ABC unveiled their new schedule for the 2008 – 2009 season today. There are very few changes to the existing line-up and, as of now, are planning on taking on very few new TV series.
TV shows that will return in the fall are: 20/20, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Boston Legal, Brothers & Sisters, Dancing with the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, Samantha Who?, Saturday Night College Football, Supernanny, Ugly Betty, and Wife Swap.
Returning midseason (January or so) are The Bachelor, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Lost. As expected, Scrubs makes the jump to ABC for its eighth and final season. If CBS drops The New Adventures of Old Christine (looking unlikely), ABC may pick that up as well. According to Jim and ABC News’ Primetime: What Would You Do? will return as well but don’t currently have spots on the schedule.
The new shows include an as-yet-untitled Ashton Kutcher/Tyra Banks reality show, animated sitcom The Goode Family, a U.S. version of BBC’s Life on Mars, and reality show Opportunity Knocks.
Okay, on to the casualties. There are no big surprises in the list of shows that won’t be back next season but that doesn’t mean their fans will miss them any less. Shows not returning for another season include:
Big Shots – The drama was weak in the ratings from the start but ABC tried to keep it going. Production was interrupted by the writers strike and only 11 episodes were produced. The last one aired on January 24th.
Carpoolers – This offbeat sitcom was paired with Cavemen and was likely hurt by the lead-in. All 13 episodes have aired and the series finale was seen on March 4th.
Cashmere Mafia – This series competed indirectly with NBC’s Lipstick Jungle and lost. All seven episodes have seen the light of day and the series finale aired on February 20th.
Cavemen – Based on a concept from car insurance commercials, this sitcom became the butt of many jokes this season. A full season of 13 episodes were produced but only seven aired. You won’t see the rest on ABC.
Just for Laughs – A hidden camera and practical joke reality show. The series ran for two seasons and 32 episodes. The last one aired on April 8th.
Men in Trees – ABC bounced this one all over the schedule and put it on hiatus a couple times. Even devout followers had a hard time finding it. The network is currently airing Trees’ season of 19 episodes and the last episode is scheduled for June 11th.
Miss Guided – The offbeat sitcom sank in the ratings. Seven episodes were produced and all have aired. The series finale was broadcast on April 3rd.
Notes from the Underbelly – ABC gave the series a second season but its numbers didn’t earn it a third. Of the 22 episodes that have reportedly been produced, only 14 have aired. There are currently no plans for the remaining eight.
October Road – The show’s ratings weren’t great last season but ABC took a chance and renewed it. The ratings got worse for the second season. All 13 season two episodes have aired and the series finale was shown on March 10th.
Oprah’s Big Give – Though the series had decent ratings, the show won’t be back because Oprah Winfrey doesn’t want to do it. All eight episodes have aired with the finale running on April 20th.
Women’s Murder Club – Though the drama’s ratings weren’t bad, the demographic skewed older. All 13 episodes have already aired, with the exception of tonight’s series finale.
Here Come the Newlyweds and Dance War: Bruno VS Carrie Ann may return at some point next season. Initial casting a second season of Newlyweds has begun but the show hasn’t gotten a greenlight.
The network also hasn’t made its mind about several possible new shows for midseason, including the new version of Cupid which is still being developed. Stay tuned! 
More about:
According to Jim,
America's Funniest Home Videos,
Big Shots,
Brothers & Sisters,
Cashmere Mafia,
Cavemen,
Cupid,
Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann,
Dancing with the Stars,
Desperate Housewives,
Dirty Sexy Money,
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,
Grey's Anatomy,
Here Come the Newlyweds,
Jimmy Kimmel Live,
Just for Laughs,
Life on Mars (UK),
Lost,
Men in Trees,
Miss Guided,
Notes from the Underbelly,
October Road,
Oprah's Big Give,
Primetime,
Private Practice,
Pushing Daisies,
Samantha Who?,
Scrubs,
Supernanny,
The Bachelor & The Bachelorette,
The New Adventures of Old Christine,
Women's Murder Club
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October Road was one of the main shows I was looking forward to watching again this coming season. Who were the “brains” behind cancelling this show?! It was a genuinely good show, and it’s going to be replaced by another moronic “reality” show which of course is not really “reality”. ABC- you made a huge mistake with this one, and I hope you really reconsider this.
I’m really going to miss Bigshots,Carpoolers,and Back to You..Those were my favorite ones to watch..They were funny and I think the T.V schedules were just to busy, at one point I had two shows recording on the dvr box while in my room watching another one and to me thats just crazy.Mondays and Wensdays are the busiest.While the other nights had nothing on.I don’t think it was that all these shows were bad they were just put on while other Big shows were showing instead of being on while none of the big shows are on.Oh well just great more reality shows..god knows thats just what we need….yuck
This stinks. Why do all the good shows get cancelled. (october road, men in trees) these are shows were people actually can relate to and have some sort of store line. They are real! Shows that seem to stay on tv are comedy and drama not anything people can realate to…. Granted the shows people can relate to have lower ratings but how is that fair to take away something from us the people that like to watch something realistic once a week. October Road didnt really have a fighting chance because you would run reruns or push it back for two weeks here and there and then the sec season took for ever to come on and only had like 5 shows and didnt really publized the premier for season two… I think if you would have givin it a chance it would have been a huge success… As for depreate housewives and grays both excellent shows but did you not see the ratings drop when you were consistenly running reruns over and over I bet you did… Please reconsider on bringing back October Road and give the people that like to have something they can relate to and look forward to evey week !!
Oh No not October Road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really liked that show!!!!! This isn’t a good decision… Sometimes with so many other distractions, new shows need a couple seasons to become popular… I really wish they would bring it back….. Jenn C. Bx NY
How can you cancel Men In Trees! It is one of the most original shows on today. The writing was better than most of the other shows you kept. Star Trek was canceled by some idiot after its first season and look where that went. Keep up the good work and there won’t be anyone watching.Won’t your sponsors be pleased.
aslong as lost doesnt get cancelled i wont mind.
I am boycotting ABC. The only show I ike that is left is Grey’s and I borrow that in reruns. Why? Women’s Murder Club. Gone. October Road. Gone. Why to they keep the stupidest shows????? Goodbye, cruel, ABC. FLUSH!!!!!
it is very sad that stories which reach to the basic struggles of human emotions and logic… relationships and relations… duty and responsibility… life, love, survival, and learning… that most of the stories that through fiction capture realistic ideals, have been cancelled… dismissed… (I’m refering to October Road and Men in Trees)… but at least Grey’s is still there…. so there’s a slight amount of hope… but still… wtf…. like ratings are real anyways… cause if the ratings system is how we got our next president, I think there’d be a lot of pissed off Americans… STUPID… STUPID…. STUPID…
I NEED MORE OCTOBER ROAD, I MISS IT SO MUCH…SO LOVABLE AND VALUABLE…PLEASE GIVE ME MORE PLEASE
Try doing a revival of Hollywood Squares!
“Though the series had decent ratings, the show won
I agree with Janice. I think she says it very clearly, I truly miss watching that show.
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