Upfront week is over, and ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and The CW have all announced their schedules for next fall (barring any changes over the summer). Discounting the barren wasteland that is Saturday, from 8:00-11:00 PM Sunday-Friday, we have:
- 81 shows across the five networks, totalling 87 hours of broadcast television
- 20 comedies, 51 dramas, 16 unscripted hours (reality, sports, news, etc.)
- 26 new series, with 23 total hours of new programming
- 17 timeslot changes
- 12 procedural dramas on CBS
For a more qualitative breakdown of each night of broadcast television --- including the full schedule, what will be successful, and what I'll be watching --- hit the jump.
New shows are bolded with a blue background. Shows with new timeslots have a yellow background.
SUNDAY
8:00
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8:30
|
9:00
|
9:30
|
10:00
|
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Extreme Makeover |
Desperate Housewives |
Brothers & Sisters |
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The Amazing Race |
Undercover Boss |
CSI: Miami |
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Sunday Night Football |
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The Simpsons |
The Cleveland Show |
Family Guy |
American Dad |
Local Programming |
-
You'll notice that the Sunday table is much less colorful than the rest. No new programming, and only CSI: Miami made the move. Football on NBC and Fox's animated shows will do about what it did last year, while ABC's soaps are likely in store for another season-to-season decline. Sundays at 10:00 have been a problem area for CBS over the past couple seasons, but CSI: Miami should put an end to that, especially if Undercover Boss remains a strong lead-in.
I'll be watching:
The Simpsons
The Amazing Race
HBO/AMC
MONDAY
8:00
|
8:30
|
9:00
|
9:30
|
10:00
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Dancing with the Stars
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Castle
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How I Met Your Mother
|
Rules of Engagement
|
Two and a Half Men
|
Mike & Molly
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Hawaii Five-0
|
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Chuck
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The Event
|
Chase
|
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House
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Lonestar
|
Local Programming |
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90210
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Gossip Girl
|
Local Programming |
-
Told you things got more colorful. CBS and NBC rival for the splashiest programming of the night (and perhaps the whole week) with Hawaii Five-0 and The Event, respectively. The smart money favors Hawaii Five-0 for success, but there's always that chance that The Event strikes a chord in the viewing public looking for replacements for Lost and 24. Mike & Molly looks like it will fit in just fine the rest of the CBS comedies, and I'm rooting for Lonestar, so I'm glad to see it get the House lead-in.
I'll be watching:
How I Met Your Mother
Chuck
House
The Event
Lonestar
Mike & Molly
Hawaii Five-0
TUESDAY
8:00
|
8:30
|
9:00
|
9:30
|
10:00
|
|
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No Ordinary Family
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Dancing with the Stars
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Detroit 1-8-7
|
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NCIS
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NCIS: Los Angeles
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The Good Wife
|
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The Biggest Loser |
Parenthood
|
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Glee
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Raising Hope
|
Running Wilde
|
Local Programming |
|
|
One Tree Hill
|
Life Unexpected
|
Local Programming |
-
I think No Ordinary Family has a good shot: with a great hook (a family of superheroes) it should get solid critical notice, and may satisfy a need out there for family-friendly entertainment. Plus, Michael Chiklis! As for Detroit 1-8-7, I'm not so sure, though fellow ABC police procedural Castle has grown a respectable audience after Dancing with the Stars on Monday. Fox's 9:00 comedy block (or "Gerund Night") is promising, particularly in conjunction with Glee. Still in love with Parenthood; happy it continues to be the recipient of NBC's biggest non-football lead-in.
I'll be watching:
No Ordinary Family
Glee
Raising Hope
Running Wilde
Detroit 1-8-7
Parenthood
WEDNESDAY
8:00
|
8:30
|
9:00
|
9:30
|
10:00
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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The Middle
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Better Together
|
Modern Family
|
Cougar Town
|
The Whole Truth
|
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Survivor
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Criminal Minds
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The Defenders
|
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Undercovers
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Law & Order: SVU
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LOLA
|
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Lie to Me
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Hell's Kitchen
|
Local Programming |
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America's Next Top Model
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Hellcats
|
Local Programming |
-
ABC's 2-hour comedy block makes me happy. The plan is to check in on The Middle occasionally, give Better Together a long leash on account of my adoration for JoAnna Garcia, and keep Modern Family and Cougar Town the regular rotation. I think The Whole Truth will be this year's The Good Wife for me: a legal drama I respect and wish all the best, but ultimately won't watch. That 10:00 hour is a fun faceoff between new legal dramas, though I give The Defenders the best odds of success. It has the strongest lead-in, and this kind of procedural is a specialty at CBS.
I'm excited for Undercovers due to the J.J. Abrams pedigree and how fun the clips were --- it should be good for #2 in the hour once the CBS moved Survivor there. Just because it could.
I'll be watching:
The Middle
Better Together
Undercovers
Modern Family
Cougar Town
Hellcats
THURSDAY
8:00
|
8:30
|
9:00
|
9:30
|
10:00
|
|
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|
My Generation |
Grey's Anatomy |
Private Practice |
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The Big Bang Theory |
$#*! My Dad Says |
CSI |
The Mentalist |
|
|
Community |
30 Rock |
The Office |
Outsourced |
Love Bites |
|
Bones |
Fringe |
Local Programming |
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The Vampire Diaries |
Nikita |
Local Programming |
-
If it looked like CBS was mocking NBC with its move of Survivor opposite potential savior-of-NBC Undercovers, their Thursday shuffle was downright Machiavellian: The Big Bang Theory will crush Community at 8:00, and things don't look good for 30 Rock with the high-profile S#*! at 8:30. Things aren't all bad at NBC; Outsourced should do just fine at 9:30, even if it doesn't look that great. With a complex central concept and a tough time slot, My Generation faces an uphill battle. Nikita should find success on the heels of the The CW's top-rated The Vampire Diaries, if the fun of the preview clip is any indication.
I'll be watching:
My Generation
The Big Bang Theory
Community
30 Rock
Grey's Anatomy
The Office
Nikita
FRIDAY
8:00
|
8:30
|
9:00
|
9:30
|
10:00
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Secret Millionaire |
Body of Proof |
20/20 |
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|
Medium |
CSI: New York |
Blue Bloods |
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|
School Pride |
Dateline NBC |
Outlaw |
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|
Human Target |
The Good Guys |
Local Programming |
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Smallville |
Supernatural |
Local Programming |
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Only three hours remain unchanged from this season --- the most new programming/new timeslots of the week. CBS won virtually every Friday night this season, but should increase on the night based on the strength of new Friday show CSI: NY and Tom Selleck's mustache Blue Bloods. Fans may bemoan Supernatural's move to Friday, but reuniting it with former Thursday companion Smallville puts The CW in a good position on the night. Human Target and The Good Guys are very compatible --- doesn't mean they won't flounder, but it makes for a fun pairing.
I'll be watching:
The Good Guys
Supernatural (assuming I can catch up this summer)
Here are the full schedules for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and The CW
Likewise, here are trailers and preview clips for the new shows for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and The CW