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ABC Mid-Season & Notes; House and Passions Reruns Sold to Cable

ABC has announced more for its mid-season slate. They already announced their Monday changes starting January 9. Today they have given information on the other changes they will be making in January, which will cause changes for Thursday and Fridays nights. Probably the best new sitcom this past development season was Crumbs, and ABC made a wise move by holding off on it until mid-season, because now people will be really hyped up for it. ABC will air Crumbs Thursday nights at 9:30 p.m. starting January 12. ABC also announced that Dancing with the Stars 2 will air in 90 minute installments every Thursday from 8 to 9:30 p.m., so Crumbs will have an excellent lead-in. Stars 2 will have its premiere on January 5 and it will be two hours long. ABC also announced that the half hour Dancing with the Stars 2 Results Show will air Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ABC will move sitcom Hope & Faith up a half hour to 8:30 p.m. and have a new drama called In Justice at 9 p.m. There is no word when Supernanny will return to the schedule. It should return in March.
This is just ABC's January line-up (which will air through February too) and I'm sure come March, there will be more changes because Dancing with the Stars 2 will be over by then and ABC also has returning sitcom Less Than Perfect, returning drama Alias, new sitcom Sons & Daughters, new dramas What About Brian & The Evidence, and reality shows and specials in The Miracle Workers, Supernanny, This Is Your Life, & Extreme Makeover coming this mid-season. ABC is really packed this mid-season and these shows will be ready to go whenever needed. ABC Thursdays and Fridays will be well improved come this January. This is a step in the right direction and please watch Crumbs, it is a hilarious sitcom and is better than My Name is Earl on NBC (which will also air Thursdays this mid-season, but at 9 p.m.--what an hour that will be My Name is Earl at 9 and Crumbs at 9:30--though on two different networks). For the full January and February changes and descriptions of new shows Crumbs and In Justice, click here.

Other ABC notes: They announced they will air a holiday episode of Hope & Faith on a special night and time on Tuesday, December 13 at 8:30 p.m. Rodney fans, not to worry, the holiday Rodney episode will now air Tuesday, December 20 at 8:30 p.m. This must mean ABC is testing to see if Hope & Faith can handle a Tuesday slot. Rodney has done very decent for them holding much of According to Jim's audience and even building on it some weeks.

The Fox drama House has been sold for rerun airings to USA Network/Bravo starting in fall 2008. The drama is also expected to be sold to local channels for weekend airings in fall 2008 as well. The NBC soap opera Passions has been sold for reruns to the Sci-Fi Channel. Sci-Fi Channel will start airing the show weekday mornings at 9:00 a.m. starting Monday, February 6. No further details are available just yet.