ABC's McPherson rooting for all nets
Takes different tack than at last year's TCA
By Nellie Andreeva

July 16, 2008, 02:00 PM ET

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ABC unveils fall premiere schedule

A year ago at the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour, ABC's entertainment president Stephen McPherson made headlines with his infamous "Be a Man" jab at NBC rival Ben Silverman.

This year, McPherson said he will actually be rooting for him come fall as broadcast nets are looking to recover from the ratings slump cased in part by the writers strike.

"I'm rooting for all broadcast networks to do well in the fall," McPherson said during the executive session of the network's portion of TCA. "More than ever, we all need to step back and root for the industry. It's important to get people back in the fall and get them interested again."

McPherson still took a subtle shot at NBC while fielding questions from ABC's late-night host Jimmy Kimmel posing as a critic about the prospect of "The Tonight Show" host Jay Leno moving to ABC after the end of his contract at NBC next year.

"I can't believe they will let this guy go at the top of his game," McPherson said.

He refused to address any potential ABC plans for pursuing Leno but praised Kimmel, whose show might be affected by a Leno arrival and stressed that if Leno becomes available, "we will discuss it, and Jimmy will be involved in those discussions."

In a deviation from the traditional pilot model, ABC opted not to shoot pilots during the spring cycle truncated by the strike. The network is in the midst of shooting its pilots and plans to screen them in late August with the picked-up series eyed for launches in November, January or March, McPherson said.

However, ABC is not looking to film pilots at any time in any year but will focus on four development periods.

"You are not going to have pilots randomly throughout the year," McPherson said.

In other ABC news:

-- "Grey's Anatomy" disgruntled co-star Katherine Heigl, who recently blamed the series' writers for not giving her character good stories last season, is not leaving. "She's absolutely staying with the show," McPherson said. "There's an unbelievable story line for her that is in the center of what happens on the show next season.

-- McPherson confirmed that the network is exploring the possibility for extending "Scrubs" beyond its upcoming eighth season and first on ABC, possibly with new cast members.

-- In success, some of the network's sophomore series, which started production early as they didn't return to the air after the strike, might get expanded orders for as many as 24 episodes.

-- Summer standout "Wipeout" will be picked up for more episodes, potentially as a summer franchise.

-- David E. Kelley will write all 13 episodes of the final season of his "Boston Legal."




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More TCA coverage at Live Feed
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ABC unveils fall premiere schedule
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his infamous "Be a Man" jab
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/new...4d07d96a8aed6946755b


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'Scrubs' could continue beyond 2009 with new cast
TCA -- ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson confirmed reports that he picked up "Scrubs" for one season with an eye toward possibly continuing the show beyond next year without some members of the current (and expensive, particularly star Zach Braff) cast.


"Certainly when we picked it up had to make the decision based on this one season, we do think there's an opportunity out there ... whether any or all of cast is part of that," he says. "Despite being moved around to 17 time periods, it performed unbelievably well on NBC, and we do think it won't be a one-season situation ... but we'll take that step by step."

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McPherson: Heigl staying with 'Grey's'
TCA -- ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson addressed Katherine Heigl's recent comments where she withdrew herself from a "Grey's Anatomy" Emmy consideration.

"She won an Emmy last year, she's a fantastically talented actress," McPherson says. "I think it's unfortunate when there's any kind of turmoil on that show. There's so many people who work so incredibly hard to make that show the No. 1 show in the country. I never like to see when any of them take it lightly. She's absolutely staying with the show. There's an unbelievable story line for her next season. Shonda Rhimes is excited about that, she actually crafted it."

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'Private Practice' less soapy next season
TCA -- ABC's entertainment president Steve McPherson says the second season of "Private Practice" will amp up the medical drama.

"The best episodes last season were still an unbelievable medical drama," McPherson says. "When it just became a soap opera it became spending a lot of time in the coffee room talking about angst. Shonda Rhimes was concerned about having to separate the show from 'Grey's Anatomy.' We're going to get Kate's character back in surgery."

Also: “Practice,” along with ABC’s “Pushing Daisies,” might have 24 episodes next season instead of the usual 22 due to the strike.