More ABC Midseason 2009 Updates; More Network Notes

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

More ABC Midseason 2009 Updates; More Network Notes

We detailed most of the ABC midseason schedule for January, now we have some spring news. Three new dramas will be joining the ABC lineup this spring: Castle on Monday, March 9 at 10:00 p.m.; Cupid on Tuesday, March 24 at 10:00 p.m.; and The Unusuals on Wednesday, April 8 at 10:00 p.m. In addition, ABC News Primetime: What Would You Do? will return on Tuesday, January 6 at 10:00 p.m. replacing Eli Stone (all times ET/PT).
ABC will also return Dancing with the Stars for an all-new season starting Monday, March 9 with a two-hour premiere leading into the premiere of crime drama Castle. Castle will benefit for three weeks from Dancing because Dancing will be two-hours for the first three weeks before settling into its regular 90-minute slot from 8-9:30pm. ABC has not announced yet what will air at 9:30pm starting that night (March 30), one would think it would be either Samantha Who? or new sitcom In the Motherhood. Or even Scrubs? The Dancing with the Stars: The Results show will launch a week later on Tuesday, March 17 at 9:00pm. Looks like there will be no elimination the first week, as there is no results show on March 10. No idea yet what will air following the first results show (perhaps the finale of Primetime: What Would You Do?) on the 17th, but on the 24th ABC will launch new comedy-drama Cupid at 10pm. It is still not known what will happen to Scrubs, but most likely it will go back an hour to 8pm replacing According to Jim. ABC still has not announced dates for new comedies Better Off Ted and The Goode Family, although promos for The Goode Family indicate it is coming this spring. I don't think starting Jan. 20 one of those will premiere, so expect Scrubs double airings Tuesdays 9-10pm for awhile.
As for Wednesdays, ABC has not yet announced what will air before Lost. However, we think that Wednesday at 8pm slot starting Jan. 28 will likely be the new docudrama Border Security USA, but it is not official yet. My guess is that will be it and will run for 11 weeks before perhaps The Goode Family taking over in April. We do know that ABC will air last season's three-part season finale of Lost on Wednesday, January 14 from 8-11pm, a week before the new season starts on Jan. 21. This means Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money will not finish its runs on Wednesdays, as on January 7 ABC will air an ABC News Special called Earth 2100, a look at what the world will look like in 2100 where cities are abandoned and our population has dropped by 80 percent if we do not head the warning signs. Will those two and Eli Stone be used on Saturdays? We shall see. Life on Mars will finish its 17 episodes by April 1, so that is how The Unusuals is launching on April 8.
View complete details on these new three shows announced.

The CW will return Reaper on Tuesdays at 9pm starting March 17. 13 episodes have been ordered for its second year. Returning for its second season, Reaper blends suspense and humor as it follows Sam, a slacker whose world turned upside down on his 21st birthday when he learned that his parents sold his soul to the Devil before he was born. Reaper will follow 90210 on Tuesdays, so the series will be replacing Privileged. Privileged aired a new episode this past Monday at 9 on a special night, and will also air next Monday at 9 with an immediate repeat on its normal night at 9pm. However, it will return to Tuesdays at 9 on Jan. 6 to finish off its 18 episodes. 6 episodes will remain starting then.
Meanwhile, NBC is set to announce its post-Super Bowl plans for midseason (including what will air immediately following the Super Bowl) this week. NBC has announced its January midseason plans, but has not announced nothing more than that yet. One thing you will see is two-hour episodes of Celebrity Apprentice, according to creator Mark Burnett. Sundays 9-11pm is one option or even Wednesdays 8-10pm. So stay tuned, as we learn what NBC will do.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, April 1

St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.

Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)

Tuesday, April 1

Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.