ABC Announces Fall Lineup (Part 1)

Geena Davis' brief White House term is over. ABC canceled troubled “Commander in Chief” after one season, along with all the other new series from last fall (including "Invasion").
And we won't see a “Sons & Daughters” camera crew in Hamilton this fall. ABC axed the spring comedy too. Also gone: “Hope & Faith,” “Invasion,” “Rodney,” “Jake in Progress,” “Emily’s Reasons Why Not,” “Crumbs” and “The Evidence.”
ABC renewed "American Inventor." Newtown marketing guru and engineer Doug Hall, a judge on the reality competition show, says he was told it will return in summer 2007.
Here's the first half of the ABC release:

ABC UNVEILS 2006-07 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE


Six New Comedies, Six New Dramas and Three New Alternative Series
Will Join a Slate of Returning Shows

New Series Include “Betty the Ugly,” “Big Day,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Day Break,”
“Help Me Help You,” “In Case of Emergency,” “Greg Behrendt’s Wake-Up Call,”
“Just for Laughs,” “Let’s Rob…,” “Men in Trees,” “The Nine,” “Notes from the Underbelly,”
“Set for the Rest of Your Life,” “Six Degrees” and “Traveler”

Returning Series Include “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Dancing with the Stars,”
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Boston Legal,” “The Bachelor,” “Supernanny,”
“What About Brian,” “According to Jim,” “America’s Funniest Home Videos,”
“American Inventor,” “George Lopez” and “Wife Swap”

“Grey’s Anatomy” Moves to Thursday

“ABC Saturday Night College Football” Also Joins Fall Primetime Lineup

Prince Lorenzo Borghese Takes Throne as the New Bachelor

Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment, today outlined ABC’s plans for next season and unveiled the network’s 2006-07 fall schedule before a crowd of ABC affiliates and representatives of the advertising and media communities at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.

Scheduled to debut next season are six new comedy series -- “Betty the Ugly,” “Big Day,” “Help Me Help You,“ “In Case of Emergency,” “Let’s Rob…” and “Notes From the Underbelly,” along with six new drama series -- “Brothers & Sisters,” “Day Break,” “Men in Trees,” “The Nine,” “Six Degrees” and “Traveler.” Alternative series debuts will include “Set for the Rest of Your Life,” “Just for Laughs” and “Greg Behrendt’s Wake-Up Call.”

In addition to the new series, ABC has ordered season renewals for “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Boston Legal,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “George Lopez,” “Supernanny,” “What About Brian,” “According to Jim,” “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “American Inventor,” “The Bachelor” and “Wife Swap.”

“Our success has been driven by great storytelling and memorable characters that audiences have fallen in love with,” said Mr. McPherson. “We set out to develop a diverse group of shows that will continue in that vein and also to grow our audience. We want viewers making appointments with ABC Television every night of the week.”

During the 2005-06 TV Season, ABC is up more in ratings than any other broadcaster in Adults 18-49 (+8%) and Total Viewers (+8%). It is the only network to grow its audience in the key demographic of Adults 18-49 from the same point a year ago. In just two years, since the end of the 2003-04 TV Season, ABC’s primetime delivery has surged by 25% in Adults 18-49 and 21% in Total Viewers. The network is delivering its most-watched season and the highest-rated among Adults 18-49 in five years – since the same point in the 2000-01 TV Season.

Also joining the fall schedule is “ABC Saturday Night College Football.” Beginning SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2006 (8:00 p.m., ET), ABC Sports will televise 12 games, concluding with the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship game on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 (8:00 p.m., ET).

ABC also announced the new Bachelor, Prince Lorenzo Borghese, a handsome 33-year-old cosmetics entrepreneur. Prince Borghese has been selected to star in the ninth edition of “The Bachelor,” ABC’s popular romance reality series, which returns to the network this fall. Once again the series will be set outside the United States in one of the most glamorous, romantic capitals of the world – Rome!

Hosted by Chris Harrison, “The Bachelor” is produced by Next Entertainment in Association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Lisa Levenson are the executive producers. David Bohnert is the co-executive producer.

ABC’s complete 22-hour fall primetime schedule is as follows (all times listed are Eastern, with new shows in bold):

DAY TIME SERIES

MONDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Wife Swap”
9:00 p.m. “The Bachelor”/”Supernanny”
10:00 p.m. “What About Brian”

TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” (new night)/”Set for the Rest of Your Life” (new alternative series)
9:00 p.m. “Let’s Rob…” (new comedy series)
9:30 p.m. “Help Me Help You” (new comedy series)
10:00 p.m. “Boston Legal”

WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” (new night)/”George Lopez”/
“According to Jim” (new night)
9:00 p.m. “Lost”
10:00 p.m. “The Nine” (new drama series)

THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Big Day” (new comedy series)
8:30 p.m. “Notes from the Underbelly” (new comedy series)
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy” (new night and time)
10:00 p.m. “Six Degrees” (new drama series)

FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Betty the Ugly” (new comedy series)
9:00 p.m. “Men in Trees” (new drama series)
10:00 p.m. “20/20”

SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. “ABC 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” (new drama series)


Editors please note: Shows picked up but not listed on the schedule will debut later in the 2006-07 season.


Following, in alphabetical order, are descriptions of the new series joining ABC’s primetime schedule next season (all times are Eastern):
DRAMAS

“Brothers & Sisters” (one-hour, Sunday, 10:00 p.m., ET) – The adult children of William Walker, along with their respective families, have gathered to celebrate Kitty’s birthday. Little do they know that, on this day, their lives will take a dramatic turn.

Kitty's radio success has led to a TV pundit job in Los Angeles, but her New York boyfriend just proposed. Down to earth Thomas has joined forces with his sister, Sarah, a high powered executive and mother of three, in an effort to fix the family business. Kevin’s well-ordered life is shaken by the news that his ex-wife is moving his adolescent son to Texas. Justin, a Gulf War vet, has kicked nicotine, but other addictions keep him from moving forward in his career and love life. These siblings are about to find out that underneath the idyllic family façade lie many secrets that threaten to either tear the family apart or bring them closer together.

As told through the insightful eyes of the family's most outspoken and public sibling, Calista Flockhart (“Ally McBeal”) stars alongside Rachel Griffiths (“Six Feet Under”) and Ron Rifkin (“Alias”) in this warm, humorous and relatable drama from producer Ken Olin (“Alias”) and Jon Robin Baitz, one of Broadway's most prominent playwrights (“The Substance of Fire”).

Cast:
Calista Flockhart (“Ally McBeal”): Kitty Walker
Ron Rifkin (“Alias”): Saul Ashman
Balthazar Getty (“Alias”): Thomas Walker
Rachel Griffiths (“Six Feet Under”): Sarah Walker
Dave Annable (“Reunion”): Justin Walker
Patricia Wettig (“Prison Break”): Holly Harper
John Pyper-Ferguson (“Smallville”): Jed Traylor
Sarah Jane Morris (“Felicity”): Jennifer Walker
Jimmy “Jax” Pinchak (“CSI”): Teddy Traylor

Credits:
EP/Writer: Jon Robin Baitz (“The Substance of Fire”)
EP/Director: Ken Olin (“Alias”)
EP: Marti Noxon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”)
Production Company: Touchstone Television

“Day Break” (one-hour) – We’ve all had bad days… the kind of day where nothing goes our way and we just can’t wait to put it behind us. Detective Brett Hopper is having one of those hellacious days… only he can’t put it behind him because he’s living the same day over and over again.

On this particular day, Hopper will be accused of killing Asst. DA Alberto Garza. He will offer a solid alibi which no one will believe. He will realize he's been framed. And he will run, discovering en route that not only he, but his loved ones, are also in danger. He’ll then wake up and relive the same day over and over again. In order to break the cycle and move on, he will have to figure out who framed him and solve the complex mystery surrounding Garza’s death. He will also be forced to heal the fractured relationships with those he loves. Only when Harper figures out why his life is broken and how to fix it will he awaken to a brand new day.

Taye Diggs (“Kevin Hill”) stars in an action-packed, thrilling re-imagining of the “Groundhog Day” concept from director Rob Bowman (“The X-Files,” “Reign of Fire”) and the writer of “After the Sunset.”


Cast:
Taye Diggs (“Rent”): Det. Brett Hopper
Meta Golding (“JAG”): Jennifer Mathis
Moon Bloodgood (“Eight Below”): Rita Shelton
Victoria Pratt (“Mutant X”): Andrea Battle
Ramon Rodriguez (“Rescue Me”): Damien
Adam Baldwin (“NCIS”): Chad Shelton

Credits:
EP: Jeff Bell (“The X-Files”)
EP: Matt Gross (“Don’t Say A Word”)
Co-EP/Writer: Paul Zbyszewski (“After the Sunset”)
EP/Director: Rob Bowman (“The X-Files”)
Production Company: Touchstone Television


“Men in Trees” (one-hour, Friday, 9:00 p.m., ET) – Finding a good man in today's world isn't as difficult as some women think. You just have to watch out for the signs. You wouldn't drive with a blindfold on but, for some reason, women continue to date with one.

Relationship coach Marin Frist knows what to look for, what to avoid and what will make her happy. As the many fans of her two bestselling books could tell you, we're all in charge of our own happiness. Marin's personal happiness includes the upcoming wedding to her "perfect man." But like many people full of advice, she fails to apply it to herself. On her way to a speaking engagement in Alaska, she learns that her fiancé has cheated on her... the wedding plans are instantly over. Slapped in the face with personal failure, a snowstorm then leaves her stuck in a small town full of the one thing she really doesn't need -- available men. Marin's friends and her publisher try to lend long-distance support, but the fact remains she’s been living with her eyes closed for too long. Now that they're finally open, she sees the amazingly beautiful world surrounding her, and for the first time she'll have the chance to stop and breathe. Now if she could just get the raccoon out of her hotel room, this place might be perfect.

From the head writer of “Sex and the City” and the director of the Academy Award®-winning “Walk the Line” comes a fun and sexy drama about finding love in the most unexpected places. Anne Heche (“Nip/Tuck”) stars.

Cast:
Anne Heche (“Nip/Tuck”): Marin Frist
James Tupper (“Gilmore Girls”): Jack
Suleka Mathews (“The West Wing”): Sara
Derek Richardson (“Felicity”): Patrick
Emily Bergl (“Gilmore Girls”): Annie
Abraham Benrubi (“ER): Ben
Sarah Strange (“Life As We Know It”): Theresa
Seana Kofoed (“Law & Order”): Jane
John Amos (“The West Wing”): Buzz
Credits:
EP/Writer: Jenny Bicks (“Sex and the City”)
EP: Kathy Conrad (“Walk the Line”)
EP/Director: James Mangold (“Walk the Line”)
Production Company: Tree Line Film, Perkins Street Productions, NS Pictures Inc., Warner Bros. Television

“The Nine” (one-hour, Wednesday, 10:00 p.m., ET) – So much in life is beyond your control. You may go about your day like any other when suddenly a random moment, an accident, a blessing, even a stranger redirects your life forever. And on that day, it's up to you to decide if that moment will stop you in your tracks or lift you up to new heights.

Nine people will face just such an unexpected twist when they are caught in a bank robbery gone wrong and endure a 52-hour hostage standoff that will leave more than one person dead. When all is said and done, these people will never be the same. They will share the common bond of what happens inside the bank and will be forever affected and intertwined because of it.

From the creator of “Without a Trace” and an executive producer of “The West Wing” comes a dramatic character study that will keep audiences hooked with the mystery of what happened during the hostage standoff. Each episode will begin with a flashback to reveal another 10 minutes of the hostage crisis, uncovering why and how these nine strangers are still linked today. Tim Daly (“Wings”), Chi McBride (“Boston Public”) and Scott Wolf (“Party of Five”) star.

Cast:
Chi McBride (“Boston Public”): Malcolm
Jessica Collins (“CSI”): Lizzie
Tim Daly (“Wings”): Nick
Kim Raver (“24”): Kathryn
Scott Wolf (“Party of Five”): Jeremy
John Billingsley (“Star Trek: Enterprise”): Egan
Lourdes Benedicto (“24”): Eva
Camille Guaty (“Prison Break”): Franny
Owain Yeoman (“Troy”): Lucas
Dana Davis (“Veronica Mars”): Felicia
Credits:
EP/Writer: Hank Steinberg (“Without a Trace”)
Co-EP/Writer: K.J. Steinberg (“Beautiful People,” “Judging Amy”)
EP/Director: Alex Graves
Production Company: Warner Bros. Television, Sunset Road Productions

“Six Degrees” (one-hour, Thursday, 10:00 p.m., ET) – Who will you touch? Who will touch you? They say that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person through a chain of six people, which means that no one is a stranger… for long. In this hour-long drama from the producers of “Lost” and “Alias,” six very different New Yorkers go about their lives without realizing the impact they're having on one another – yet. A mysterious web of coincidences will gradually draw these strangers closer, changing the course of their lives forever. Is it happenstance? Fate? Is there a greater force at work in our world, guiding us along and connecting our lives?

This intriguing tale of intertwined destinies reminds us that romance, success, peace or forgiveness might be right around the corner, but they can also be lost in an instant. It’s a story that underlines just
how small the world really is, and how someone just five people away might be shaping our future right now. Jay Hernandez (“Friday Night Lights”), Erika Christensen (“Flightplan”), Bridget Moynahan (“Sex and the City”), Dorian Missick (“Lucky Number Slevin”), Hope Davis (“About Schmidt”) and Campbell Scott (“The Secret Lives of Dentists”) star.

Cast:
Jay Hernandez (“Friday Night Lights”): Carlos
Bridget Moynahan (“I, Robot”): Whitney
Hope Davis (“Proof”): Laura
Campbell Scott (“Loverboy”): Steven Casemen
Dorian Missick (“Lucky Number Slevin”): Damian
Erika Christensen (“Traffic”): Mae Anderson
Credits:
EP: J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Alias”)
EP: Bryan Burk (“Lost,” “Alias”)
EP/Writer: Stu Zicherman (“Elektra”)
EP/Writer: Raven Metzner (“Elektra”)
Director: Rodrigo Garcia (“Six Feet Under”)
Production Company: Touchstone Television

“Traveler” (one-hour) – Jay, Tyler and Will are friends who have spent the last two years in grad school. They are about to depart on a summer trip when a simple prank to rollerblade through one of New York City's most famous museums makes Jay and Tyler prime suspects in a terrorist bombing that destroys the museum seconds later. Hopeful that Will can help clear up this misunderstanding, they learn he's been missing since the explosion and think he may be dead. They’re unable to turn to authorities when they realize they can't prove Will even exists. In every photo from the past two years, he has managed to block his face.

Who will believe them? Friends, family, lovers? The boys are pawns in a conspiracy that will take years to unravel, and the government may not have their best interests at heart. Their friendship will be tested like never before as they try to uncover the truth, while avoiding detection of not only the FBI, but everyone in America who has seen their faces on TV as suspects in the bombing.

Director David Nutter, who has defined many series including “The X-Files,” “Without a Trace” and “Supernatural,” along with the writer of “Eight Below” and the Oscar®-winning producers of “American Beauty” combine “The Fugitive” with “Enemy of the State” in a taut, tense thriller of innocents on the run. Flashing back to the prior two years to illustrate the formation of this friendship and Will's insidious behavior, this action-packed drama taps into our paranoia with pure adrenaline-fueled entertainment. Matthew Bomer (“Tru Calling”) and Logan Marshall-Green (“The O.C.”) star.

Cast:
Matthew Bomer (“Tru Calling”): Jay Burchell
Logan Marshall-Green (“The O.C.”): Tyler Fog
Aaron Stanford (“X-Men 2”): Will Traveler
Viola Davis (“Law & Order: SVU”): Agent Jan “Naj” Marlow
Steven Culp (“Desperate Housewives”): Agent Fred Chambers
Credits:
EP: Dan Jinks (“American Beauty”)
EP: Bruce Cohen (“American Beauty”)
Writer: David Digilio (“Eight Below”)
Production Company: Warner Bros. Television, The Jinks/Cohen Company

(Comedies listed on second posting. --Kiese)