ABC Family Upfront: That '70s Show Coming in 2008, More AFV Episodes Bought; ABC Delays 'Trees' Until 2007-08

Friday, April 20, 2007

ABC Family Upfront: That '70s Show Coming in 2008, More AFV Episodes Bought; ABC Delays 'Trees' Until 2007-08

ABC Family Channel today outlined their plans for summer and fall of 2007 as well as exciting new online initiatives. Scheduled to debut this summer is the second season of ABC Family’s highest rated original series Kyle XY (Mondays at 8 starting June 11 for 13 episodes), the angel mythology continues when Fallen (August 3, 4 and 5) returns with four new hours, and new series Greek (July for 10 episodes) and the animated series Slacker Cats (August) join the lineup. In addition to the summer series, ABC Family has ordered a fourth season of Wildfire (January 2008 for 13 episodes) and a second season of Lincoln Heights (September for 10 episodes). ABC Family's 10th annual 25 Days of Christmas programming event, will feature over two hundred hours of holiday-themed entertainment for the whole family from December 1- 25. In addition to classic holiday favorites like Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, Frosty’s Winter Wonderland and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, this year's holiday event will also feature two original movie premieres, Snow Globe (working title) and Holiday in Handcuffs starring Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez, as well as the basic cable premiere of The Incredibles. 25 Days of Christmas will launch with the first ever Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas which adds eleven additional days of holiday programming and a third original holiday movie.
ABC Family has acquired the Tom Bergeron hosted episodes of an American television institution, America’s Funniest Home Videos which premieres this October and has also acquired reruns of the popular comedy That 70’s Show premiering in 2008. Another keystone event for the network is 13 Nights of Halloween which includes a new original movie, Nature of the Beast, a classic story of boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy turns into werewolf, starring Eric Mabius (Ugly Betty) and Eddie Kaye Thomas.

Rookie drama Men in Trees will NOT return now on May 10 and 17 at 10pm. ABC will hold all the remaining episodes (five of them) for next season. Instead ABC has slotted sneak preview of new drama Traveler on Thursday, May 10, 2007 at 10:01PM ET/PT. Traveler will air regularly on Wednesdays at 10 this summer starting May 30.
A Lost Clip Show is scheduled to air on Thursday, May 17, 2007 at 10:04 PM ET/PT immediately following the intense Grey's Anatomy season finale!
The Lost Clip Show is also still scheduled to air on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT.