Ramblings' Journal

ABC: We're number four, we can't get any worse!

ABC released their fall sked this morning in New York.

As the last place "big network", and with Disney's "suits" looking over their colletive shoulders, ABC is under a lot of pressure to come up with a hit or three this year.

A couple of surprises from the Mouse: Alias won't be back until mid-season, with a new night time soap, Desperate Housewives, getting that Sunday night slot.

8 Simple Rules and Less Than Perfect move to Fridays to anchor ABC's faltering reemergance of the TGIF comedy franchise; My Wife & Kids & George Lopez move to Tuesdays, allowing ABC to get rid of comedy on Wednesday nights.

David E. Kelley's The Practice: Fleet Street will inherit the 10P Sunday slot from The Practice. David Spader and Rhona Mitra return from The Practice, going to work for William Shatner's high-powered law firm.

NYPD Blue comes back for it's final season; the series finale is presently set to air during February Sweeps.

MONDAY:
8:00 p.m. "The Benefactor"
9:00 p.m. "Monday Night Football" (through January)

(Following the culmination of Monday Night Football in January)

8:00 p.m. ABC Monday Night Movie (in January after football)
10:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy" (in January after football)

TUESDAY:
8:00 p.m. "My Wife and Kids" (new night)
8:30 p.m. "George Lopez" (new night and time)
9:00 p.m. "According to Jim"
9:30 p.m. "Rodney"
10:00 p.m. "NYPD Blue" / "Blind Justice" (midseason)

WEDNESDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Lost"
9:00 p.m. "The Bachelor"
10:00 p.m. "Wife Swap"

THURSDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover" (new time period)
9:00 p.m. "Life As We Know It"
10:00 p.m. "Primetime Live" (new title)

FRIDAY:
8:00 p.m. "8 Simple Rules" (new night)
8:30 p.m. "Savages"
9:00 p.m. "Hope & Faith"
9:30 p.m. "Less than Perfect" (new night)
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

SATURDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Wonderful World of Disney"

SUNDAY:
7:00 p.m. "America's Funniest Home Videos"
8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
9:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives" / "Alias" (midseason)
10:00 p.m. "The Practice: Fleet Street"

The Benefactor, with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban giving away a million bucks, premieres in June.

Wife Swap, formerly known as The Swap, tried not once, but twice to recruit me & my family through my affiliation with Project 21 ("It would be good to get a black conservative family; people would be able to see a different picture..."). Yeah. Right. Don't even think it.

Posted by mhking at May 18, 2004 11:59 AM