With the announcement today of CBS's fall schedule, upfront week comes to a close for the four major networks (The CW is sticking with its formula of lots of shows about wealthy teenagers having sex, and has no plans to add any comedies to its fall schedule). To recap:
.FOX will be keeping its popular lineup of animated shows on Sunday nights, with "Sit Down, Shut Up" being replaced by the "Family Guy" spinoff "The Cleveland Show". "Family Guy" and "American Dad" will follow at 9 and 9:30 PM, respectively. One new live-action comedy, "Brothers", from Mitch Hurwitz's Tantamount Studios production company, will air on Friday nights, paired with returning sitcom "'Til Death". "Brothers", starring Michael Strahan and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, is about a former NFL hot shot who returns home to his mother's house to get his life back on track. Another new comedy, "Sons of Tuscon", from three-time Emmy Award winner Todd Holland ("Malcolm in the Middle"), will appear in midseason. In addition, a new late night topical discussion show, "The Wanda Sykes Show" (working title) will air on Saturday nights at 11, replacing the recently cancelled "Mad TV".
.NBC's comedy output will be restricted primarily to Thursday nights (see story below), but a new comedic drama, "Parenthood", based on the 1989 Steve Martin/Ron Howard movie, will air on Wednesday nights at 8.
.ABC has added the most new comedies of any network, with an all-new block of comedies on Wednesday nights. "Hank", a multi-camera sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer as a downsized CEO who is forced to move his family back home to their small hometown, starts off the night at 8, followed by "The Middle" with Patricia Heaton at 8:30. Then, the mockumentary "Modern Family", from producer Steven Levitan ("The Larry Sanders Show", "Just Shoot Me"), will air at 9 PM, followed by "Cougar Town" with (con't.)
Courteney Cox at 9:30. Returning comedies "Scrubs" and "Better Off Ted" will be held until midseason.
.CBS is playing it safe, renewing its popular Monday night sitcoms "How I Met Your Mother", "Two and a Half Men", and "The Big Bang Theory" and adding one new multi-camera sitcom, "Accidentally On Purpose" with Jenna Elfman. "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "Gary Unmarried" will stay on Wednesday nights.
For a complete listing of all four networks' fall schedules, check out the Pilot Season 2009 thread here.
Happy viewing!
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