ABC'S MEDICAL DRAMA SERIES "GREY'S ANATOMY"
PREMIERES SUNDAY, MARCH 27 AT 10:00 P.M., ET

"Boston Legal" to Resume on April 24

"Grey's Anatomy," a new drama series which focuses on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors, will premiere SUNDAY, MARCH 27 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. The new series will initially run for four weeks in place of repeat episodes of "Boston Legal," which will return Sunday, April 24 with all-original episodes for the remainder of the season.

In its Sunday 10:00 p.m. time period, "Grey's Anatomy" will air following "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Desperate Housewives." Sunday at 8:00 p.m., "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is drawing an average audience of 15.8 million viewers and a 6.5 rating, 16 share in Adults 18-49, ranking as the second-highest-rated program on Sunday night, behind only "Desperate Housewives." Sunday at 9:00 p.m., "Desperate Housewives" is drawing an average audience of 23.1 million viewers and a 10.2 rating, 22 share in Adults 18-49, ranking as the No. 1 new show of the season.

"Grey's Anatomy" follows the lives of first-year surgical interns Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), George O'Malley (T.R. Knight) and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) at Seattle Grace Hospital, the toughest surgical residency program west of Harvard. Though they were students yesterday, today they're doctors and, in a world where on the job training can be a matter of life and death, they're all juggling the ups and downs of their personal lives.

The interns are guided by an established team of doctors who are determined to shape them into skilled surgeons or break them: Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), a senior resident responsible for training them, is so tough that she's nicknamed "The Nazi"; Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) is the flirtatious but very capable surgeon who shares a forbidden but undeniable sexual attraction with Meredith; and Preston Burke's (Isaiah Washington) arrogance is second only to his skill with a scalpel. Overseeing them all is Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.), Seattle Grace's paternal but no-nonsense chief of surgery.

"Grey's Anatomy" stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd, James Pickens, Jr. as Richard Webber, T.R. Knight as George O'Malley, Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang, Katherine Heigl as Isobel "Izzie" Stevens, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, Isaiah Washington as Preston Burke and Justin Chambers as Alex Karev.

Shonda Rhimes ("Introducing Dorothy Dandridge") is creator and executive producer. Mark Gordon ("Saving Private Ryan"), Betsy Beers ("200 Cigarettes") and Jim Parriott ("The American Embassy") are executive producers. Peter Horton is co-executive producer. "Grey's Anatomy" is a Touchstone Television Production.

I thought this show was called "E.R."

;)

Sounds interesting, I'll give it a shot. But is premiering on Easter Sunday the best plan??

Sounds interesting, I'll give it a shot. But is premiering on Easter Sunday the best plan??

Sure, why not? New episodes of EM: HE and DH will air before it, so sounds good to me, lol.

Sure, why not? New episodes of EM: HE and DH will air before it, so sounds good to me, lol.

That's true. Hell, the ratings might even be better than expected -- a large percentage of people will be home anyways.

I just home success for GA doesn't mean the death of BL.

ABC does seem to have the best dramas coming up for midseason. I think I'll check this one out.

Sure, why not? New episodes of EM: HE and DH will air before it, so sounds good to me, lol.

Does ABC not air that Ten Commandments movie anymore? I'm not complaining since I thought it was way too long, just wondering.

Does ABC not air that Ten Commandments movie anymore? I'm not complaining since I thought it was way too long, just wondering.

It is airing Saturday, March 19 from 8 to whatever (probably 12).

Pav, if Blind Justice, Eyes and Grey's Anatomy are all successes, do you think Boston Legal will still return in the fall?? And if so, how do you think they will work the schedule??

Pav, if Blind Justice, Eyes and Grey's Anatomy are all successes, do you think Boston Legal will still return in the fall?? And if so, how do you think they will work the schedule??

It will be interesting if all 3 are hits. I'm sure Blind Justice would remain Tuesdays at 10 if it works. Eyes will have to do even better than Wife Swap, Wife Swap does very well at 10pm Wednesdays with that competition. Maybe they will try Grey's Anatomy on Thursdays at 10pm next fall, if it succeeds on Sundays this season. I doubt ABC will remove Boston Legal on Sunday nights, unless Grey's Antomy holds like 75-90% of DH's audience. If it does that, ABC will be EXTREMELY happy. Honestly, all 4 of ABC's midseason shows seem like they will do well. The weakest one of the bunch will probably be Eyes because it will be up against CSI: NY and Law & Order, but if it does Wife Swap numbers, ABC will be pleased.

I highly doubt Blind Justice will do good at all. It looks terrible IMO.

I saw one promo for Grey's Anatomy during Lost last night. Still none for Eyes though. A bunch for Blind Justice.

"From the network that brought you Desperate Housewives and Lost brings you the next new show that will have everyone talking..." :lol: about how much it sucked. :p

Pav, if Blind Justice, Eyes and Grey's Anatomy are all successes, do you think Boston Legal will still return in the fall?? And if so, how do you think they will work the schedule??

I could see all four being on the schedule in the Fall. Sundays at 10, Tuesdays at 10, Wednesdays at 10, and Thursdays at 10. Another possibility is Thursdays at 9(or if Alias continues to slump, move it to Thursdays and put one of the four Wednesday at 9). I would leave Wife Swap at 10 though unless Eyes is a SMASH hit.

I could see all four being on the schedule in the Fall. Sundays at 10, Tuesdays at 10, Wednesdays at 10, and Thursdays at 10. Another possibility is Thursdays at 9(or if Alias continues to slump, move it to Thursdays and put one of the four Wednesday at 9). I would leave Wife Swap at 10 though unless Eyes is a SMASH hit.


Sundays at 10 will most definitely be given to a new series in the fall. Tuesdays at 10, Wednesdays at 10, and Thursday at both 9 and 10 seem to be open though.

I predict BL will return, as will at least one if not two of the mid-season series.
Actually, BL will almost definitely return, although it more than likely won't be staying in the cozy post-DH slot.

GA looks really good, better that BJ. I haven't seen anything for Eyes though, but I predict it will do the worst of the three. I don't see any of them doing better than BL and certainly not DH or Lost.

But then again promotion is everything and ABC is promoting the hell out of BJ.

Wednesdays at 10 is a good slot for reality. A third drama just can't compeat between both L&O and CSI:NY. Thursdays have to be completely reworked though. I wonder if they'll cancel Extreme Makeover, it seems they're only keeping it because "Home Edition" does so good.

I could see all four being on the schedule in the Fall. Sundays at 10, Tuesdays at 10, Wednesdays at 10, and Thursdays at 10. Another possibility is Thursdays at 9(or if Alias continues to slump, move it to Thursdays and put one of the four Wednesday at 9). I would leave Wife Swap at 10 though unless Eyes is a SMASH hit.

Lost and Alias combo will not be split up, I'm sure of that.

This show looks great, definitely the best looking of ABC's Midseason batch.

I just saw a preview for Eyes for the first time as well, it looks like a lighthearted series which I think will work.

This show looks great, definitely the best looking of ABC's Midseason batch.

I just saw a preview for Eyes for the first time as well, it looks like a lighthearted series which I think will work.
:eek: An actual promo for it?

When did you see it?

:eek: An actual promo for it?

When did you see it?

Last night during the NYPD Blue finale.
I thought it was going to be a drama that would take itself way too seriously (cough*Blind Justice*cough).... but it had a very "fun" vibe to it.

Last night during the NYPD Blue finale.
I thought it was going to be a drama that would take itself way too seriously (cough*Blind Justice*cough).... but it had a very "fun" vibe to it.
I saw it last night during Lost and I agree.

Hopefully if they promote it some more it'll do good. :cool:

All of ABC's 5 mid-season shows (3 dramas, 1 limited drama, and 1 sitcom) look very promising and is smartly scheduled. Critics are praising each:

HOLLYWOOD -- The February sweep is over, but for ABC a new season has already begun.

Buoyed by success that even the most loyal Mouseketeer couldn't have predicted, ABC didn't need any emergency fixes in the fall and was still in no hurry to shake up its sked in January.

As a result, the net has plenty of fresh product to unleash in the normally fallow period between sweeps in February and May. And much like it effectively launched unique projects "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" last fall, ABC has smartly scheduled and marketed its promising newbies.

Each new program will inhabit a timeslot where the net can improve, so the upside is considerable. And if one or two of these shows clicks, ABC will be in great position to catch CBS for second-place in adults 18-49 for the season. Net was already second-place in adults for February sweeps, behind the Super Bowl inflated FOX.



Here's a look at ABC's upcoming new shows:


"Blind Justice" (March 8): First up is the latest cop drama from Stephen Bochco, which bows one week following the series finale of his "NYPD Blue" and will try to put a dent in NBC's strong "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." "SVU" is the only "L&O" series that has done well from last year. The other two have been hurt by strong new programming ("DH" and "CSI: NY").

"Blue" had skewed old and averaged a modest 3.3 rating in adults 18-49 this season, so ABC is hopeful that "Blind" can pull a 4 rating or better.


"Jake in Progress" (March 13): John Stamos alone guarantees that this comedy gets a boffo premiere rating, but its premise and execution is strong enough to suggest it has a chance to make it -- single-camera or not.

After bowing in the Sunday "Desperate Housewives" timeslot, "Jake" moves to its regular Thursday-at-8 home, where it will air back-to-back episodes -- initially facing basketball (not "Survivor") on CBS.

Night makes sense because ABC is locked into domestic laffers on Tuesday and Friday, and is looking for a home for smarter, more sophisticated comedy. And why not Thursday at 8, where NBC's blah "Joey" is nowhere near as formidable there as "Friends."

Also, working from a woeful adults 18-49 average of 1.7 in the hour this season, the risk is minimal for ABC. Look for ABC to beat "Joey" and "Will & Grace" in this hour in adults and even total viewers.


"Little House on the Prairie" (March 26): A five-week limited-run series, this version based on Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic books is primed to present ABC with nice time-period growth.

Movies have been averaging a 1.6 rating in adults on Saturday's 8 o'clock hour, so anything in the mid-2 range would be a big lift. "Prairie" would also make an ideal lead-in for the net's "Wonderful World of Disney" movies -- providing there are some two-hour pics out there.


"Grey's Anatomy" (March 27): Time seems right for a young, ensemble hospital drama, and this hour has a great look and cast. Airing behind "Desperate Housewives" (and opposite NBC's tame "Crossing Jordan"), this is perhaps the net's best shot at a long-term player.

Look for it to perform similarly or slightly better than "Boston Legal," which did OK but lost too much of "DH's" 18-34 audience. Women 18-34 will flock to this one.


"Eyes" (March 30): The Wednesday-at-10 network competish is pretty dreary ("Law & Order" and "CSI: NY"), and this stylish, suspenseful look at high-tech detective work is an ideal way for ABC to cap a night that also features "Lost" and "Alias."

The pilot is excellent, but could be hard to live up to. Still, anything in the mid-4 range for adults might be enough to challenge for the slot lead.


Bottom line: There's no reason to think that ABC, which came into March roaring like a lion, can't exit it the same way.

Grey's Anatomy looks the best of all the new shows, followed by Jake in Progress (I guess I will have a chance to watch this, with Survivor airing on Wednesdays)

Eyes looks fun too, but Blind Justice looks like the weakest of the bunch, although I predict it'll be a modest hit.

As long as Boston Legal returns in the fall, I hope these do good.

I might just give Grey's Anatomy a try... it'll follow DH so that's a plus.

Well, it can't possibly be worse than Blind Justice.