JustTV Talk: April 25, 2005
ABC made huge strides this season and could count no less than 4 new series as hits, three of them of monstruous porportions (and yes, I include "Grey's Anatomy"). Next fall, there's still pressue on the network to step up the battle. It desperately needs to turn around Tuesdays, Thursday and Fridays to make any further gains.
What's Renewed:
Alias
Lost
Desparate Housewives
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
Boston Law (will return in September)
What's Likely To Be:
Monday Night Football
According To Jim
The George Lopez Show
Extreme Makover
America's Funniest Home Videos
Extreme Makeover Home Edition: How'd They Do That?
Wife Swap
Supernanny
8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter
Hope & Faith
Grey's Anatomy
On The Bubble:
My Wife & Kids
The Bachelor
The Bachelorette
Rodney
Complete Savages
Less Than Perfect
Blind Justice
Eyes
Monday:
For it's very last season on ABC, Monday night football will dominate from 9-11pm, while I can see "How's They Do That?" taking over at 8pm. If nobody sees it because of preemptions, who cares, right?
Tuesday:
ABC has some real troubles on this night and it has to figure out what to do. One solution would be to move "According To Jim" to 8pm, "George Lopez" to 9pm, and try new series in between. At 10pm, I would expect "Boston Legal" to take up residence.
Wednesday:
"Lost" and "Alias" are locks from 8-10pm, the only question is whether ABC will bring "Alias" back in September or January. With ABC still unable to find a drama for the hour, I'd expect "Wife Swap"to continue in the hour.
Thursday:
ABC is far beyond dead on this night, and that's unfortunate. ABC has to fix this night if it is going to make further gains next season. The answer? Well, certainly no new dramas starring Kelley Osbourne. Can ABC bring back "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" ? Seriously though, if ABC renewes "The Bachelor," is can really see it going in at 9pm. Even if it's only drawing 6mil viewers, that 2 million more than ABC is getting right now. "PrimeTime" is pretty much a give-in at 8pm, and "Extreme Makeover" will probably stay at 8pm. But who knows.
Friday:
ABC has real problems on this night. I'm tempted to say that it should just give up altogether, but it can't. What it could do would be to move "Funniest Videos" to 8pm, crunch "Hope & Faith" and "8 Simple Rules" to 9pm, and of course, "20/20" at 10pm.
Saturday:
Disney all the way, with repeats of dramas on the off weeks.
Sunday:
Can ABC pump another hit out of this night? I'm fairly confident it can- it did it with 4 series this season. ABC should move "EM: Home Edition" to 7pm (it does well in all demos, particularly in kids), but ONLY if it has a good drama for 8pm. Only if, ABC.
My stab at CBS's fall schedule:
| New
Series |
Moved
Series |
Scheduled
Repeats |
| 7:00 |
7:30 |
8:00 |
8:30 |
9:00 |
9:30 |
10:00 |
|
| Monday |
How'd
They Do That? |
Monday
Night Football |
|||||
| Tuesday |
According
To Jim |
New
Comedy |
George
Lopez |
New
Comedy |
Boston
Legal |
||
| Wednesday |
Lost |
Alias |
Wife
Swap |
||||
| Thursday |
Extreme
Makeover |
The
Bachelor |
PrimeTime
Thursday |
||||
| Friday |
America's
Funniest Videos |
Hope
& Faith |
8
Simple Rules |
20/20 |
|||
| Saturday |
Disney
Saturday Movie |
||||||
| Sunday |
Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition |
New
Drama |
Desperate
Housewives |
Grey's
Anatomy |
|||