Ugly Betty Keeps Timeslot Next Season
ABC president Stephen McPherson unveiled the 2008-2009 fall schedule for the network, and there aren’t a whole lot of changes.
“We’re returning our dominant core group of shows from last fall,” said McPherson. “The few openings we had we’ve filled with the kind of quality programming viewers have come to expect from ABC, and we have a very strong bench. As always, our focus is on delivering the best stories and most memorable characters on TV every day of the week, every week of the year.”
Luckily, ABC was smart enough to keep Ugly Betty in its most prime of primetime slots, the lead-in for Grey’s Anatomy. Grey’s is typically the number one ranked show in the key demographic, Women 18-34 (even beating out American Idol). Ugly Betty may be “the gayest show on television”, but I think that the producers and ABC executives know where their bread is buttered. The show’s refocusing on Betty’s character has started to pay dividends; the ratings were up for the first time in a while this past week. Betty came in second to Survivor: Micronesia with 8 million viewers.
Betty will live or die by young women viewers. Leading into Grey’s gives the show the best possible chance of success.
The only thing better would be leading into Desperate Housewives, but Extreme Makeover: Home Edition isn’t going anywhere (and who doesn’t love THAT show?).
I’m looking forward to seeing Life on Mars, and the it should be interesting to see the final season of Scrubs playing on ABC as a midseason show.
The full ABC schedule after the break.
MONDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
9:30 p.m. “Samantha Who?”
10:00 p.m. “Boston Legal”
TUESDAY:8:00 p.m. “Opportunity Knocks”
9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 p.m. “Eli Stone”
WEDNESDAY:8:00 p.m. “Pushing Daisies”
9:00 p.m. “Private Practice”
10:00 p.m. “Dirty Sexy Money”
THURSDAY:8:00 p.m. “Ugly Betty”
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10:00 p.m. “Life on Mars”
FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Wife Swap”
9:00 p.m. “Supernanny”
10:00 p.m. “20/20”
SATURDAY:8:00 p.m. “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”
Wow. I realized by looking at this schedule that there are very few ABC shows that I watch. I watch UB, my bf watches Lost. ABC better do all they can to promote and ensure the success of UB, because it is one of their few bright spots.