ABC and The CW 2008-09 Upfronts: Fall 2008 Schedules; Fans Create Save Back to You Campaign

Your FIRST look at ABC's official line-up!

ABC 2008-09

Fall 2008

Sundays
7:00PM America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00PM Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00PM Desperate Housewives
10:00PM Brothers & Sisters

Mondays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars
9:30PM Samantha Who?
10:00PM Boston Legal

Tuesdays
8:00PM Opportunity Knocks (NEW!)
9:00PM Dancing with the Stars: The Results
10:00PM Eli Stone

Wednesdays
8:00PM Pushing Daisies
9:00PM Private Practice
10:00PM Dirty Sexy Money

Thursdays
8:00PM Ugly Betty
9:00PM Grey's Anatomy
10:00PM Life on Mars (NEW!)

Fridays
8:00PM Wife Swap
9:00PM Supernanny
10:00PM 20/20

Saturdays
8:00PM College Football


Mid-Season:

New series for midseason include Scrubs (Tuesdays at 9 in January), The Goode Family (Tuesdays at 9:30 in January) and Untitled Ashton Kutcher/Tyra Banks Reality Project (Mondays at 8 in January).
More new mid-season series will be announced at a later date, likely in July during the TCA Tour.
Other returning series include According to Jim, The Bachelor, Lost and ABC News' Primetime: What Would You Do?
5:30PM UPDATE: So, I just watched the actual ABC Upfront Presentation. Good stuff. Clips of Opportunity Knocks, Life on Mars, The Goode Family, were shown. View my thoughts here, which includes an outline of what happened in the presentation that started at 4:08pm and lasted through 5:17pm ET.
Other Notes: This is Boston Legal's last season and the series will have 13 episodes. Series finale will be two-hours in early December. Oprah's Big Give would have been back, but Oprah decided one season was enough. Another Oprah project is in the works still. Here Come the Newlyweds and Dance War will likely return for second seasons either in mid-season or next summer. For those wondering, According to Jim joins Scrubs with 18 episode seasons, as mentioned Scrubs will air Tuesdays at 9 starting in January. During the upfront Steve McPherson stated that ABC has 17 shows in development for mid-season. So the mid-season will be like a fall season this year, as we could see a handful of those make it on air. The shows in development are: Sitcoms - Bad Mother's Handbook, Five Year Plan, Never Better, Roman's Empire, This Might Hurt, Fourplay, Single With Parents (previously My Brother's Hot (And Other Dilemmas), with Alyssa Milano) and In the Motherhood (based on an internet series). Clips of Fourplay and In the Motherhood were shown at upfront, though nothing from the actual pilots, since they are not shot yet. Dramas - Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas, Castle, Cupid, Finnegan, Good Behavior, Prince of Motor City, Untitled David Hemingson Project, The Unusuals and Section 8.

Discuss ABC's 2008-09 line-up here and also you can view complete program information.



The CW 2008-09

Fall 2008

Sundays
7:00-11:00PM MRC Block (NEW!) (TBA at a later date)

Mondays
8:00PM Gossip Girl
9:00PM One Tree Hill

Tuesdays
8:00PM 90210 (NEW!)
9:00PM Surviving the Filthy Rich (NEW!)

Wednesdays
8:00PM America's Next Top Model
9:00PM Stylista (NEW!)

Thursdays
8:00PM Smallville
9:00PM Supernatural

Fridays
8:00PM Everybody Hates Chris
8:30PM The Game
9:00PM America's Top Model Encore

Mid-Season:

Reaper will return air on Thursdays in mid-season replacing Smallville, which will end its run by then.

Discuss The CW's 2008-09 line-up here and also you can view complete program information.


Fox has canceled freshman sitcom Back to You, as we reported a few days ago, and now fans right here at SitcomsOnline.com have created a campaign to bring back the show! While I'm certainly not a fan of the show, I'm always willing to help to save a show needed to be saved, especially a sitcom. And the way fans think of how to save a show is the most important thing. Sure, an online petition is a good way to gather fans, but I know for a fact that they don't really help. Online petitions are usually ignored by networks. However, really creative ideas do work. We all know that because CBS executives last year canceled freshman drama Jericho after one season, and fans were outraged and they sent "nuts" to the CBS offices. To make a long story short, CBS was pleased how the fans reacted and brought the series back from the dead...but it didn't really help as the show is once again canceled after this season do to low ratings. I don't think nuts will work again.
Fans of Back to You on our message boards were outraged by the cancelation and created a petition. I told them that wouldn't really work...something more creative is needed. So I suggested they come up with one. We recently were all for a fan campaign to bring back October Road, a personal favorite of mine. Some fans from abc.com's message boards contacted me and I was very intrigued by their campaign that I even did a story on it right here on the blog. Basically that campaign was going to help local libraries, which is always a good cause. There was also another campaign to save MEN IN TREES, where fans helped to plant trees to save trees. Another good cause. They don't always work though, as both of those series have been canned, but it is better than not trying.
Well, anyway, the fans took my suggestion and brainstormed a few ideas and came up with a pretty funny (and good) one. Their idea is to send Fox (or even CBS) bottled water! Why bottled water? Because on the last episode that aired, fan TJL (who came up with this idea) says, "as part of the new station manager's cost cutting initiative, she eliminated some things, parking spaces, vacations, and free bottled water in the fridge." So what better way to save costs for Fox (since they canceled Back to You to save costs), then to give free bottled water to Fox.
A leader has emerged on this fan campaign and her name is Julie Somoski. She is big fan obviously and posts on our message boards daily. She has created a webpage for this campaign and you can find all the details there, such as where to send the bottled water and what note to put on it so they know what this is for. So check out her web campaign. She has an address for CBS but not Fox (she should add it on there I think)...I think fans should send bottled water to BOTH networks. CBS should get actual water filled bottles (since fans are trying to persaude them to buy the series), while Fox gets empty water bottles just for canceling the show...since they don't deserve free water! Don't forget to include the note, because I doubt CBS would know what this means, since the show is not on their network. A local Pittsburgh newspaper also published this campaign.

Fox Post-Strike Line-Up; Boston Legal Coming To ION Television; Gary David Goldberg Interview

Fox has ordered many of its current series back to production following the writers' strike and has announced airdates for spring 2008. Among the series slated to return are Bones, Back to You, 'Til Death and House. 24 will also return to conclude production on its seventh season, but the Emmy-winning series starring Kiefer Sutherland will not premiere until January 2009, allowing the drama to once again run 24 episodes consecutively. Fox's animated series, including American Dad, Family Guy, and The Simpsons, are also returning to production on future episodes.
Here is a recap of what we can expect: Back to You still has two pre-strike episodes left and they will air next week (Feb. 26 and 27 after Idol). The show will then return to close the season with new episodes starting Wednesday, April 16 at 8:30 PM ET/PT every Wednesday at 8:30. 'Til Death has one pre-strike episode left and it will air Tuesday, March 25 following Idol. Post-strike episodes will start on Wednesday, April 16 at 8:00 PM ET/PT every Wednesday at 8:00. Bones will return will all-new episodes on Monday, April 14 airing Mondays at 8. House returns with new episodes on Monday, April 28 moving to a new night of Mondays at 9.
Other premieres are new mid-season entries such as new sitcom Unhitched on Sunday, March 2 at 9:30pm. New drama New Amsterdam will get a special preview airing Tuesday, March 4 at 9 after Idol and again after Idol on Thursday, March 6 before moving to its normal night and time of Mondays at 9 on March 10 (before House takes over in late April). On that same night (Monday, March 10), new drama Canterbury's Law will premiere at 8:00pm (before Bones takes over in mid-April). New sitcom The Return of Jezebel James will debut Friday, March 14 at 8 p.m. for a one-hour premiere before moving to 8:30pm the following week. Finally, returning reality series Hell's Kitchen will air after Idol on Tuesdays at 9 starting April 1. Reality series such as Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, The Moment of Truth, and Don't Forget the Lyrics! will continue on without any problems.
There you have it...Fox's plans for the rest of the season. Status on the future of shows like Prison Break and Sarah Connor Chronicles are up in the air until upfront most likely in May. Expect one of them at least to return next season, if not both. K-Ville is 99.9% gone for good.
We now only have ABC left for an official announcement of their plans. Stay tuned for that!

ION Television announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Twentieth Television to air the David E. Kelley hit television series, Boston Legal, on ION Television, beginning this Fall. The agreement marks a milestone in the network's commitment to popular and diverse entertainment.
The acquisition will join M*A*S*H in the line-up this Fall. ION recently launched The Drew Carey Show and will launch Baywatch next month in a plan of popular and diverse entertainment.
Will they be expanding by the fall since they have announced so many new shows? We shall find out...so let's hope they do. Don't judge them until they announce a schedule.
Boston Legal has regularly been a top 20 program on ABC and draws one of the most affluent audiences in television. Kelley and Bill D'Elia are executive producers. The series, which premiered October 3, 2004, currently is in its fourth season on ABC and is produced by David E. Kelley Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Our good buddy Eric from JustMyShow.com continues to get noteworthy guests for his show. On Feb. 5, Emmy winning producer Gary David Goldberg celebrated the release of his new autobiography "Sit, Ubu, Sit" by taking part in a panel discussion at the Paley Center alongside cast members of his most successful shows. But before he spoke to his sold out audience, he sat down with Just My Show to talk about his seven years as creator and executive producer of Family Ties.
You can listen to the very interesting podcast by clicking HERE!

We have a big week planned this week on the blog...so you will want to check in everyday. Big stuff!

Day 59: WGA's Strike; Fox Shuffles Mid-Season Schedule

It is day 59 of the strike. Today is the big day that the late night talk shows go back on the air! Letterman and Ferguson will have writers, so they will have an advantage. But I'm sure viewers will sample Leno, Kimmel and O'Brien to see how they will be like without writers. The guests for tonight are:
Letterman: Robin Williams, Lupe Fiasco, Hilary Clinton
Leno: Gov. Mike Huckabee, Chingy
Kimmel: Helio Castroneves, Andy Dick, Kid Rock
O'Brien: Bob Saget, Dwayne Perkins, Robert Gordon & Chris Spedding
Ferguson: No guests
Carson Daly will be repeat. Comedy Central's Stewart and Colbert will return Monday without writers.

Fox has announced some changes to its mid-season lineup that will start in February. Due to the President's State of Union address on January 28, Fox will shift the pre-strike season finale of Prison Break from Feb. 11 to Feb. 18. Other changes include two "sneak preview" airings of the new drama New Amsterdam following American Idol on Tuesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 6 at 9:00PM. The series will then move to its regular night on Monday, March 10 at 9:00PM. Fox will give new sitcom The Return of Jezebel James a post-Idol preview also, airing Wednesday, March 12 at 9:30PM before settling into is normal night and time of Fridays at 8:30PM. Tired of post-Idol shows yet? Well we have more. Back to You returns with its finale two new pre-strike episodes Tuesday, Feb. 26 and Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 9:30PM (following Idol) before settling into its Wednesday 9:30PM time slot March 19 (also post-Idol, but as of now those will be repeats because of the strike). Yet more post-Idol preview slots include special airings of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader (Thurs, Feb. 21 at 9pm) and Don't Forget the Lyrics! (Thurs, Feb. 28 at 9PM). And regular shows like Moment of Truth and Hell's Kitchen will air after Idol somewhat regularly. New drama Canterbury's Law will not get any Idol treatment, and will air Mondays at 9 starting April 14. While it is smart to have all these post-Idol previews...viewers will get confused I think. The schedule is so confusing. The following are the changes:

• MONDAY
Monday, Feb. 18:
8:00PM Prison Break (season finale)
9:00PM Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Monday, Feb. 25:
8:00PM The Moment of Truth
9:00PM Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Monday, March 3:
8-10:00PM: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (two-hour season finale)

Mondays, beginning March 10:
8:00PM House (time-period premiere)
9:00PM New Amsterdam (series premiere)

Monday, April 7:
8-10:00PM New Amsterdam (two-hour season finale)

Mondays, beginning April 14:
8:00PM House
9:00PM Canterbury's Law (series premiere)


• TUESDAY
Tuesday, Feb. 26 and March 25:
8-9:30PM American Idol
9:30PM Back to You

Tuesday, March 4:
8:00PM American Idol
9:00PM New Amsterdam (series preview)

Tuesday, March 11 and 18:
8-10:00PM American Idol

Tuesdays, beginning April 1:
8:00PM American Idol
9:00PM Hell's Kitchen (season premiere)


• WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, Feb. 27:
8-9:30PM American Idol
9:30PM Back to You

Wednesday, March 12:
8:00PM The Moment of Truth
9:00PM American Idol (time-period premiere)
9:30PM The Return of Jezebel James (series preview)

Wednesdays, beginning March 19:
8:00PM The Moment of Truth
9:00PM American Idol
9:30PM Back to You (time-period premiere)


• THURSDAY
Thursday, Feb. 21:
8:00PM American Idol
9:00PM Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

Thursday, Feb. 28:
8:00PM American Idol
9:00PM Don't Forget the Lyrics

Thursday, March 6:
8:00PM American Idol
9:00PM New Amsterdam (series preview)

Thursdays, beginning March 13:
8:00PM Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?
9:00PM Don't Forget the Lyrics


• FRIDAY
Fridays, Feb. 22 and 29 and March 7:
8:00PM Bones
9:00PM House

Fridays, beginning March 14:
8:00PM 'Til Death (time-period premiere)
8:30PM The Return of Jezebel James (series premiere)
9:00PM Bones (time-period premiere)


• SATURDAY
As previously announced, no changes


• SUNDAY
As previously announced, no changes

Day 4: WGA's Writers' Strike - Fox and ABC Updates; ION Goes HD

We are now in day four of the strike. Still no resolution. In light of the strike by The Writers Guild of America, Fox has revised its lineup for January and the remainder of the 2007-2008 season. The new schedule is subject to change, pending resolution of the strike. The seventh season premiere of 24 is being postponed to ensure that "Day 7" can air uninterrupted, in its entirety.
The highly anticipated drama Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles will have a two-night premiere on Sunday, Jan. 13 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and Monday, Jan. 14 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), the show's regular time period. Prison Break, which has its last November airing on Monday, Nov. 12 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), returns to Mondays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) beginning Jan. 14, ealier than planned.
Fox's new schedule is pretty confusing. So, I won't recap it anymore, so here's is a list of it:

Mondays, beginning Jan. 14:
8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK
9:00-10:00 PM TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (Time Period Premiere)
Monday, March 3:
8:00-9:00 PM WHEN WOMEN RULE THE WORLD (wt) (Series Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
Mondays, beginning March 10:
8:00-9:00 PM WHEN WOMEN RULE THE WORLD (wt)
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE (Time Period Premiere)

Tuesday, Jan. 15:
8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part 1)
Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 22:
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE
Tuesdays, beginning April 1:
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM HELL'S KITCHEN (Season Premiere)

Wednesday, Jan. 16:
8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part 2)
Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 23:
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM THE MOMENT OF TRUTH (Series Premiere)
Wednesdays, beginning March 12:
8:00-9:00 PM THE MOMENT OF TRUTH (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:30-10:00 PM BACK TO YOU encores (Time Period Premiere)

Thursdays, beginning Jan. 10 (No changes to lineup):
8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?
9:00-10:00 PM DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS!

Fridays, beginning Jan. 4:
8:00-9:00 PM BONES (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE encores (Time Period Premiere)
Friday, Feb. 22:
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM (Series Premiere)
Fridays, beginning March 7:
8:00-8:30 PM TIL DEATH (Time Period Premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES (Series Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM
Fridays, beginning April 11:
8:00-8:30 PM TIL DEATH
8:30-9:00 PM THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES
9:00-10:00 PM CANTERBURY'S LAW (Series Premiere)

Saturdays, beginning Jan. 5: (No changes to lineup)
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK
11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv
Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

Sundays, beginning Jan. 6: (No changes to lineup)
7:00-7:30 PM VARIOUS COMEDY ENCORES
7:30-8:00 PM VARIOUS COMEDY ENCORES
8:00-9:00 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
Sunday, Jan. 13:
7:00-7:30 PM VARIOUS COMEDY ENCORES (West Coast only)
7:30-8:00 PM VARIOUS COMEDY ENCORES (West Coast only)
8:00-9:00 PM TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (Series Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
Sunday, Feb. 3 (Super Bowl Sunday):
6:00 PM ET SUPER BOWL XLII (Approx. 4 hours, LIVE)
Approx. 10:00 PM ET HOUSE (Original episode; guest star Mira Sorvino)
Sundays, beginning March 2:
7:00-7:30 PM COMEDY ENCORES (West Coast only on 3/2 due to NASCAR)
7:30-8:00 PM COMEDY ENCORES (West Coast only on 3/2 due to NASCAR)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM UNHITCHED (Series Premiere)
Sundays, beginning April 13:
7:00-7:30 PM COMEDY ENCORES
7:30-8:00 PM COMEDY ENCORES
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

In other strike news, ABC still plans to air Lost come this February. 8 of the 16 episodes will be available, but ABC will still air those. The eighth episode does have a cliff-hanger, in case that will be the last episode of the season. Other news: The classic special Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town is scheduled to air on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 from 8:00- 9:00 PM ET/PT. ABC Saturday Movie Of The Week Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas is scheduled to air on Saturday, December 8, 2007 from 8:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT. The only thing really left Christmas wise is The Santa Clause 2, which I'm betting will be on a Sunday (Dec. 16 likely). Cavemen is preempted on Nov. 20 for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, but now Carpoolers will be, too. He's a Bully, Charlie Brown, the last animated special created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, will air at 8:30 p.m. ET immediately following the classic A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. And finally, Big Shots will be pre-empted on Dec. 6. Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2007, an
hour-long ABC News special highlighting some of the year's most prominent names in entertainment, sports, politics and business, will air at 10pm on Thursday, Dec. 6. So, the next Big Shots episode will air Nov. 29 at 10pm as of now, unless ABC bumps that also...they should just save it for January.

ION Media Networks, Inc. today announced the launch of ION Television HD, the high definition television (HDTV) version of the company's flagship network, ION Television. ION Television HD will air ION Television's full lineup of programming in high definition beginning in the first quarter of next year.
ION Television HD will be transmitted in 720p HD, and will be delivered over-the-air via DTV broadcast, cable, telco-TV and satellite. The network will feature native and up-converted HD programming, and will be carried on all 60 of ION Media Network's television stations around the country.
ION Television HD will dramatically enhance viewers' experience with the breathtaking visual clarity and rich, lifelike color characteristic of high definition. Viewers will discover a new level of enjoyment with the flagship network's daily programming lineup, which includes popular family shows, like Mama's Family and Who's the Boss?, and sports and reality programs, such as NFL Game of the Week and 48 Hours. ION Television HD will also enable audiences to experience, as never before, the network's exciting RHI Entertainment award-winning movies and original miniseries, such as Lonesome Dove and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Day 3: WGA's Writers' Strike; People's Choice Nominees Being Announced Thursday

We are now into the third day of the WGA Writers' Strike. It feels like it has been 3 months already. No deal has been made yet. Writers are still picketing and trying work out a deal. Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives was seen at the picket line handing out pizza to the writers. Her show has stopped production after 9 episodes.
In other strike news, all the multi-camera sitcoms like we mentioned yesterday (and we missed Old Christine) are out of production. However, as of now, According to Jim is still taping next week (Nov. 16)...don't know how. Fox will be removing the Nov. 21 airings of Back to You & 'Til Death in favor of repeats. On Nov. 28, Fox will air two all-new episodes of 'Til Death. 'Til Death has about 12 total episodes completed, compared to only about 9 for Back to You. I don't think we will see new episodes of Back to You after its Nov. 14 airing until like January...they will have only 2-3 left by then.
We will try to give you a detailed list of shows with how many episodes left in the coming days...unless the strike finishes by then, which we ALL hope.
ABC will be airing holiday specials Mondays at 8:00PM starting Dec. 3 when Dancing with the Stars concludes. Dec. 3 will be A Charlie Brown Christmas (which will also air on Tues., Nov. 27) and I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown on Dec. 10. Other specials are still TBA, such as the classic Santa Claus is Coming to Town ABC also announced that the popular holiday movie The Polar Express will air on Friday, Nov. 30 from 8-10pm. Shrek the Halls and How the Grinch Stole Christmas will air Wednesday, Nov. 28 from 8-9pm.

The nominations for THE 34th ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS will be announced at a star-studded event on Thursday, November 8 at a premier West Hollywood hot spot. This year, for the first time ever, the nominees will be celebrated with an official Crest + Scope People's Choice Nomination Announcement Party, benefiting Operation Smile. The event's host, Crest + Scope spokesperson Ryan Seacrest, will welcome guests and introduce Paula Abdul, A.J. Cook, Scott Foley and Masi Oka, who will announce the nominees and kick off the voting on
http://www.pcaVOTE.com.
Winners will be revealed during the live broadcast of THE 34TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 8 (9:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. As the first award show of 2008, THE 34TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS honors fan favorites in television, movies and music.
We'll be back tomorrow with those nominees!

Tonight on Fox the sitcoms Back to You & 'Til Death return with all-new episodes. The comedy starts at 8/7 central.

Day 2: WGA's Writers' Strike

Unfortunately once again the WGA Writers' Strike is the top story. Three sitcoms have just completely shut down...Fox's Back to You & 'Til Death, and CBS's Rules of Engagement. All three shows ceased production this week, meaning whatever the episodes they have already taped are the only ones available. Probably 4-5 each will remain to air. Multicamera sitcoms will be hit harder than the single camera ones, I think. So, expect How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Girlfriends, and The Game to cease too, if they haven't already.
It all depends on how long this strike will last to see if we will get any more episodes pass the 4-5 ones left for each. If it lasts only a week or two, we can expect probably minor episode cuts, if any. But if we're talking months, then we can forget about any new episodes, or very little episodes.
In other strike news, late night TV will once again be repeats tonight. So, no new Jimmy Kimmel Live with the latest Dancing with the Stars eliminated star. Bummer.

We'll be back with more news, if any.

Tonight sitcom wise we got Cavemen & Carpoolers on ABC starting at 8/7 central. On Carpoolers, Jerry O'Connell's real wife, Rebecca Romijn (Ugly Betty) will guest star! She will play Laird's sexy ex-wife, who is crazy. Sounds hilarious! Tune in!

The Status of All the New Network Shows

So do you want to know if your favorite new shows will last the season or get canceled? You'll get a sense after reading this post! As we have announced, the following new scripted shows have gotten a full season order, which means at least 22 episodes: Back to You (24 episodes actually), The Big Bang Theory, Gossip Girl, Private Practice, and Pushing Daisies. So, all those are safe at least through the end of the season, unless something crazy happens.
Then a ton of other new series have added additional scripts, which means the network is trying and will see how the show continues to do before picking up additional episodes or a full season. Samantha Who? got an additional six scripts order, which means it is very close for a full season pick-up. The next highest is four scripts, which are Cane and Moonlight. Tons of other series have three scripts such as Aliens in America, Bionic Woman, Carpoolers, Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money, Life, Journeyman, and Reaper. It could go either way with these. K-Ville has an additional two scripts ordered, but that was weeks ago, and nothing has been said since, which means, the clock is ticking for that show.
So far no word at all on series such as Big Shots, Cavemen, Life is Wild and Women's Murder Club. That is not good, but Women's Murder Club is doing well and has just started basically, so expect additional scripts or even a full season pick-up very soon. Viva Laughlin was canceled.
Among the new reality shows, it looks like Kid Nation will finish its cycle, but that looks to be it. Kitchen Nightmares was ordered for another season. The outlook is not good for CW Now and The Next Great American Band. Online Nation and Nashville were canceled.

So, here is my take. Among the series with additional scripts, Samantha Who, Dirty Sexy Money, Moonlight, Chuck, Bionic Woman, Reaper, Aliens in America will probably get full season pick-ups or at the very least additional episodes. So shows like Carpoolers, Cane, K-Ville, Life and Journeyman are in danger...so don't get too attached. Among the shows with no status yet, expect Women's Murder Club to get the season pick-up VERY soon, with Big Shots, Cavemen and Life is Wild in danger.

ION Television November, Perfect Strangers Dropped; Fox Picks-Up Back to You for Full Season

ION Television will be removing Perfect Strangers effective this Monday. In fact they have moved the Perfect Strangers Halloween stunt from Monday and Tuesday to Wednesday and Thursday of this week. So, yes, the first night was last night, if you noticed. Starting Monday, we get the old schedule back, which is back-to-back episodes of Designing Women, Mama's Family, Who's the Boss? from 7-10pm. Such a shame Perfect Strangers was only given a few weeks to air...it didn't even get through the second season. At least we got to see a few post season two episodes in the Halloween stunt. Make sure you watch the final night tonight at 8:30 & 9:00 pm. No reason was given to us at the time of this post, so we don't know...but maybe it was the ratings. Oh well, at least the show is selling like hotcakes on Amazon.com right now! Seasons 1 and 2 come to DVD in February and is currently in the top 50 on Amazon's sales rank...which is amazing for a set not coming for another three months!
So, the schedule starting Monday will run into November as well. The only stunt we have is a Mama's Family Thanksgiving marathon on Thursday, November 22 from 6-11pm...it looks like the same exact marathon as last year. We have more on ION November here, including the RHI movies, and you can also discuss your thoughts on the removal of Perfect Strangers. What a shame.

Fox has ordered an additional 11 episodes of the new comedy Back to You, bringing the total number of episodes for its premiere season to 24. Back to You stars Kelsey Grammer as "Chuck Darling" and Patricia Heaton as "Kelly Carr," co-anchors at Pittsburg, PA, news station WURG, who are reunited at the anchor desk after Chuck had an embarrassing and very public fall from grace on-air at his previous post in Los Angeles. The comedy also stars Fred Willard, Ty Burrell, Josh Gad, Ayda Field and Laura Marano. Created and executive-produced by Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. Back to You airs Wednesdays (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on Fox.

If we have more news, we will be back...so check this spot!

Tonight sitcom wise we have NBC's Comedy Done Right block with My Name is Earl, 30 Rock, The Office and the season premiere of Scrubs. This will be the 7th and finals season for Zach Braff and gang, so let the farewell tour begin! It all starts at 8/7 central on NBC!

Fox Announces Mid-Season Premiere Date; Perfect Strangers Coming to DVD!

Fox has announced a premiere date for one of its mid-season entries. Again facing relentless Terminators that will stop at nothing until John Connor, the future leader of the resistance, is eliminated, Sarah Connor stops running and starts fighting back against fate and the machines that are out for her son in the highly anticipated new series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles premiering Monday, Jan. 14 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox.
This means Prison Break will have its Fall Finale on Monday, Dec. 17. It will return to the Fox schedule in its regular time period Monday, April 14, 2008, and will air original episodes into June, along with 24, as previously announced. 24 will have a two-night premiere, Sunday, Jan. 13 from 8-10pm and in its regular night and time on Monday, Jan. 14 at 9pm.
No word yet on what will happen to K-Ville, but it will probably be long gone by then anyway.

I am so happy today! February 12, 2008 will be a big day. Perfect Strangers: The Complete 1st and 2nd Seasons will be coming to DVD then! Yes, the classic 80s slapstick sitcom is FINALLY coming to DVD. Yes, FINALLY! Looks like Warner Home Video finally listened and will give us fans what we have wanted! We will be getting a bonus feature as well on the Dance of Joy. I was hoping they would throw in the unaired pilot with Louie Anderson as the Larry character, but it doesn't look like it. I will make sure to let them know about it.
Read the press release HERE! We will have more on this of course, including a full review closer to the release date.

If we have more news, we will have it for you right here. So try and check back.

Tonight we have new episodes of Back to You and 'Til Death on Fox. Also, I think they will be starting something classic tonight. Before the first scene begins they will say, "Taped before a live studio audience." We haven't heard that on a sitcom in awhile. Shows like Happy Days, Cheers, Coach I know did that before the first scene, while most of the others say it in the closing credits. Anyway, the comedy hour starts at 8/7 central on Fox!

New Knight Rider Possible; ABC Encores This Week's Grey's on Friday

NBC is bringing back Knight Rider, signing Doug Liman to produce a Transformers-inspired reworking of the 1980's hit action-drama series about a man and his indestructible supercar, Variety reports.
NBC is readying a two-hour backdoor pilot for the project, with tentative plans to air it as a movie-of-the-week later this season. Liman is open to the idea of directing, assuming his schedule allows. If the TV movie clicks, a new-model Knight Rider series could be on the air as early as next fall.
It's also likely the new show will explore the idea of "evil" cars to offset the heroic talking K.I.T.T. car of the original series, which starred David Hasselhoff. That said, the series is expected to essentially remain focused on the story of a single man fighting for justice with the help of his superadvanced car.
The TV movie could serve as a good replacement for repeats come spring, perhaps replacing an encore of Heroes or Bionic Woman.
What are your thoughts on this? Give us your thoughts by clicking HERE.

ABC has made a schedule change for this Friday. They were scheduled to air an episode of Primetime: Medical Mysteries this Friday at 9, but now they will air an encore of this Thursday's Grey's Anatomy instead. The encore of the Pushing Daisies pilot will still air at 8 and 20/20 at 10pm.

If we have more news we will post it here. So come on back if you can.

Tune in tonight for the third week of sitcoms from Fox's Back to You and 'Til Death. They air back-to-back starting at 8/7 central on Fox!
Also tonight, it is the series premiere of the best pilot of the season...Pushing Daisies. I saw the show this summer and it is fantastic. I won't give a full fledge review, but you've seen the promos and reviews, everyone loves it. It is a forensic fairytale with laughs, romance and mystery. It is about a guy named Ned who has this special touch of awakening the dead. The pilot starts off with a flashback showcasing us how this had happened. He has had the touch since he was little boy. The thing is, if he touches them once more, they go back to being dead. Also he only has one minute in keeping them alive, otherwise another person will die.
He owns a pie shop that looks so cool. His life as a pie maker gets more complicated when private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) finds out about Ned's secret. Emerson convinces the cash-strapped Ned to help him solve murder cases (and collect the hefty reward fees) by raising the dead and getting them to name their killers.
Then Ned is handed the case that changes his life forever. His childhood sweetheart, Charlotte (nickname is Chuck), is murdered on a cruise ship under strange circumstances. Her death brings him back to his hometown of Coeur d' Coeurs to bring Chuck back to life, albeit briefly, and solve the crime. But once reunited with Chuck, Ned can't bring himself to send her back. He helps her escape after her grieving aunts, Lily and Vivian, former synchronized swimmers Darling Mermaid Darlings, think they've buried her forever.
Chuck becomes the third partner in Ned and Emerson's PI enterprise, but she encourages them to use their skills for good, not just for profit. Ned is overjoyed to be reunited with Chuck, the only girl he's ever loved. Life would be perfect, except for one cruel twist -- if he ever touches her again, she'll go back to being dead, this time for good.
That is the pilot in a nutshell. It is really good!!! I urge you all to watch it because it is very charming. It is like a storybook serialized procedural with tons of laughs, mystery and romance. The show has it all and everyone will like something from it. The show airs tonight at 8/7 central only on ABC!

TV Land's CASA Stunt Full Details; Network Notes

We mentioned this a lot already, but TV Land has issued yet another press release on the CASA Family Day. As part of its commitment to Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children(TM), TV Land will pre-empt regularly- scheduled programming and "go dark" on September 24 from 6pm to 7pm (ET/PT) to encourage families to dine together. Viewers tuning in to The Family Day Dinner Hour will see photos submitted to TVLand.com of various families sharing meals and spending time together. Packaged like a scrapbook, the hour will display montages of the photos along with Family Day graphics, all set to easy-listening Americana and Jazz music.
To further promote Family Day, TV Land will air a two-hour block of classic family dinner-themed episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, Sanford & Son, and M*A*S*H on Sunday, September 23, from 8pm to 10pm (ET/PT).

Fox has announced the premiere date for season 7 of 24. The innovative, addictive, Emmy Award-winning television series 24 resets the clock for Season Seven with a special two-night premiere event Sunday, Jan. 13 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT and Monday, Jan. 14 from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox.
In keeping with Fox's commitment to airing original programming year-round, the intense season will unfold in 24's regular 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT time period beginning Monday, Jan. 14, and will continue to air all originals all season into June.
NBC.com today announced the launch of its new service, "NBC Direct," which will allow users to download and view NBC's popular primetime and late-night entertainment programming on their desktops for up to one week after broadcast. This new feature provides yet another platform on which fans will be able to enjoy NBC Entertainment content.
The first version of this new feature, which will begin beta testing in October, will allow users to download full length episodes for viewing on Windows based PCs. Each original episode will be licensed to users for viewing through "NBC Direct" for one week following broadcast and will then expire. The downloaded file will provide users with an improved overall viewing experience compared to traditional streaming video. The list of programs available at launch will include Heroes, The Office, Life, Bionic Woman, 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Later in the beta launch, users will be provided the free subscription option that will allow them to pre-select their favorite NBC programs they want to watch. Those shows will be automatically delivered to their computers as soon as they are available after the original broadcast. The downloadable player will also have filtering technology, which will prevent it from playing any stolen copyrighted material.

And finally, as a reminder the first two original sitcom airings of the new season start tonight with the series premiere of Back to You and the season premiere of 'Til Death. The laughs start at 8/7 central on Fox.
Our final ratings for each night will return this week on our message boards (see General Sitcoms board)

Fox Fall Pilot Review: Back to You - Premieres September 19th; 59th Annual Emmy Awards Winners

Back to You - Wednesdays at 8:00PM ET/PT on Fox
Premieres September 19th at 8:00PM ET/PT

In the ‘90s, the local TV news scene in Pittsburgh was dominated by one team: CHUCK DARLING (Kelsey Grammer) and KELLY CARR (Patricia Heaton). They had that elusive quality all news teams need: chemistry ... at least on-screen. Off-screen, Chuck was a bit of a self-centered womanizer, Kelly a bit of an uptight know-it-all. When Chuck grabbed the chance to move up to a larger market, no tears were shed.

But after an embarrassing on-air tirade ended up on the Internet, Chuck found himself on the downswing career-wise. He even questioned whether his lifestyle of chasing women and living in hotels was as exciting as it used to be. So when he got the call to return to Pittsburgh, to reunite with Kelly and try to take the newscast back to No. 1, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Back in Pittsburgh, Chuck and Kelly reteam with familiar faces including MARSH McGINLEY (Fred Willard), the affable, endlessly inappropriate sports anchor, and GARY CREZYZEWSKI, pronounced Kre-shoov-ski (Ty Burrell), the perennially put-upon field reporter who always seems to get left out in the cold; and they have a few new coworkers: RYAN CHURCH (Josh Gad), the under qualified, overstressed news director, and MONTANA DIAZ HERRERA (Ayda Field), the perky, sexy, somewhat inept weather anchor. But perhaps the biggest change is that Kelly is now single mom to 10-year-old GRACIE (Laura Marano).

There was magic between Chuck and Kelly once. Can they find it again?

BACK TO YOU is created, written and executive-produced by Steven Levitan (“Just Shoot Me!,” “Frasier,” “Wings”) and Christopher Lloyd (“Frasier,” “The Golden Girls”). James Burrows is executive producer and director. The series is from Levitan/Lloyd Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television.

Cast Details:

Kelsey Grammer as Chuck Darling, Patricia Heaton as Kelly Carr, Fred Willard as Marsh McGinley, Ty Burrell as Gary Crezyzewski, Josh Gad as Ryan Church, Ayda Field as Montana Diaz Herrera, Laura Marano as Gracie Carr

Kelsey Grammer (Chuck Darling) - Kelsey Grammer played the celebrated character "Dr. Frasier Crane" on three different television series ("Frasier," "Cheers" and "Wings") for 20 years, tying James Arness of "Gunsmoke" for the record of longest-running television character. He has won four Emmys, two Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role, and has received an unparalleled total of 16 Emmy award nominations, eight Golden Globe award nominations and 16 Screen Actors Guild award nominations.

Patricia Heaton (Kelly Carr) - A talented actress whose career spans television, theater and film, Patricia Heaton has been honored with two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and has been nominated for 11 Screen Actors Guild awards for her portrayal of "Debra Barone" on the top-rated series "Everybody Loves Raymond."

Fred Willard (Marsh McGinley) - Willard has received three Emmy Award nominations for his role as Martin Mull's lover on "Roseanne" and his recurring role on "Everybody Loves Raymond." He also co-starred with Martin Mull in Norman Lear's innovative cult classic talk-show satire, "Fernwood 2Night." Willard had recurring roles on "Ally McBeal," "The Simpsons" and "Mad About You." In addition, he has made more than 50 appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Ty Burrell (Gary Crezyzewski) - Through his ability to play roles ranging from classical Shakespeare to contemporary film, Ty Burrell is quickly establishing himself as a talented and versatile actor who has carved out a diverse career in movies, television and theater. On television, Burrell recently starred in the sitcom "Out of Practice" opposite Stockard Channing and Henry Winkler.

Josh Gad (Ryan Church) - Josh Gad began his career in theater, graduating from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. He then turned his sights to comedy, joining the famed Groundlings Improv troupe and later founding his own group, the Lost Nomads Comedy Troupe. Previous screen credits include a guest role on "ER" and the independent feature "Watching the Detectives" with Lucy Liu.

Ayda Field (Montana Diaz Herrera) - Once she decided upon acting as a career, things happened very quickly for Los Angeles native Ayda Field. On her way home from attending Duke University, she landed an audition on the daytime drama "Days of Our Lives." The audition blossomed into a recurring role on the series that ran over the course of a season. Field's additional television credits include the cable series "Arli$$," "Will & Grace," "Eve," "Blue Collar TV" and a recurring role on "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."

Laura Marano (Gracie Carr) - Marano has recurring roles on the television show "Without a Trace," in which she plays Kate, the daughter of Emmy-Award winning actor Anthony LaPaglia's character, and in "Dexter" and "The Sarah Silverman Program." She has guest-starred on television shows including "Ghost Whisperer," "Medical Investigation," "Huff" and "Joan of Arcadia."

Pilot Plot:

1. Pilot (09/19/07) - After an embarrassing newscast tirade ends up on the internet on YouTube, Chuck returns to Pittsburgh to reunite with Kelly at the local network. The show opens with a funny flashback to 1996 where we see Chuck Darling leaving the station for greener pastures. He returns 10 years later and meets the young news director, Brian Church, and the rest of the team and his former co-anchor, Kelly. They swap anchor seats and shoot a promo. We are introduced to Kelly's daughter, Gracie.

Written by: Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd
Directed by: James Burrows
Guest Stars: Spencer Knowles (Mail Boy), Adam Busch (Production Assistant), Michael Richard Robinson (Weatherman), Erin Ross (Darcy), Ayda Field (Montana Diaz Herrera)

I also had the opportunity to view the second episode.

2. Fish Story (09/26/07) - There's something fishy going on when Chuck tries to convince a dubious Kelly that he has a responsible, nurturing side. Meanwhile, Gary tries to regain his credibility in the field. He doesn't want to do a segment on tasers.

Analysis:

After watching the first two episodes, I think the show has a lot of potential. It is impossible to compare it to great newsroom sitcoms such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show or Murphy Brown with such a small sampling, but all of the pieces are here for a long and successful run. Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton are a dynamic duo that have instant chemistry. It is hard to believe they had never worked together before or that they had only met each other once prior to being cast. After playing Frasier Crane for 20 years, Kelsey Grammer gets the chance to play another character in the media. It is somebody who has a different personality than Frasier, but he's not 100% opposite that viewers won't recognize him. Patricia Heaton is beautiful and funny and gets to play a character that is the opposite of Debra Ramone. The supporting cast is very good. Fred Willard is hilarious as the zany and political incorrect sports anchor. He has some of the funniest lines, such as "I'm off - I still throw up before every show." I enjoyed Ty Burrell on "Out of the Practice." He has a funny scene in a taser segment in the second episode. Newcomer Josh Gad plays the young, sweaty news director. He reminds me a little bit of Chris Farley and his character is similar to the enthusiastic and neurotic Miles Silverberg character on Murphy Brown. As if we needed more of it with Patricia Heaton already on board, Ayda Field brings a lot of sex appeal as the weathergirl. She has some funny exchanges with Fred and Ty. Overall, the show just has some very funny writing and a good pace. The pop culture references to YouTube and ringtones in the first two episodes are hilarious. Back to You is filmed before a live studio audience with multiple cameras. There is no canned or added laughter here.

There are a few things that they probably could improve on for future episodes. Although the show is set in Pittsburgh, you would hardly know it. There is the Pittsburgh skyline behind the anchor's desk, but there are very few references to the city. Marsh does mention the Penguins in a news story in the second episode. It would be nice to see some exterior shots of Pittsburgh in the transitions between scenes. The newsroom set looks like a real set, but it appears to be very tiny. Maybe newsrooms are like that in real life, but people are always bumping into each other on the set. Kelly's home is shown in the pilot, but it is not as nice as I would expect a lead anchor to own. The office that Kelly and Chuck share is featured in the second episode, but it doesn't look very big or as elaborate as I expected. I guess with the high salaries of the cast, they didn't have a lot of extra money to furnish those sets with props and items on the walls.

Conclusion:

Back to You will likely be one of the top two highest rated new sitcoms of the fall season. It would be very hard for me to see it failing with such an all-star cast and crew. It may not mark the full return of the multi-camera sitcom format, but it is a step in the right direction. Hopefully we will start to see more in this format that was so popular for the last 40-50 years. Many networks wanted it for their fall schedule. Fox gave it a blind thirteen-episode commitment in February after seeing the script.

Can Grammer and Heaton find the magic of Frasier and Everybody Loves Raymond? It looks to be a funny show. When the cast looks like they are having fun and enjoy filming before a live audience, I think that will translate into a show that people will want to watch. Back to You should score an impressive debut. Fox has heavily promoted it, and there is a lot of buzz about it. It will be interesting to see how many viewers they can hold onto for the second episode and in week three when ABC's enchanting Pushing Daisies premieres. Hopefully Back to You is the start of a new golden era of the multi-camera sitcom.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4.5/5
Funniness: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

-- Reviewed by Todd Fuller on 09/17/07

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday on our message board.

Related Links:

FOX.com Official Site

Back to You Online

Back to You Anchorizer

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Back to You Photo Gallery

---

And now I'll throw it back to you, Pavan...

Here are the winners for the main categories at last night's Emmys.

COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock
Entourage
The Office
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty
WINNER: 30 Rock

DRAMA SERIES
Boston Legal
Grey's Anatomy
Heroes
House
The Sopranos
WINNER: The Sopranos

LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Ricky Gervais, Extras
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
WINNER: Ricky Gervais, Extras

LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary Louise Parker, Weeds
WINNER: America Ferrera, Ugly Betty.

LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES
James Gandolfini, The Sopranos
Hugh Laurie, House
Denis Leary, Rescue Me
James Spader, Boston Legal
Kiefer Sutherland, 24
WINNER: James Spader, Boston Legal

LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES
Patricia Arquette, Medium
Minnie Driver, The Riches
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
WINNER: Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters

SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Rainn Wilson, The Office
WINNER: Jeremy Piven, Entourage.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES
Jenna Fischer, The Office
Conchata Ferrell, Two and a Half Men
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Jaime Pressly, My Name is Earl
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty
WINNER: Jaime Pressly, My Name is Earl

SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES
Michael Emerson, Lost
Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos
T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy
Terry O'Quinn, Lost
Masi Oka, Heroes
William Shatner, Boston Legal
WINNER: Terry O'Quinn, Lost.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES
Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers and Sisters
Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Aida Turturro, The Sopranos
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy
OUR PICK: Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy

Full list of winners can be found HERE!

COMMENTS: The surprises of the night was James Spader for Lead Actor in a Drama and Katherine Heigl for Supporting Actress in a Drama. Both were underdogs, but won! And it was nice that Sally Field got Lead Actress in a Drama and Terry O'Quinn for Supporting Actor in a Drama. Comedy wise, no surprises really, but Shalhoub didn't win finally for Lead Actor in a Comedy. Actually, Jamie Pressly of My Name is Earl was a bit of a surprise. It was a huge night for ABC. 5 wins for ABC in the above main categories. The Sopranos won for Best Drama, but didn't get any of the acting wins, which is a surprise.