(May 19th,
2009. -
Editor) ABC
is offering a much more conventional primetime schedule. A shuffle at
the executive level is leading to some fresh comedies and dramas that
helped to build the network's audience last season and should continue
to do so this season. Unfortunately, not enough shows are returning,
leaving the network with new shows debuting in nearly a third of its
21 hour schedule. Among the returning shows, many are aging and could
be approaching the
end of their run. If the networks is having trouble filling all the
"Primetime" time slots, they too might soon look to a 16 hour
schedule. That could mean we see Late Night Talk Show Host Jimmy
Kimmel following Jay Leno to 10pm if Leno finds success in the time
slot.
Links
To In-Depth Coverage Of Each Network's Fall Season Schedule
Three
very different women find themselves drawn together by a mysterious
man who unleashes unique powers in each of them, and this small New
England town will never be the same. The series is based on the
popular movie “The Witches of Eastwick” and on the novel of the
same title by John Updike.
“Eastwick”
stars Rebecca Romijn as Roxie Torcoletti, Lindsay Price as Joanna
Frankel, Jamie Ray Newman as Kat Gardener, Paul Gross as Darryl Van
Horne, Sara Rue as Penny, Veronica Cartwright as Bun, Johann
Urb as Will, Jon Bernthal as Raymond and Ashley Benson as Mia.
The
series is produced by Warner Bros. Television. Maggie Friedman is
executive producer/writer. The pilot was directed by David Nutter.
When
a mysterious event causes the entire world to black out, humanity is
given a glimpse into its near future, and every man, woman and child
is forced to come to grips with whether their destinies can be avoided
or fulfilled.
Adapting
award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer’s revolutionary novel,
executive producers David S. Goyer (visionary co-writer of “Batman
Begins” and “The Dark Knight”) and Brannon Braga (“24,”
“Star Trek: Enterprise”) invite you to embark on a journey to
answer the question, “if you knew what your future held, what would
you do?”
“Flash
Forward” stars Joseph Fiennes as Mark Benford, John Cho as Demetri
Noh, Jack Davenport as Lloyd Simcoe, Sonya Walger as Olivia Benford,
Courtney B. Vance as Stan Wedeck, Brian O’Byrne as Aaron Stark,
Christine Woods as Janis Hawk, Zachary Knighton as Bryce Varley and
Peyton List as Nicole.
The
series is from ABC Studios. David S. Goyer is executive
producer/writer/director. Brannon Braga is executive producer and
co-wrote the pilot. Other executive producers are Marc Guggenheim,
Jessika Goyer, Vince Gerardis and Ralph Vicinanza. Guggenheim will be
the showrunner, along with Goyer.
THE FORGOTTEN
From
executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer comes a crime show in which a
team of dedicated amateurs work on cases involving unidentified
victims. After the police have given up, this group must first solve
the puzzle of the victim's identity in order to then help catch the
killer. They work to give the deceased back their names, lest they
become -- The Forgotten.
“The
Forgotten” stars Rupert Penry-Jones as Alex, Reiko Aylesworth as
Linda, Michelle Borth as Candace, Bob Stephenson as Walter, Anthony
Carrigan as Tyler and Rochelle Aytes as Detective Grace Russell.
The
series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with
Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. Mark
Friedman is executive producer/writer, Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan
Littman are executive producers, KristieAnne Reed is co-executive
producer and Danny Cannon is executive producer/director.
COUGARTOWN
Can a woman of a certain
age be a mom, a successful career woman and still be on the prowl? Jules
Cobb (Courteney Cox) is about to give it a try.
In a small Florida town, the center of high society is the Cougars high
school football team... which is wildly appropriate since this town is
the natural habitat for over-tanned, under-dressed divorcées prowling
for younger men. Jules desperately doesn't want to be one of them, but
with an ugly divorce behind her and 40 staring right back at her, she's
longing for a little more action in her life. The available men her own
age, like her silver fox of a neighbor, Grayson Ellis, only seem
interested in dating barely legal hotties -- which is awkward
considering he's also her teenage son Tad's therapist. Egged on by her
very married and very irreverent best friend Elle and her determined
assistant Laurie, Jules reluctantly dips her toe back into the dating
pool. To her surprise, she hits it off with a nice young guy named Bobby
-- emphasis on the young -- and discovers this gal still has the goods.
Co-executive produced by Courteney Cox and Bill Lawrence (Scrubs),
Cougar Town is the single-camera comedy that dares to tell the
truth about dating after divorce. Juggling a teenage son with her
thriving career and budding love life isn't easy, but before you know
it, Jules will have you cheering, "Go Cougars!"
The series is from ABC Studios. Bill Lawrence is executive
producer/writer/director, Kevin Biegel is writer/co-executive producer,
and Courteney Cox and David Arquette are executive producers.
HANK
Kelsey
Grammer stars in this timely comedy as Hank Pryor, a titan of industry
who suddenly finds himself out of work, almost out of money and around
a wife and kids for whom he's never made much time. Despite his recent
setbacks, however, Hank is confident he's on the road back to the top.
He knows he is destined to return to greatness. And he is, just not
the greatness he imagines.
“Hank”
stars Kelsey Grammer as Hank, Melinda McGraw as Tilly, David Koechner
as Grady, Macey Cruthird as Maddie and Ryan Wynott as Henry.
The
series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with
McMonkey Inc., Grammnet Productions, Werner Entertainment and Warner
Bros. Television. It is written by Tucker Cawley. Tom Werner, Tucker
Cawley, Kelsey Grammer and Mike Clements serve as executive producers.
The pilot was directed by James Burrows.
The
Hecks are a middle class family living in the middle of Indiana, just
trying to keep their heads above water. Emmy-winner Patricia Heaton
stars as a wife and mother of three in a comedy about raising a family
and lowering your expectations.
“The
Middle” stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Eden
Sher as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Charlie McDermott as Axel.
The
series is produced by Warner Bros. Television. Eileen Heisler and
DeAnn Heline are executive producers/writers and Werner Walian is
producer. The pilot was directed by Julie Anne Robinson.
Today’s
American families come in all shapes and sizes. Shot from the
perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker, this comedy takes a
modern look at the complications that come with being a family in
2009.
“Modern
Family” stars Ed O’Neill as Jay, Sofía Vergara as Gloria, Jesse
Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, Ty Burrell as
Phil, Julie Bowen as Claire, Sarah Hyland as Haley, Rico Rodriguez as
Manny, Nolan Gould as Luke and Ariel Winter as Alex.
The
series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television. Steven Levitan
and Christopher Lloyd are executive producers. The pilot was directed
by Jason Winer.
SHARK TANK
From
Mark Burnett, executive producer of “Survivor” and “The
Apprentice,” and Sony Pictures Television comes “Shark Tank,” an
exciting new reality show that gives budding entrepreneurs the chance
to make their dreams come true and become successful, possibly
wealthy, business people. But the entrepreneurs must first try to
convince five tough, multi-millionaire tycoons to part with their own
hard-earned cash and give them the funding they need to jumpstart
their ideas.
In
these trying economic times, it’s difficult for an individual
possessing a dream or even a working small business poised for growth
to get a loan for a risky venture. Whether it be an imaginative
enhancement for an existing product, a family recipe that has all the
ingredients to become a profitable culinary treat, or the latest
technological gadget that could take the world by storm, most of these
dreams die an early death because no one dared take a financial chance
on someone with an unproven and oftentimes outrageous proposal. Many
of these people now see “Shark Tank” as their last chance at
success. Some have been laboring on their ideas for years or even
decades, have invested large amounts of money, and are being pressured
to throw in the towel by friends and family. Others have simply never
had access to the means to live out their dreams, until now.
Enter
the Sharks of “Shark Tank” – Barbara
Corcoran (Manhattan real estate titan), Kevin Harrington (king of
infomercials), Robert Herjavec (technology tycoon), Daymond John
(fashion mogul) and Kevin O'Leary (venture capitalist) –
five multi-millionaires who lifted
themselves up by their bootstraps to make their own entrepreneurial
dreams come true and turned their ideas into empires.
Each
week ambitious entrepreneurs from across the country will present
their breakthrough business concepts, products, properties and
services to the panel of ruthless investors. Their goal is to convince
these merciless moguls to invest their own dollars in the concept.
Convincing real-life millionaires to part with their own money is no
easy task, because when the idea is poor, the Sharks will tear into
the ill-prepared presenters and pass on the idea with a simple
“I’m out!”, sending them running for the exit.
But
these Sharks aren’t just out for blood, they too have a goal: to own
a piece of the next big idea. Entrepreneurs will be asked to give up a
percentage of their companies’ equity to the Sharks in order to get
the investment they need. But when the Sharks hear a really top-notch
idea, and more than one of them wants to sink their teeth into it, a
war between them will erupt. Then the once-desperate entrepreneur can
rejoice when the Sharks reveal their true interest in the product and
bid up the price of the investment.
Links
To In-Depth Coverage Of Each Network's Fall Season Schedule
Each
year one of LA’s most prestigious law firms recruits four young
lawyers from the finest law schools worldwide. The only way for these
first-years to survive is to support each other…even as they compete
against one another in the cutthroat arena of high-end law. Sex,
greed, romance, betrayal – it’s all part of being a first year
associate at Sterling Law.
“The
Deep End” stars Matt Long as Dylan Hewitt, Ben Lawson as Liam
Priory, Tina Majorino as Addy Fisher, Norbert Leo Butz as Rowdy
Kaiser, Leah Pipes as Beth Bancroft, Billy Zane as Cliff Huddle,
Sherri Saum as Susan Oppenheim and Clancy Brown as Hart Sterling.
The
series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television. David
Hemingson is executive producer/writer. The pilot was directed by
Michael Fresco.
HAPPY TOWN
Haplin,
Minnesota, “Happy Town,” is approaching almost a decade of peace
after being riddled for years by unsolved kidnappings. But in the wake
of this small town’s first crime in seven years, some dark truths
are being revealed about some familiar faces. They say every town has
its secrets… that doesn’t even begin to describe Happy Town.
“Happy
Town” stars Geoff Stults as Tommy Conroy, Lauren German as Henley,
Amy Acker as Rachel Conroy, Dean Winters as John Haplin, John Patrick
Amedori as Andrew Haplin, Sarah Gadon as Georgia Bravin, Jay Paulson
as Larry ‘Root Beer’ Rogers, Robert Wisdom as Roger Hobbes and Sam
Neill as Merritt Grieves.
The
series is from ABC Studios. Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott
Rosenberg are executive producers and co-writers. The pilot was
directed by Gary Fleder, who is also an executive producer.
V
“V”
is a re-imagining of the 1980’s miniseries about the world’s first
encounter with an alien race in which the aliens call themselves The
Visitors, and have a seemingly friendly agenda that may or may not be a
cover for something more malevolent.
“V”
stars Elizabeth Mitchell as Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan
Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack Landry, Lourdes Benedicto as
Valerie Stevens, Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans, Laura Vandervoort as
Lisa, with Morena Baccarin as Anna and Scott Wolf as Chad Decker.
The
series is produced by HDFilms in association with Warner Bros.
Television. Scott Peters is executive producer/writer and Steve Pearlman
and Jason Hall are executive producers. The pilot was directed and
executive produced by Yves Simoneau.
Links
To In-Depth Coverage Of Each Network's Fall Season Schedule
