ABC's Fall Schedule

I’m trying not to get too excited about any ABC’s shows, because I know just as soon as I do it will get pulled or shown out of order…

But I’m not bitter or anything…

Here’s the breakdown, even though there’s already talk about it changing…

Monday
8 PM—Dancing With the Stars
9:30 PM—Sam I Am
10 PM—The Bachelor
“Sam I Am” stars Christina Applegate as a woman with amnesia, who learns she wasn’t a very nice person.

Tuesday
8 PM—Cavemen
8:30 PM—Carpoolers
9 PM—Dancing With the Stars: The Results
10 PM—Boston Legal
“Cavemen,” according to the ABC press release, is a series that “looks at life through the eyes of the ultimate outsiders—three modern cavemen—as they struggle to find their place in the world.” “Carpoolers” is a comedy about four guys who share their lives on their commute starring Jerry O’Connell (“Crossing Jordan”) and Faith Ford (“Hope & Faith”).

Wednesday
8 PM—Pushing Daisies
9 PM—Private Practice
10 PM—Dirty Sexy Money
“Pushing Daisies,” which is getting A LOT of positive buzz, is about a man with the power to bring the dead back to life. “Private Practice” is the “Grey’s Anatomy” spin-off starring Kate Walsh and Tim Daly. ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson told reporters that “Practice” needs some work, after the “Grey’s” spin-off episode got bad reviews. “Dirty Sexy Money” is the story of a powerful family and their personal lawyer starring Peter Krause (“Six Feet Under”) and Donald Sutherland.

Thursday
8 PM—Ugly Betty
9 PM—Grey’s Anatomy
10 PM—Big Shots
“Big Shots” is about four male CEOs and how they support each other through “life’s surprising twists and turns.” It stars Michael Vartan (“Alias”), Dylan McDermott (“The Practice”), Christopher Titus (“Titus”) and Joshua Malina (“The West Wing”).

Friday
8 PM—Men In Trees
9 PM—Women’s Murder Club
10 PM—20/20
“Women’s Murder Club,” which is based on James Patterson’s novels, is about four women—a detective, a district attorney, a medical examiner, and a reporter—who pool their resources to solve cases. One of the women is played by Angie Harmon.

Saturday
8 PM—Saturday Night College Football

Sunday
7 PM—America’s Funniest Home Videos
8 PM—Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9 PM—Desperate Housewives
10 PM—Brothers & Sisters

ABC also picked up “Cashmere Mafia,” “Eli Stone,” “Miss/Guided” and “Oprah’s Big Give.” “Mafia” is about four “ambitious and sexy women” balancing their careers and personal lives. It stars Lucy Liu and Bonnie Somerville (“NYPD Blue,” “Kitchen Confidential”). “Stone” is the story of a lawyer who starts to believe he’s a prophet starring Jonny Lee Miller and Victor Garber. “Miss/Guided” is about a woman who returns to her high school, where she was somewhat unpopular, as a guidance counselor. It stars Judy Greer (“13 Going On 30”) and Brooke Burns (“Pepper Dennis”). “Give” is an eight-episode reality series in which millions of dollars are given away to make a difference in people’s lives.

“Notes From the Underbelly” and “October Road” will return in mid-season.

Here’s my take on the schedule…

Best Shot at a Hit: “Pushing Daisies” is touchy-feely with a mystery component and it’s getting a lot of attention early. Plus, it’s in a timeslot without a lot of competition. The easy choice would have been “Private Practice,” but I’m not so sure about that one.

Best Shot at a Miss: Do I even have to say it? I think people will check out “Cavemen” out of curiosity, but when they see how stupid it is, they’ll tune out.

Most Questionable Scheduling Move: I think that ABC should have given “Men In Trees” another shot at the post-“Grey’s” timeslot.

Best Scheduling Move: Leaving Sunday intact.

Strangest Renewal: “Notes From the Underbelly” was not getting that good of ratings, so wouldn’t it have made more sense to bring back the critically acclaimed “The Knights of Prosperity”?

Biggest Disappointment: I still can’t believe that ABC went with “Cavemen.”

Next up, CBS…