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! 
I NEED MORE OCTOBER ROAD, I MISS IT SO MUCH…SO LOVABLE AND VALUABLE…PLEASE GIVE ME MORE PLEASE
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 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!!!!!
aslong as lost doesnt get cancelled i wont mind.
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.
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
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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.
October Road CANCELLED!!! I really enjoyed that show…I could relate to the characters and now I’m left with a lot of questions with how the show ended…this is sad. ABC should have given it another season at least…last seaon was so screwed up people didn’t know what day was what. Whishful thinking but I hope they change their mind and bring it back.
october road was one of those shows about life and friends which had a genuine turth to it. people make mistakes and friends can be forgiven and i for one really enjoyed and will miss the cast and good characters. but i think its a mistake to cancel this show. should have gotten an eariler time slot more people would have watched.
RE: MEN IN TREES
WHAT????????? I HATE that this show has been canceled. I can’t believe that after all of the problems w/ the strike & everything else that the show is gone, After years of NOT getting hooked on shows for this very reason, I finally get hooked on one & now this. No more. I’ll stick to movies from now on.\
BAD, BAD, BAD decision.
I really can’t believe you cancelled Men In Trees and October Road and left on all those stupid reality shows. Especially the Nanny one and Wife Swap. Maybe if you hadn’t move MIT around so much it would have done better. As for October Road I don’t understand how you can put so much publicity in a show and then just cancel it after we get attached to all the actors and then leave it in such a mess when you do end it. ABC has been my favorite network in the past but maybe we should all start rethinking… Read more »
I’D LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU CAN DETERMINE A SHOW SUCCESS BY THE WAY THINGS WERE AIRED THIS LAST SEASON. YOU MOVED THINGS AROUND SO MUCH AND THEN WE HAD THE WRITERS STRIKE. OCTOBER ROAD IS RIGHT UP THERE WITH GREYS ANATOMY IN MY BOOK. I THINK YOU NEED TO GIVE IT MORE OF A CHANCE. I HAVE FRIEND’S THAT BOUGHT THE VIDEOS SO THEY COULD WATCH THE RETURN THIS FALL. PLEASE GET ALL THE ACTORS BACK AND GIVE IT A BETTER CHANCE THAN YOU HAVE. OCTOBER ROAD TOUCHES YOU HEART. ONE HOUR A WEEK WAS NOT ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can not believe you canceled so many good shows that had good ratings despite the strike going on. Woman’s murder club was AMAZINGLY good love the storylines and the chemistry between the friends so belieaveable. Notes from the underbelly was a funny quircky show that we so need in this tv world now. Cashmere mafia was way better than lipstick jungle and that one is still on. COMMON ABC give us back our shows give the people what they want to watch. It was a horrible year with the strike so make it up by giving all these shows… Read more »