The 2007-08 Season TV Watch List

Updated on 06/10.

New Series Premiere Dates / Status:

NETWORK:

• Dance War (ABC) (could return next year)
  
• Farmer Wants a Wife (CW) Wed 9 PM
  
• Swingtown (CBS) Thurs 10 PM
  
• Fear Itself (NBC) Thurs 10 PM
  
• The Mole (ABC) Mon 9 PM
  
• When Women Rule the World (Fox) TBD 9 PM
  
• Celebrity Circus (NBC) 6/11 9 PM
  
• Wipeout (ABC) 6/24 8 PM
  
• I Survived a Japanese Gameshow (ABC) 6/24 9 PM
  
• The Baby Borrowers (NBC) 6/25 8 PM
  
• Hopkins 24/7 (documentary series) (ABC) 6/26 10 PM
  
• Dance Machine (ABC) 6/27 8 PM
  
• High School Musical: Summer Session (ABC) 7/20 8 PM
  
• Wanna Bet? (ABC) 7/21 9 PM
  
  

CABLE:

• Tell Me You Love Me (HBO) Sun 9 PM
  
• America's Psychic Challenge (Lifetime) Fri 10 PM
  
• Girl Meets Cowboy (We) Sun 10 PM
  
• The Shot (VH1) Sun 10 PM
  
• It's My Party (Lifetime) Fri 10 PM
  
• In Treatment (HBO) Mon 9:30 PM
  
• Step It Up and Dance (Bravo) Thurs 10 PM
  
• Sarah Jane Adventures (SciFi) Fri 8 PM
  
• The Alaska Experiment (Discovery) Tues 10 PM
  
• In Plain Sight (USA) Sun 10 PM
  
• Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Showtime) 6/16 10:30 PM
  
• The Starter Wife (series) (USA) October TBD
  
  

Renewed for 2008-09 Season (New shows for 07-08 indicated in bold):

• Damages (FX) (Also renewed for 2009-10)
  
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) Mon 8:30 PM
  
• Dexter (Showtime) Sun 9 PM
  
• Ugly Betty (ABC) Thurs 8 PM
  
• Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Thurs 9 PM
  
• Desperate Housewives (ABC) Sun 9 PM
  
• Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Sun 10 PM
  
• Lost (ABC) Thurs 9 PM
  
• Dancing With the Stars (ABC) Mon 8 PM/Tues 9 PM
  
• America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC) Sun 7 PM (19th season)
  
• Supernanny (ABC) Wed 9 PM
  
• Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC) Sun 8 PM
  
• Wife Swap (ABC) Wed 8 PM
  
• The Bachelor (ABC) Mon 9:30 PM
  
• WWE Smackdown (CW) Fri 8 PM (moving to MyNetwork TV next year!)
  
• Heroes (NBC) Mon 9 PM
  
• Gossip Girl (CW) Wed 9 PM
  
• America's Next Top Model (CW) Wed 8 PM
  
• Smallville (CW) Thurs 8 PM
  
• Everybody Hates Chris (CW) Mon 8 PM
  
• Supernatural (CW) Thurs 9 PM
  
• Survivor (CBS) Thurs 8 PM
  
• The Amazing Race (CBS) Sun 8 PM
  
• 60 Minutes (CBS) Sun 7 PM
  
• CSI: Miami (CBS) Mon 10 PM
  
• CSI: New York (CBS) Wed 10 PM
  
• C.S.I. (CBS) Thurs 9 PM
  
• NCIS (CBS) Tues 8 PM
  
• E.R. (NBC) Thurs 10 PM (renewed for 15th and last season)
  
• 24 (Fox) 9 PM (Won't air until January 09)
  
• One Tree Hill (CW) Tues 9 PM
  
• Big Brother (CBS) Tues 9 PM
  
• Prison Break (Fox) Mon 8 PM
  
• Samantha Who? (ABC) Mon 9:30 PM
  
• Dirty Sexy Money (ABC) Wed 10 PM
  
• Chuck (NBC) Mon 8 PM
  
• Life (NBC) Wed 10 PM
  
• Private Practice (ABC) Wed 9 PM
  
• Pushing Daisies (ABC) Wed 8 PM
  
• Kitchen Nightmares (Fox) Wed 9 PM
  
• Law and Order (NBC) Wed 9 PM
  
• Friday Night Lights (NBC) Fri 9 PM
  
• Lipstick Jungle (NBC) Thurs 10 PM
  
• How to Look Good Naked (Lifetime) Fri 9:30 PM
  
• 30 Rock (NBC) Thurs 8:30 PM
  
• Deal or No Deal (NBC) Wed 8 PM
  
• My Name is Earl (NBC) Thurs 8 PM
  
• The Office (NBC) Thurs 9 PM
  
• Medium (NBC) Mon 10 PM
  
• Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) Sun 8 PM
  
• Law and Order: SVU (NBC) Tues 10 PM
  
• Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox) Mon 8 PM
  
• Tim Gunn's Guide to Style (Bravo) Wed 10 PM
  
• Project Runway (Lifetime) MOVING TO LIFETIME!!
  
• Sunday Best (BET) Sun 8 PM
  
• American Gangster (BET) Thurs 10 PM
  
• Real Housewives of Orange County (Bravo) 10 PM
  
• Top Chef (Bravo) Wed 10 PM
  
• Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo)
  
• Top Design (Bravo)
  
• Shear Genius (Bravo)
  
• The Millionaire Matchmaker (Bravo)
  
• Million Dollar Listing (Bravo)
  
• Breaking Bad (AMC) Thurs 10 PM
  
• American Idol (Fox) Tues/Wed 8 PM
  
• House (Fox) Mon 9 PM
  
• Bones (Fox) Tues 8 PM
  
• Lincoln Heights (ABC Family) Mon 8 PM
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) Mon 9 PM
  
• Ghost Hunters (SciFi) Wed 9 PM
  
• The Game (CW) Mon 9:30 PM
  
• Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? (Fox)
  
• Don't Forget the Lyrics! (Fox)
  
• Cops (Fox)
  
• America's Most Wanted (Fox)
  
• The Simpsons (Fox) Sun 8 PM
  
• Family Guy (Fox) Sun 9 PM
  
• Boston Legal (ABC) Wed 10 PM
  
• The Ghost Whisperer (CBS) Fri 8 PM
  
• The Tudors (Showtime) Sun 9 PM
  
• Eli Stone (ABC) Thurs 10 PM
  
• The Moment of Truth (Fox) Wed 9 PM (returns 6/12)
  
• Reaper (CW) Tues 9 PM
  
• The Unit (CBS) Tues 9 PM
  
• Cold Case (CBS) Sun 9 PM
  
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Mon 8 PM
  
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) Mon 9:30 PM
  
• Criminal Minds (CBS) Wed 9 PM
  
• Without a Trace (CBS) Thurs 10 PM
  
• Numb3rs (CBS) Fri 10 PM
  
• 20/20 (ABC) Fri 10 PM
  
• Scrubs (NBC) Thurs 9:30 PM (moves to ABC)
  
• According to Jim (ABC) Tues 9 PM (returns midseason)
  
• 10 Items or Less (TBS) 11 PM
  
• Tyler Perry's House of Payne (TBS) 10 PM
  
• Frank TV (TBS) Tues 11 PM
  
• The Bill Engvall Show (TBS)
  
• King of the Hill (Fox) Sun 8:30 PM
  
• American Dad (Fox) Sun 9:30 PM
  
• Torchwood (BBC America) Sat 9 PM [Season 3 only 5 eps no date]
  
  
  

Series Death Watch (New shows for 07-08 indicated in bold):

• Online Nation (CW)
  
• Nashville (Fox)
  
• Viva Laughlin (CBS)
  
• Kid Nation (CBS) Wed 8 PM
  
• Las Vegas (NBC) Fri 10 PM
  
• Girlfriends (CW) Mon 9 PM
  
• Jericho (CBS) Tues 10 PM
  
• The Return of Jezebel James (Fox) Fri 8:30 PM
  
• Journeyman (NBC) Mon 10 PM
  
• Bionic Woman (NBC) Wed 9 PM
  
• Phenomenon (NBC) Wed 8 PM
  
• Clash of the Choirs (NBC)
  
• Secret Talents of the Stars (CBS) Tues 10 PM
  
• Exalted! (BET) Sun 9 PM
  
• Amne$ia (NBC) Fri 8 PM
  
• Men in Trees (ABC) Wed 10 PM
  
• Battlestar Galactica (SciFi) 9 PM (Series Ending)
  
• Back to You (Fox) Wed 9:30 PM
  
• October Road (ABC) Mon 10 PM
  
• Aliens in America (CW) Mon 8:30 PM
  
• Beauty and the Geek (CW) Tues 8 PM
  
• New Amsterdam (Fox) Mon 9 PM
  
• K-ville (Fox) Mon 9 PM
  
• Big Shots (ABC) Thurs 10 PM
  
• CW Now (CW) Sun 7 PM
  
• Cavemen (ABC) Tues 8 PM
  
• Carpoolers (ABC) Tues 8:30 PM
  
• Cane (CBS) Tues 10 PM
  
• Life is Wild (CW) Sun 8 PM
  
• American Band (Fox) Fri 8 PM
  
• Crowned (CW) Wed 8 PM
  
• Women's Murder Club (ABC) Tues 10 PM
  
• Welcome to the Captain (CBS) Mon 8:30 PM
  
• Oprah's Big Give (ABC) Sun 9 PM
  
• Shark (CBS) Sun 10 PM
  
• Power of 10 (CBS) Wed 8 PM
  
• Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious Wed 9 PM
  
• Notes from the Underbelly (ABC) Mon 9:30 PM
  
• Duel (ABC) Fri 9 PM
  
• Moonlight (CBS) Fri 9 PM
  
• Cashmere Mafia (ABC) Wed 10 PM
  
• Canterbury's Law (Fox) Fri 9 PM
  
• The Singing Bee (NBC) Tues 9:30 PM
  
• Miss/Guided (ABC) Thurs 8PM
  
• quarterlife (Bravo) Tues 10 PM
  
• Unhitched (Fox) Sun 9:30 PM
  
• Dirt (FX) Tues 10 PM
  
  

Returning Series Premiere Dates:

NETWORK:

• Hell's Kitchen (Fox) Tues 9 PM
  
• The Bachelorette (ABC) Mon 9 PM
  
• Last Comic Standing (NBC) Thurs 8:30 PM
  
• So You Think You Can Dance? (Fox) Tues 8 PM
  
• Nashville Star (NBC) Mon 8 PM
  
• America's Got Talent (NBC) 6/17 9 PM
  
  

CABLE:

• Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) Sun 10 PM
  
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX) Thurs 10 PM
  
• The Ultimate Fighter (Spike) Wed 10 PM
  
• Stargate Atlantis (SciFi) Fri 10 PM
  
• Brotherhood (Showtime) Sun 10 PM
  
• South Park (Comedy Central) Wed 10 PM
  
• The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy Central) Wed 10:30 PM
  
• Law and Order: Criminal Intent (USA) Sun 10 PM
  
• Drawn Together (Comedy Central) Fri 10:30 PM
  
• Nip/Tuck (FX) 10 PM
  
• The L Word (Showtime) 10 PM
  
• Hotel Babylon (BBC America) Wed 9 PM
  
• The Riches (FX) Tues 10 PM
  
• Greek (ABC Family) Mon 8 PM
  
• Deadliest Catch (Discovery) Tues 9 PM
  
• Doctor Who (SciFi) Fri 9 PM
  
• Workout (Bravo) Tues 10 PM
  
• Robin Hood (BBC America) Sat 9 PM
  
• Wildfire (ABC Family) Mon 9 PM
  
• Burn Notice (USA) 6/10 10 PM
  
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List (Bravo) 6/12 9 PM
  
• Weeds (Showtime) 6/16 10 PM
  
• Flipping Out (Bravo) 6/17 9 PM
  
• Monk (USA) 6/18 9 PM
  
• Psych (USA) 6/18 10 PM
  
• 30 Days (FX) 7/3 10 PM
  
• The Shield (FX) 9/2 10 PM
  
  
  

A brief explanation of the watch list:

New shows premiere dates / status - consider this the neutral zone, detailing the premiere dates for new shows and tidbits of info which could forecast a move to another category.

Shows likely to be axed - their numbers aren't good, news stories point to it being yanked, it may soon end up in the cancelled category.

NEW Series Pickups- this doesn't mean it is renewed for next year, just that the series has gotten a full season order. (e.g., 'back nine' pickup).

Likely pickups - the numbers are good, all we need is the confirmation from the network (again, this is for full season orders, not renewals).

Renewed - Will be back next season (new or older shows).

Series death watch - they've been on the air and their time may be coming. We watch and wait... (new or older shows)

All other series premiere dates - Just what it says. These aren't new series, but their premiere dates are listed and updated, just as an added service to you, my loyal readers and googlers passing by...

** New this year, I will be tracking the reality shows as well as scripted

More post-strike scuttlebutt

2/13 Lots of Updates!

Here are the tidbits being posted around the web on various sites and in notes I've gotten from people 'in the know':

CBS:

* UPDATE: Shark is going back into production for four episodes, return date TBD. "The Unit" is still on hiatus.

* Cane is also a bubble show -- no requests for episodes from them, but pickup is still a possibility.

* The New Adventures of Old Christine and Rules of Engagement - also unknown if they will be picked up for next season -- bubble. UPDATE: Rules of Engagement will produce 6 more episodes for this season, return date is April 14.

* Moonlight might get 4 new episodes this spring,and will return to the schedule on April 11.

* Swingtown will go back into production. Air date is TBD.

* How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men each get 9 new episodes. All will return on March 17.

Other CBS shows, episodes ordered and return to air date:

"CSI: Miami," March 24, 8 episodes

"Cold Case," March 30, 5 episodes

"Criminal Minds," April 2, 7 episodes

"CSI: NY," April 2, 7 episodes

"CSI," April 3, 6 episodes

"Without a Trace," April 3, 6 episodes

"Ghost Whisperer," April 4, 6 episodes

"Numb3rs," April 4, 6 episodes

"NCIS," April 8, 7 episodes


Fox:

* Word is that Prison Break won't shoot more episodes.

* Also rumor that 24 might get pushed to January 2009!! UPDATE: Still hearing this.

* House will push out 5 or 6 more episodes, and Fox isn't afraid to extend their spring season a bit to accommodate past May sweeps.

* Back to You and 'Til Death are expected to go back into production for a few more episodes this season.

NBC:

* Chuck and Heroes will likely not produce any more episodes this season, but will return in the fall. No word on whether additional episodes will be tacked on to next season (this may happen to some shows being cut short this season).

* The Office and 30 Rock are expected to resume production.

ABC:

* Lost will probably only eke out another 6 episodes or so. There were supposed to be 16 for the shortened seasons, so a few episodes may get added to the next two seasons, making them 17 or 18 episode seasons to accommodate the story-telling (still speculative)

* Boston Legal is expected to resume production, and may be quickest back to air with new episodes, as apparently David Kelley works really fast cranking out scripts (hat tip: Hollywood Reporter for several of these items)

* Women's Murder Club is really on the bubble. Three executive producers were let go from the show yesterday. Big Shots looks really dead.

The CW:

* Gossip Girl has already been picked up for next season. No word yet on production schedule (though probably won't have new episodes until fall).

* Girlfriends was aired its last original episode, but no more are expected to be produced since this was the show's final season. There is talk of a final episode -- possibly a clip show -- to give the show a proper send off (will add this cancellation to watch list).

* Aliens in America had already shot 18 episodes, likely won't get more produced for spring. Everybody Hates Chris produced their 22-episode order, and both series still have fresh episodes to be aired. The Game is expected to go back into production for a few episodes.

* Smallville, Supernatural, Reaper and One Tree Hill are expected to go back into production. No word on how many episodes will be produced.

Will update rumors/confirm news as it happens.

ABC starts to pick up some stuff

Woohoo! Real newsy news to talk about! So, ABC came out of the gate letting us all in on which shows they'd be renewing for next season (read: pushing off too much production until fall)

Hollywood Reporter published the following:

The list include juggernauts "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost" (which is in the first year of a three-season pickup), sophomore series "Brothers & Sisters" and "Ugly Betty" as well as freshmen "Private Practice" "Pushing Daisies," "Samantha Who?" and "Dirty Sexy Money."

The returning series all have been picked up for a full season.

Meanwhile, the four first-year shows, which all had already been picked up for the back nine, have received 13-episode orders. It is expected that, with the possible exception of "Samantha Who?," they won't air any new episodes this season, with extra produced segments added to their run in the fall.

So, what's missing? "Boston Legal", "Men in Trees", "October Road", "Carpoolers", "Cavemen" and "According to Jim", for starters. "Big Shots" looks to be dead at this point. I think it is still too soon to write off "Women's Murder Club" or "Cashmere Mafia".

I can update the watch list again! What a great day! :-D

Updating the Watch List: An exercise in futility

Yeah, I know -- it's horribly out of date. Do you know how difficult it is to hit a moving target?

Shows I think have hit hiatus, actually still have episodes in the can.

Shows I think are airing soon are getting pushed back on the schedule.

And don't even talk to me about what the heck happens after March...

I'll do some real work on it this weekend. Seriously. Because I lurves you.

My favorite TV of the year

Trying to decide which hours of TV to love is like picking your favorite child. Still, decisions have to be made. Here are the episodes (and their WRITERS, which I promise to add later once I can look them all up) that really hit it out of the park for me this year. (In no particular order -- I can pick the children, I don't have to rank them)

LOST "Through the Looking Glass" This one is still on the DVR, but now that I've got the 3rd season on DVD I can watch this one over and over again in anticipation of what is to come in one month's time. Truly awesome TV fun.

HOUSE "Airborne" House may have seemed stale by the end of Season 3 (and it has had some juice pumped back in Season 4) but this episode stands out to me for a) taking House out of his element and b) giving every major cast member some meaty stuff to do. Putting House and Cuddy on an airplane to do a differential was just icing on the cake.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA "Crossroads, pt 2" Since "Exodus" technically aired in 2006, I'll pick the 3rd season finale for my fave of 2007. While I found "Razor" fascinating it was the completely unexpected revelations about Tigh, Anders, Tyrol and Tory and the end of Baltar's trial that really packed the punch for the series. We await the Season 4 open with baited breath...

CHUCK "Chuck vs. the Truth" Not just for really moving the story forward be revealing what had been up to that point character 'secrets' but also for the fast paced and breezy interplay of the characters, the show really hit its stride, showing what awesome TV it could be. Best line goes to Zac Levi: "Casey, your jaw was chiseled by Michelangelo himself." I know, not as great taken out of context, but man it floored me. Especially Adam Baldwin's reaction. Classic. Oh, and did I mention that our dear Marshall J. Flinkman (aka Kevin Weisman) is in it?

THE SOPRANOS "Kennedy and Heidi" Okay, I hate that the Sopranos wins like every award there is for this season, but dang, this was a pretty bitchin' episode. I mean, Christifuh dies at the hands of Tony! And Pauly is out of control funny.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (tie) "Pilot" and "State" - the bookends to an example of a perfect season of TV. Even if it hadn't had a second season granted, this would go down in my book as one of the most overall satisfying shows of the year.

VERONICA MARS "The Unaired Season 4 Preview" This look at what a 4th season of VM would have been like is something that pains me. It was sooo good, so fresh and so what I wanted. I curse the CW for their poor decision making.

LIFE "Dig a Hole" and "Fill it Up" Sure, continue to ignore this show, but you do so at your peril. This two-parter was great TV, the revelation of who committed the murder that Charlie Cruse had been wrongfully convicted and sent to prison for. Even better, there's still the mystery as to who orchestrated the whole thing (and why). I hope I get to find out...

FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS "Bowie" For making me laugh for almost 30 minutes straight. Actually, I could say that about almost all of the 'Conchords' episodes...

STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP "K&R" pts 1-3 and "What Kind of Day Has it Been" I know, crazy to have this on the list, but when I watched the last four episodes in one sitting, I was floored at how good they were. It was as if knowing that their doom was imminent Sorkin, Schlamme and company pulled out all the stops and put on a good show. Really reminded me of the first couple of years of 'The West Wing' that just pushed me closer to becoming a writer. I was humbled.

Okay, I will place one hour of TV above all the others (and yes, I know I've left off a lot of awesomely wonderful TV from the list...sue me).

DOCTOR WHO "Blink" A singular achievement. Steven Moffat has my undying love and devotion after I watched this. Terrifying and creepy (rare to honestly ascribe those terms to much TV today) I could not help but sit back on my couch and say "wow" once it was over. Also the ONLY TV episode this year I was compelled to watch again immediately upon viewing it the first time. If you haven't seen this, you haven't really watched TV as it should be.

Next post I'll detail some of the WORST Hours of TV of 2007 and some of my honorable mentions (I.E. stuff I forgot while I was writing this post)

Back to You gets full season pickup

Fox grants a 'back nine' plus 2 for a total of 24 episodes. There's inference from Fox that 'Back to You' may either lead in to or out of American Idol come January.

Link: Variety.com

CW gives Gossip Girl full season order

Surprise! The CW, despite weak ratings for its new shows, moves first to order the back nine of "Gossip Girl". Article in Variety.

Stay tuned for updated Watch List.

NBC Press release - fall premiere dates and schedule changes

(I'll be creating the new watch list very soon!)

NBC SHOWCASES FALL PRIMETIME ENTERTAINMENT SERIES BEGINNING WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 24

New Drama "Chuck" Kicks Off Mondays (8-9 p.m. ET) and "Deal or No Deal" Shifts to Fridays (8-9 p.m. ET) Leading into "Friday Night Lights" (9-10 p.m. ET) Followed by "Las Vegas" (10-11 p.m. ET)

"The Biggest Loser" Expands to 90 Minutes on Tuesdays and Shares the Night with Summer Hit "The Singing Bee," New Addition to Fall Lineup

One-hour Episodes of "My Name Is Earl" (8-9 p.m. ET) and "The Office" (9-10 p.m. ET) Premiere on Thursday, September 27

BURBANK – July 16, 2007 – NBC launches its season premieres the week of September 24. The network will adjust its schedule by moving the new comedic spy thriller "Chuck" to Mondays (8-9 p.m. ET) – followed by switching the popular Monday version of "Deal or No Deal" to Fridays (8-9 p.m. ET), and shifting "Friday Night Lights" to an earlier new time of 9-10 p.m. (ET) and " Las Vegas" to 10-11 p.m. (ET).

In addition, NBC will expand "The Biggest Loser" to 90 minutes on Tuesdays (8-9:30 p.m. ET) and will have a special two-hour premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 11. Summer's newest hit, "The Singing Bee" (which premiered earlier this month), will have its Fall premiere on Tuesday, September 25 (9:30-10 p.m. ET).

NBC's premiere week will also feature one-hour episodes each of "My Name Is Earl" (8-9 p.m. ET) and "The Office" (9-10 p.m. ET) on Thursday, September 27 and a two-hour episode premiere of "Las Vegas" on Friday, September 28 (9-11 p.m. ET).

The announcements were made by Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, and Marc Graboff, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios.

"We can't wait for the new season to begin and we believe that these programming changes will allow for a powerhouse Monday night with 'Chuck,' 'Heroes' and 'Journeyman,'" said Silverman. "On Tuesdays, the 90-minute 'The Biggest Loser' has always performed well and will fit perfectly with our new summer hit 'The Singing Bee.' On Fridays, we can hammock 'Friday Night Lights' between two proven hits – 'Deal or No Deal' and 'Las Vegas,' with new cast member Tom Selleck."

Said Graboff: "We like that we can start our season off strong with hour-long episodes of such comedy favorites as 'Earl' and 'The Office.' Coupled with the dynamo of 'Sunday Night Football,' we will have a very potent fall lineup and these schedule adjustments will only make us stronger."

All of NBC's primetime entertainment series will bow during the week of September 24 with the exception of "The Biggest Loser" (Tuesday, September 11), "30 Rock" (Thursday, October 4), "Friday Night Lights" (Friday, October 5) and "Scrubs" (Thursday, October 25).

In addition, "Deal or No Deal" will premiere on Monday, September 17 (8-9 p.m. ET) -- one final time in its previously announced day and time before moving to Fridays (8-9 p.m. ET) on September 28.

Likewise, "Friday Night Lights" was previously scheduled for Fridays (10-11 p.m. ET) and "Las Vegas" (9-10 p.m. ET) on the same night before swapping time periods.

On September 24, NBC tees up its new season on Mondays (8-9 p.m. ET) with "Chuck," a new hour-long series from executive producer Josh Schwartz ("The O.C.") and executive producer-director McG ("Charlie's Angels," "We Are Marshall"), who deliver a comedic spy thriller about Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi, "Less Than Perfect") -- a computer geek who is catapulted into a new career as the government's most vital secret agent. Then comes the much-anticipated second-season debut of "Heroes" (9-10 p.m. ET) as the epic ensemble drama centers on several ordinary people who possess extraordinary abilities.

Monday, September 24 will also serve as the premiere of the new drama "Journeyman" (10-11 p.m. ET). From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Kevin Falls ("The West Wing") and Emmy Award-winning director-producer Alex Graves ("The West Wing"), "Journeyman" is a romantic mystery-drama about Dan Vasser (Kevin McKidd, "Rome"), a San Francisco newspaper
reporter and family man who inexplicably begins to travel through time and change people's lives.

Tuesdays mark the beginning of a new season of "The Biggest Loser" (8-10 p.m. ET) starting September 11 as the popular competitive weight-loss series boasts a few new twists. "The Singing Bee," introduced earlier this month, is hosted by Joey Fatone (*NSYNC) as it challenges contestants to not only sing a song – but compels them to sing the words
correctly. The variety-competition series will join the fall lineup on September 25.

The perennial favorite "Deal or No Deal" (8-9 p.m.) jump-starts Wednesdays beginning September 25 with host Howie Mandel, whose provocative series title question: "Deal – or no deal?" – has become a national catchphrase. The new "Bionic Woman" (9-10 p.m. ET) stars Michelle Ryan ("EastEnders") as a young woman whose life is radically altered and empowered after a car crash as it debuts on September 25. Also on the same night, the new drama "Life" (10-11 p.m. ET) features a complex police detective (Damian Lewis, "Band of Brothers") who's given a second chance on the force after serving years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

"My Name Is Earl" (8-9 p.m. ET) and the Emmy Award-winning "The Office" (9-10 p.m. ET) will break out of the gate in a big way on Thursday, September 27 as each premieres with an hour-long episode. The 14th season debut of "ER" follows (10-11 p.m. ET).

The two-hour premiere of "Las Vegas" (9-11 p.m. ET) will follow the new Friday-night "Deal or No Deal" (8-9 p.m. ET) on September 28.

As it did during last fall, "Football Night in America" (7-8 p.m. ET) and "Sunday Night Football" (8-11 p.m. ET) will dominate on autumn Sundays.

Previews of new fall shows

In earlier posts I embeded and linked to some video clips for some of NBC's new shows. ABC and CBS also have some video clips up at the following locations:

ABC Fall Preview
CBS Fall Preview
Fox Fall Preview
The CW Fall Preview

2007 Upfronts: The CW announces Fall Schedule

Monday
8:00 p.m. Everybody Hates Chris
8:30 p.m. Aliens in America (new comedy/sitcom)
9:00 p.m. Girlfriends
9:30 p.m. The Game

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. Beauty and the Geek (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. Reaper (new drama)

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model
9:00 p.m. Gossip Girl (new drama)

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Smallville
9:00 p.m. Supernatural

Friday
8:00 p.m. Friday Night Smackdown!

Sunday
7:00 p.m. Online Nation (new reality)
7:30 p.m. CW Now (new reality/newsmag)
8:00 p.m. Life is Wild (new drama)
9:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (repeats)

"One Tree Hill" and "Pussycat Dolls" are held until midseason. No "Veronica Mars" on the schedule, but the CW has until June 15 to make a final decision on its future.

New Program Descriptions (from Mediaweek)

Dramas

GOSSIP GIRL
Based on the series of young adult novels of the same name, the lives of a privileged, but dysfunctional group of prep school teens on Manhattan’s Upper West Side is the focus. Being super-rich and super-popular are not necessarily synonymous with finding true happiness. The cast includes Penn Badgley, Chace Crawfrod, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Taylor Momsen, Matthew Settle and former Melrose Place star Kelly Rutherford.

LIFE IS WILD
A blended family living in New York City relocate to spend a year at a broken-down lodge in a game reserve deep inside South Africa. Outsiders at first, the family begins to appreciate the breathtaking scenery, the enchanting locals, and the vibrant culture surrounding them. Brett Cullen (Friday Night Lights) leads the ensemble cast.

REAPER
When a 21-year-old slacker (Bret Harrison) learns that his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was even born, he must now serve as a bounty hunter, tracking down evil souls that have escaped and returning them to Hell. With his friends and trusty vessel-of-the-week at his side, Sam is ready to face his destiny as the Reaper.

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Comedy

ALIENS IN AMERICA
A sensitive, nerdy 16-year old (Justin Tolchuk) trying to make it through high school with the help of his well-meaning family finds his world turned upside down when a Pakistani exchange student of the same age (Adhir Kalyan) arrives. The cast includes My Pietz (Caroline in the City), Patrick Breen (Kevin Hill) and Lindsey Shaw as popular sister Claire.

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Non-Scripted

CW NOW
In this adult 18-34-targeted newsmagazine, the focus is on the hottest fashions, the coolest music, the A-list movies, and the best in technology.

ONLINE NATION
Scouring the endless number of websites, blogs and user-generated materials on the Internet, Online Nation will feature everything and anything that has captured the attention of the online world. Viewers, in addition, will be able to communicate with each other live on the air.

CROWNED: THE MOTHER OF ALL PAGEANTS (midseason)
In this eight-episode competition judged by Carson Kressley (Queen Eye for the Straight Guy) and former Miss U.S.A. Shanna Moakler, teams of mothers and daughters are pitted against each other in a no-holds-barred beauty pageant.

FARMER WANTS A WIFE (midseason)
In this reality sounding hybrid of Green Acres and The Bachelor, a group of 10 women fed up with bad dates in the big city will compete for the hand of a charming, hard-working farmer.

2007 Upfronts: CBS announces Fall Schedule

Mondays
8 pm - "How I Met Your Mother"
8:30 p.m. - "The Big Bang Theory" (new)
9 p.m. - "Two and a Half Men"
9:30 p.m. - "Rules of Engagement"
10 p.m. - "CSI: Miami"

Tuesdays
8 p.m. - "NCIS"
9 p.m. - "The Unit"
10 p.m. - "Cane" (new) (was called "Los Duques")

Wednesdays
8 p.m. - "Kid Nation" (new reality)
9 p.m. - "Criminal Minds"
10 p.m. - "CSI: NY"

Thursdays
8 p.m. - "Survivor: China"
9 p.m. - "CSI"
10 p.m. - "Without a Trace"

Fridays
8 p.m. - "Ghost Whisperer"
9 p.m. - "Moonlight" (new) (was called "Twilight")
10 p.m. - "Numb3rs"

Saturdays
8 p.m. - "Crimetime Saturday"
9 p.m. - "Crimetime Saturday"
10 p.m. - "48 Hours Mystery"

Sundays
7 p.m. - "60 Minutes"
8 p.m. - "Viva Laughlin" (new)
9 p.m. - "Cold Case"
10 p.m. - "Shark"

I really like this schedule, much better than the one I proposed actually. Moving "Without a Trace" back to Thursday at 10 is incredibly wise. "Shark" did well in the spot, but it was always a little soft. Also glad to see "Shark" get the 10 PM spot on Sunday, which I wasn't sure would happen, but since CBS was willing to move "Trace" back to its old time slot, it makes perfect sense. I'm not sure how good a fit "Viva Laughlin" is into "Cold Case", but we'll see. "Swingtown", "Amazing Race" and "Old Christine" sit on the bench until midseason. I got Friday right, but Wednesday I got thrown a curve by CBS adding "Kid Nation", a reality show in that hour. Now "Two and a Half Men" is safe on Monday with "Rules of Engagement". It's a solid lineup. We'll see how it flies against the other nets, but I think this will keep CBS at the top of the heap for another year.

CBS Schedule Predictions

CBS once again has a relatively stable schedule. They renewed a large number of their shows, and only have a few time periods to really worry about. Still, I'd like to see CBS mix things up a little bit to counter some of the moves by their competitors.

Monday

This is one night where CBS should stay the course. Monday is a good comedy night for them, but ratings have been weaker of late. Still, I think we'll see "How I Met Your Mother" paired with newcomer "The Big Bang Theory" in the 8 PM hour. For 9 PM "The New Adventures of Old Christine" could play lead-in to "I'm in Hell". At 10 PM CBS will most likely stay with what works -- CSI: Miami.

Tuesday

CBS has done well on Tuesday nights, and since they are keeping NCIS and The Unit, I'd expect them to continue airing these shows on this night. This could be the night that new series "Swingtown" gets a tryout at 9 PM, sandwiched between the aforementioned shows.

Wednesday

An hour of comedy on Wednesday seems to work well, so I think we'll see "Rules of Engagement" appear here after "Two and a Half Men". If ROE gets bumped to midseason, the slot will go to "The Captain", another new half hour. 9 PM would be a good hour to premiere "Viva Laughlin", but if they decide to be lame and keep their night the same, we'll see "Criminal Minds" followed by CSI: NY. Pardon me while I yawn at the prospect.

Thursday

This one's a cakewalk: "Survivor" and "CSI" for sure. Now, at 10 PM I really think they'll try out a newbie and bump "Shark" to another night, so my money is on "Los Duques", the new Jimmy Smits show to get the pimp spot.

Friday

This has been a good night for CBS, except for the lackluster numbers for now cancelled "Close to Home". I think "Twilight" would be a decent fit out of "Ghost Whisperer" and before "Numb3rs". Vampires after ghosts makes total sense to me.

Saturday

48 Hours and whatever other crap they come up with. Did I mention this is a wasteland night?

Sunday

CBS went with Race-Case-Trace as their lineup this night (which I kinda dug the mnemonic for), but I expect this to get a shakeup. For one thing, I think "Amazing Race" will get held for spring, and in its place we'll see either "Shark" relocated from Thursday to 8 PM or "Cold Case" bumped to 8 and "Shark" at 9. Of course, "60 Minutes" will continue to air at 7.

Tune in bright and early for the real schedule.

And now, the news many of you have waited for...

UPDATE:

Veronica Mars is Cancelled...Maybe.

5/16: Futon Critic reports this morning that The CW may not make a final decision on this until June 15. So I guess I *will* shut my big fat mouth and see what happens...

Other CW news: Series orders confirmed for half hour "Aliens in America" and hourlongs "Gossip Girl", "Reaper" and the untitled South Africa project.

"One Tree Hill", "Supernatural", and "Smallville" are all renewed for next year. Sitcom "All of Us" has been cancelled, but "Girlfriends" and "The Game" have been renewed.

CBS has renwed "How I Met Your Mother" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and dramas "The Unit", "Shark", "Criminal Minds" and "The Ghost Whisperer." "Rules of Engagement" is also renewed for next year.

"Close to Home", "Jericho", and "The Class" are cancelled.

Video clips of new NBC shows

The Bionic Woman

Fighting! Jumping! Katie Sackoff!! Miguel Ferrer. I already love this show.

Interview with Exec Producer David Eick

Chuck

Car chase in Nerd Mobile

The NSA catches up with Chuck and Sarah

Life

Charlie and his partner are escorted out.

Journeyman

Dan saves Neil.

Dan is thrown out of his house in 1987.

2007 Upfronts: ABC announces Fall Schedule

First, the schedule:

MONDAY:

8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars"
9:30 p.m. "Sam I Am" (new comedy)
10:00 p.m. "The Bachelor"

TUESDAY:

8:00 p.m. "Cavemen" (new comedy)
8:30 p.m. "Carpoolers" (new comedy)
9:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show"
10:00 p.m. "Boston Legal"

WEDNESDAY:

8:00 p.m. "Pushing Daisies" (new)
9:00 p.m. "Private Practice" (new)
10:00 p.m. "Dirty Sexy Money" (new)

THURSDAY:

8:00 p.m. "Ugly Betty"
9:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy"
10:00 p.m. "Big Shots" (new)

FRIDAY:

8:00 p.m. "MEN IN TREES"
9:00 p.m. "Women's Murder Club" (new)
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

SATURDAY:

8:00 p.m. "Saturday Night College Football"

SUNDAY:

7:00 p.m. "America's Funniest Home Videos"
8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
9:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives"
10:00 p.m. "Brothers & Sisters"

"Cashmere Mafia," "Notes from the Underbelly" and "October Road" will premiere after "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Bachelor" conclude their fall seasons.

"Lost" returns in January.

Missing from the schedule: "What About Brian", "Knights of Prosperity" and surprisingly "According to Jim" which have all been cancelled, but it is a safe bet that "Supernanny" and "Wife Swap" are waiting in the wings to sub in the spring for any open timeslots.

I got Saturday and Sunday night. I scored on Friday as 'girl's night' but totally got the shows wrong. They picked 'Big Shots' for the post-Grey's spot instead of "Dirty Sexy Money" which will air out of "Private Practice" Wednesday at 9. Overall the schedule has some bold programming moves, though I can't say I'm thrilled that "The Bachelor" is back in the fall. I also think ABC is playing a dangerous game with their reality windfall "Dancing with the Stars" by airing a series in the fall and spring.

I did sit in on the ABC conference call this morning (at 5 AM) and jotted down some notes:

Cavemen - if it was just about the Geico cavemen, it wouldn't work. Exec producer from 3rd Rock from the Sun has come on board.

Miss/Guided - From Ashton Kutcher. No matter where you are, you are still in high school. A woman goes back to high school as a guidance counselor.

Sam I Am - Christina Applegate stars. Single camera, fun romantic comedy.

Carpoolers - Bruce McCullough of "Kids in the Hall" is behind this show about

Tuesday and Wednesday are a big focus for ABC this year.

Lost is a better 9 or 8 PM show. The numbers aren't down at all. Live plus seven ratings are the same, more people are using DVRs now. Lost will air 16 episodes uninterrupted in the spring.

People didn't show up for the serialized dramas last year, but the shows that hit last year were escapist in some way or another. The Nine was not escapism where Ugly Betty and Heroes were. Shift in the viewer right now for what they "thirst for".

Promotional efforts for so many new shows. Not all of these shows premiere in the fall at the same time. Certain shows will be priorities, but ABC feels they have the assets to launch new shows.

Geico will discontinue cavemen ads once show airs to avoid rights issues of the characters.

Testing process needs to improve - hoping to use the internet more in the future to tap into audiences and get immediate feedback on new shows.

Would have loved to have gotten Scrubs, but happy it is going on another year at NBC.

I am working on an article for another website and if it gets accepted, I'll post the link here.

Troubled waters for NBC

Thinking more about NBC's announced schedule...they really need one or two shows to hit. Consider this:

ER - 14th season, rumored to be its last
Law & Order - 18th season
Law & Order: SVU - Ninth season

These shows are all long in the tooth and expensive. Law & Order barely escaped cancellation, only surviving after NBC reached an agreement with Dick Wolf to reduce costs on the series this year. A story in the Hollywood Reporter today quotes Kevin Reilly at the upfronts about whether this will be the last season for "ER":

"We'll make a determination in October," Reilly said, noting that NBC will be in the last year of its contract for "ER" with Warner Bros. Television. "If we feel like this is it, we will make a very big deal of it, driving the finale."

If NBC doesn't find some viable replacements out of their development this year, we'll see "Deal or No Deal" on four nights a week. And that's too much Howie Mandel for anyone.

ABC Schedule predictions

This is pure conjecture on my part. In no way is this to be considered ABC's schedule for the fall. ABC will announce tomorrow (and there is a 5 AM Conference call I will join just to get the word that much more quickly to you people), so we'll do the compare/contrast after that.

Okay, so on to my totally non-scientific predictions:

Monday

Monday was tough for ABC this year, but this spring they did bang up business with "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Bachelor". While neither is a shoo-in for a fall premiere date (Dancing with the Stars has a shot), I think ABC will opt for some new and moved programming for this night.

While NBC has "Deal or No Deal", "Heroes", and the new "Journeyman" for its lineup, CBS will likely continue to program sitcoms Monday night, and Fox will continue with male skewing shows "Prison Break" and something new, ABC would do well to counter program Mondays to women. I would suggest a lineup which includes "Men In Trees" on this night and possibly intro new show "Women's Murder Club". Another possible fit would be "Private Practice", but I think it will get a pimp spot on another night. Filling the 8 PM hour should be one of the net's reality shows, possibly "Wife Swap" or "Supernanny", which have performed well here in the past. If they get moved to midseason or summer, this spot is a toss-up to me.

Tuesday

Tuesday again has been decent with "Dancing with the Stars" results show and "Boston Legal" at 10 PM. I think, however, there is room to really compete on Tuesday night. While "House" is dominant on Fox at 9 PM, don't be surprised to see ABC really push the 10 PM hour further with the Grey's spinoff, "Private Practice." This would bump "Boston Legal" to another night, possibly Monday or Friday. When "October Road" comes back midseason, it should be slated in on Tuesdays, but may air out of Grey's depending on how well the new shows airing in the post-Grey's spot performs. At 8 on Tuesday I wouldn't be surprised to see "Eli Stone" get a shot (though I'm on the fence as to whether this is an 8 PM or 9 PM show). Expect all of this to get tossed for "Dancing" in the spring.

Wednesday

A night of trouble for ABC. I think they'll move "Lost" back to 9 PM and try to launch "Pushing Daisies" out of it at 10 PM. I know this strategy didn't really work for "The Nine", but "Lost" performs far better at 9 PM, even with the competition. The 8 PM hour should see the launch of sitcom "Caveman" (ugh) at 8:30 and possibly "According to Jim" resuming it's 8 PM duties.

Thursday

Are you ready for a powerhouse night? Prepare for "Ugly Betty", "Grey's Anatomy" and "Dirty Sexy Money", which I think will take the 10 PM post-Grey's slot. The show has great buzz and will probably be the show (besides the Grey's spinoff) that gets the most promotion. If it takes off, they could then move it to a weaker night to anchor. I think ABC is happy with what they have for Thursday, and the only possible change would come at mid-season with some other show getting a shot post-Grey's.

Friday

ABC for years was king of Friday. I think they'll try to make this a "girl's night", and they should -- Air the two new sitcoms "Sam I Am" and "Carpoolers" in the 8 PM hour to lead off. Then continue the femme vibe at 9 with new show "Cashmere Mafia" and finally "Big Shots", which I hear has tested very well.

Saturday

College football and reruns. Wasteland.

Sunday

This night will remain mostly unchanged. I expect we'll see all the current lineup in their usual timeslots -- "America's Funniest Home Videos", "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers and Sisters".

What's left over? Midseason pickups for "October Road" and "Notes from the Underbelly", and we'll probably see "The Bachelor" return in the spring. I also wouldn't be surprised if ABC picks up one or two more dramas for midseason. Depending on ratings for "Traveler" -- that's a long shot -- could still get a midseason order.

Now we wait to see what the professionals will do tomorrow.

2007 Upfronts: NBC announces Fall Schedule

I didn't get up early enough to do my schedule prediction, so we'll skip NBC for that. Here's the new schedule for next year with comments:

MONDAY
8-9 p.m.: "Deal or No Deal"
9-10 p.m.: "Heroes"
10-11 p.m.: "JOURNEYMAN"

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m.: "The Biggest Loser"
9-10 p.m.: "CHUCK"
10-11 p.m.: "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m.: "Deal or No Deal"
9-10 p.m.: "BIONIC WOMAN"
10-11 p.m.: "LIFE"

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m.: "My Name Is Earl"
8:30-9 p.m.: "30 Rock"
9-9:30 p.m.: "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m.: "Scrubs"
10-11 p.m.: "ER"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m.: "1 vs 100"/"THE SINGING BEE"
9-10 p.m.: "Las Vegas"
10-11 p.m.: "Friday Night Lights"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m.: "Dateline NBC"
9-11 p.m.: Drama Series Encores

SUNDAY (Fall 2007)
7-8 p.m.: "Football Night in America"
8-11 p.m.: "NBC Sunday Night Football"

SUNDAY (January 2008)
7-8 p.m.: "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m.: "Law & Order"
9-10 p.m.: "Medium"
10-11 p.m.: "LIPSTICK JUNGLE"

"Journeyman" which is described as a 'time travel thriller'. If so, it's a great fit out of Heroes. Two things which stick out: "Friday Night Lights" will air on Friday now and there are no new comedies on the fall schedule (NBC did pick up "The IT Crowd" for midseason). "The Apprentice" is nowhere to be found, though NBC wouldn't say if it was cancelled. "Medium" gets a January slot opposite "Desperate Housewives", another tough spot, but out of "Law & Order" should be pretty safe. "Lipstick Jungle" will go head to head with "Brothers and Sisters", provided ABC keeps that show in the same time period. Finally, NBC swapped "30 Rock" and "The Office" time periods, I'm sure because "The Office" has a stronger following for a 9 PM show.

Midseason orders include "The IT Crowd" and a 6-episode arc for "Heroes" called "Heroes: Origins", which will fill in while "Heroes" takes a breather, technically that will bring the episode order for "Heroes" to 30. What this does for people's possible specs, I have no clue.

More thoughts on the schedule after all of the upfronts are announced and we can see how the competition shakes out. NBC also wasn't afraid to shift programs after upfronts were over last year, so this is by no means final.

Upfront presentation schedule

Monday 5/14: NBC
Tuesday 5/15: ABC
Wednesday 5/16: CBS
Thursday 5/17: CW and Fox

Each day I'll post a proposed schedule for each network. Then we'll see what they do.

Upfront-o-rama

Lots of stories on the eve of upfronts. Let's take a look:

First, from the Hollywood Reporter comes word that Law & Order (Original Flavor) will be back for another season on NBC. The interesting news is that Law & Order: Criminal Intent will move to USA with a replay window on NBC. No word yet on where (day/time) each show will be scheduled.

Another article in the Reporter -- Fox has picked up "Canterbury's Law", "The Sarah Connor Chronicles", "K-Ville" and "New Amsterdam" for drama and "Back to You" (was called 'Action News'), "The Return of Jezebel James" and "The Rules of Starting Over". They've also renewed "Til Death".

NBC has picked up "The IT Crowd" (sitcom), "The Lipstick Jungle" and "Scrubs" for a seventh season (18 episodes).

But wait, there's more! One more time the Reporter gives us news on ABC pickups. In a world with no justice, ABC has picked up the "Cavemen" sitcom. I weep for the future. Otherwise, they've picked up "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Eli Stone", "Private Practice," "Cashmere Mafia," "Pushing Daisies," "Women's Murder Club," and "Big Shots" (formerly untitled Jon Feldman project). Other sitcom pickups include "Sam I Am" and "Carpoolers". ABC also renewed "October Road" and "Notes from the Underbelly" for 13 episodes each.

Variety has the skinny on CBS shows with news of orders for comedies "The Big Bang Theory", "The Captain" and "I'm in Hell". Drama pickups include "Viva Laughlin," "Swingtown," "Twilight" and "Los Duques."

No word out on the CW pilots except what I've already reported. More to come...