ABC announced its fall schedule Tuesday at a press conference in New York City. The lineup included
several expected pickups, such as alternative game show “Opportunity Knocks,” the David E. Kelly time-traveling police drama "Life on Mars" and transplanted NBC comedy “Scrubs.”
Among the surprises at the presentation: The 2008-09 season will be "Boston Legal's" last and "Oprah's Big Give" is not coming back.
"Big Give" had modest success and won its time period on Sunday nights.
"We loved that show and absolutely would have loved to bring it back," ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson said. "But it was something (Oprah) didn't want to do."
There’s one untitled reality project in the mix, from executive producers Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher, which ABC describes as “a beauty pageant unlike any you’ve ever seen.”
“It combines ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ and is right in our brand,” McPherson said.
McPherson also touted the potential of "Scrubs" on ABC.
“We think its been in 17 time periods on (NBC) and they rarely promoted it at all and it still performed a 3.5 rating on Thursday second only to ‘The Office.’ We think it’s a great addition to our comedy brand, it gives us a real opportunity and another piece to play with.”
For midseason, ABC has 17 pilots in development in addition to the return of “Lost” to an undisclosed time period. “We have an incredible stable schedule, we were dominating in the fall until the strike hit,” McPherson said.
Here’s the ABC 2008-09 lineup:
Mondays
8 p.m. -- Dancing with the Stars / Untitled Tyra Banks-Ashton Kutcher [New]
9:30 p.m. -- Samantha Who 10pm -- The Bachelor / Boston Legal
Tuesdays
8 p.m. -- Opportunity Knocks [New]
9 p.m. -- Dancing Results Show / Scrubs [New] / Goode Family [New]
10 p.m. -- Eli Stone
Wednesdays
8 p.m. -– Pushing Daisies
9 p.m. -- Private Practice
10 p.m. -- Dirty Sexy MoneyThursdays8 p.m. -- Ugly Betty
9 p.m. -- Grey’s Anatomy
10 p.m.-- Life on Mars [New]
Fridays
8 p.m. -– Supernanny
9 p.m. -– Wife Swap
10 p.m. --20/20
Sundays
7 p.m. -– America’s Funniest Home Videos
8 p.m. -– Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9 p.m. –- Desperate Housewives
10 p.m.-– Brothers and Sisters