.
-- Cedric is not exactly a superstar but I don't see him getting dumped on Friday. I think this'll be the home of low-rated comedies (Jim, maybe Scrubs) and low-priority reality (Wife Swap, perhaps Newlyweds). Like it or not, the night is becoming less and less of a battleground, and the only things that will be scheduled here are things that have a very clear ceiling. A multicam with a recognizable lead is too much of a wild card to risk wasting it on Friday, at least initially. Probably a Tues 8pm show.
-- ABC might renew Eli Stone but I can't imagine them being stupid enough to give it post-Grey's. If they only come up with one new drama in the fall, that's probably where it will go. Stone, best case scenario, could be one of several candidates (along with the other Berlanti shows and perhaps some other dark-horse reality counter-programs) for Monday 10pm. Worst case scenario, it could end up on Friday.
-- I loved Miss Guided but I still don't really think it's going to get renewed. It could be the rare midseason show that "exceeded expectations" and that may help it, but the expectations were astronomically low. Maybe I am just setting myself up to be ecstatic when it gets renewed.
Pavan is pretty good with the ABC stuff. He has sources at ABC that give him good information. Of course, it is still in the speculation phase right now.
Speaking as someone with an inside view at ABC, the mock schedule Pavan did seems largely good in terms of what we expected as of a few weeks ago. Still not sure if B & S moves from Sunday or not, that has been a question for most of the months.
Also, AtJ is only going to be around for holiday themes (Dec/Spring Break etc.) next year - not a regular schedule from what I heard in terms of new eps.
