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

Sunday, December 28

Animal Control - "Bear Cubs and Broncos" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Tensions erupt when the two rival animal control precincts are forced to merge due to budget cuts; Frank and Templeton clash during a bear cub rescue as they fight for control; Emily and Shred try to hide their romance from the team.

The Simpsons - "¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Homer revitalizes Bumblebee Man's career when he becomes his secret stuntman.

Krapopolis - "Monster Week" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Tyrannis offends his father; Stupendous and Hippocampus do security; Deliria builds a dog.

Bob's Burgers - "Heist Things Are Heist" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
After winning a prestigious award, Bob faces a setback at the ceremony; the kids team up with possible former jewel thief Vincent to put things right.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)

Friday, December 26

Mila Kunis (Family Guy/That '70s Show) - Watch Mila on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Zooey Deschanel (Physical/New Girl) - Zooey appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Laura Dern (F Is for Family/Enlightened) - Laura is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Rose Byrne (Platonic/Physical) - Rose appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jamie Kaler (My Boys) - Jamie is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show/The New Dick Van Dyke Show/The Van Dyke Show) - Dick discusses his new book with ABC News' Chris Connelly on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Patti LaBelle (Out All Night) - Patti cooks on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Lacey Chabert (Still the King/Baby Daddy/Family Guy) - Lacey talks about Loist in Paradise on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Ryan Reynolds (Two Guys and a Girl) - Ryan appears on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) - Sarah is a guest on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil appears on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Mo'Nique (The Parkers) - Tamron Hall (repeat) has a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE with Mo'Nique about her weight-loss journey and the launch of her new fitness brand, Mo'Niques Movement, as well as the emotional moment with her husband that changed it all, so check your local listings.
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Star Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - NBC's Today has Cocktails and Mocktails with Neil and David Burtka on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Mario tells Sherri about his new holiday film The Christmas Spark on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Woody Harrelson (Cheers), Dave Franco (The Afterparty/Scrubs/Do Not Disturb), Isla Fisher (Wolf Like Me) and Ariana Greenblatt (Stuck in the Middle) - The Now You See Me: Now You Don't cast including Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher Jesse Eisenberg, Ariana Greenblatt, Justice Smith and Dominic Sessa join Drew to dish all about the third installment of the hit franchise on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.