Ten New Pickups for ABC




May 18, 2010

Six new dramas are joining ABC in the 2010-2011 season, alongside three comedies and the RDF USA-produced unscripted series Secret Millionaire, as well as the returning Brothers & Sisters and V, among others.


Flash Forward, meanwhile, which debuted to strong ratings but has seen its viewership plummet during the season, is among the series that ABC has cut from the grid.


Mondays are being kept intact, with a two-hour Dancing with the Stars followed by the returning Castle. Tuesday nights, No Ordinary Family, starring The Shield's Michael Chiklis—about a family that discovers they have superpowers—leads off at 8 p.m. ahead of the Dancing with the Stars results show. Taking the 10 p.m. slot is the new crime drama Detroit 1-8-7, with The Sopranos Michael Imperioli. Wednesday nights feature a comedy block with the new sitcom Better Together sandwiched between the returning The Middle and Modern Family. Rounding out the comedy block is Cougar Town, back for a new season. At 10 p.m., ABC will launch The Whole Truth, a legal drama from Jerry Bruckheimer Television. On Thursdays, the successful Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice block is joined at 8 p.m. by My Generation. On Friday, Secret Millionaire from RDF will air at 8 p.m., followed by new drama Body of Proof, starring Dana Delany as a medical examiner and then 20/20. College football fills the Saturday schedule, and Sundays remain the same with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters.

For midseason, meanwhile, ABC has picked up Off the Map, a medical drama from exec producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, plus the comedies Happy Endings and Mr. Sunshine with Friends alum Matthew Perry.
“Our passion for great storytelling is at the core of everything we do,” said Stephen McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment Group. “Finding and supporting writers, directors, producers and actors who share that passion is critical to our success. Our shows are the product of these collaborations, and we are thrilled to add 10 new series to our schedule next year.”