TV Hot Spot: News

ABC Sets More Premiere Dates

Post by: Sal

ABC has set launch dates for the back end of its fall schedule and shuffled a piece of its current lineup, moving "Men in Trees" to an earlier spot on Fridays.

The new shows on the block are actually a pair of returnees from last spring: "Notes from the Underbelly" and "October Road." Both will make their second-season debuts in late November. "October Road" will premiere behind "Grey's Anatomy" on Thursday, Nov. 22 -- replacing "Big Shots" for that night -- and move to its regular timeslot at 10 p.m. ET Monday, Nov. 26.

"Notes from the Underbelly" will also return on Nov. 26, settling into the 9:30 spot between "Samantha Who?" and "October Road."

On Fridays, meanwhile, "Men in Trees" will move to 8 p.m. starting next week (it's swapping time periods with "20/20," which goes to 10 p.m.). That was the schedule ABC announced at May's upfronts before pulling a switcheroo and setting the current plan.

It hasn't worked especially well. "Men in Trees" is drawing about 6.7 million viewers per week, down from 7.5 million at this time last year. The long-running "20/20," meanwhile, is down about the same amount.

Finally, ABC has also scheduled at Jan. 7 debut for "Dance War," a singing-and-dancing competition fronted by "Dancing with the Stars" judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. It will hold down "Dancing's" 8 p.m. Monday spot for the first part of 2008.

Take Care,

Sal