ABC Television Network today announced fourteen early pick-ups for the 2007-08 season for new breakout series “Brothers & Sisters,” “Ugly Betty” and “Men in Trees,” as well as returning hits “The Bachelor,” “Boston Legal,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Lost.” The announcement was made by ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson at the March Development Meeting in Los Angeles. These series join previously announced “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “Supernanny” and “Wife Swap,” which have also been renewed for the 2007-08 season.
“We have had a strong year, with two of the season’s breakout hits, Ugly Betty’ and Brothers & Sisters,’ and the solid performance of MEN IN TREES,'” said McPherson. “We are pleased that viewers have invested in these new favorites along with our other returning series. These shows provide us with a substantial foundation to make 07-08 our best schedule yet.”
“Brothers & Sisters”
In this compelling drama about the Walker family, we meet a collection of intertwined and somewhat damaged adult siblings who embrace one another unconditionally while striving to reflect the perceived perfection of their role model parents. In the days ahead, they will navigate waves of temptation, deception and grief.
“Brothers & Sisters” leads its CBS drama competition (“Without a Trace”/”Cold Case”) in Sunday’s
10 o’clock hour this season among adults (18-34/18-49), and dominates its time period with each of the key women demos. The freshman drama stands as the No. 2 new series on any network in its hour this season with Adults 18-49, behind only ABC’s high-rated debut of “October Road” (3/15/07).
“Brothers & Sisters” stars Calista Flockhart as Kitty, Rachel Griffiths as Sarah, Sally Field as Nora Holden, Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden, Patricia Wettig as Holly, Balthazar Getty as Thomas, Dave Annable as Justin, Matthew Rhys as Kevin, John Pyper-Ferguson as Joe, Sarah Jane Morris as Julia, Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper and Kerris Lilla Dorsey as Paige.
Ken Olin, Jon Robin Baitz and Greg Berlanti are executive producers. The series is produced by ABC Television Studio.
“Ugly Betty”
The award winning drama from ABC Television Studio, based on the Columbian telenovela “Yo Soy Betty La Fea,” has become an international phenomenon. If you took a moment to get to know Betty Suarez, you’d see how sweet, intelligent and hard-working she is. But few people do, because in the world of high fashion, Betty is the oversized peg in the petite round hole.
The freshman “Ugly Betty” has established itself a competitive second to CBS’ time period veteran, “Survivor,” in Total Viewers, while ranking No. 1 with its core audience of Women 18-34. It has substantially improved the time period, representing ABC’s top scripted series in the hour in 12 years.
The series stars America Ferrera as Betty Suarez, Eric Mabius as Daniel Meade, Alan Dale as Bradford Meade, Tony Plana as Ignacio, Ana Ortiz as Hilda, Ashley Jensen as Christina, Becki Newton as Amanda, Mark Indelicato as Justin, Michael Urie as Marc, Kevin Sussman as Walter, Rebecca Romijn as Alexis Meade and Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater.
Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Salma Hayek is executive producer, along with Silvio Horta, Ben Silverman, Jose Tamez, James Hayman and Marco Pennette.
“Men in Trees”
“Men in Trees” looks at the relationships between men and women through the eyes of relationship coach Marin Frist, who questions her own advice and resolves to temporarily stay in Elmo, Alaska — where the ratio of men to women is ten to one — to get started on her new book about men.
In its Thursday 10 o’clock time period, “Men in Trees” ranks second to NBC’s time period veteran, “ER,” beating CBS’ freshman “Shark” among Adults 18-34. On its most recent original airing (2/15/07), “Men in Trees” achieved series-high ratings among Adults 18-49 and with key women.
The series stars Anne Heche as Marin Frist, Abraham Benrubi as Ben Thomasson, Emily Bergl as Annie O’Donnell, Seana Kofoed as Jane, Suleka Mathew as Sara, Derek Richardson as Patrick Bachelor, Cynthia Stevenson as Celia Bachelor, Sarah Strange as Theresa, Lauren Tom as Mai Washington, James Tupper as Jack Slattery and John Amos as Buzz Washington.
Created by Jenny Bicks, Bicks, James Mangold and Cathy Konrad are executive producers of the series, which is filmed in Vancouver, Canada, and is from Tree Line Films, Perkins Street Productions and NS Pictures, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.
“The Bachelor”
“The Bachelor” is the original primetime reality romance series that offers one lucky man and 25 lucky women the unique opportunity to find true love.
“The Bachelor: Rome” was a strong draw with younger viewers, ranking second to NBC’s “Heroes” in Adults 18-34, Women 18-34 and Teens 12-17. The franchise consistently delivers among its core audience of young women, one of the top TV series this season (No. 3).
“The Bachelor” is hosted by Chris Harrison and produced by Next Entertainment in Association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Lisa Levenson are executive producers. David Bohnert is co-executive producer.
“Boston Legal”
Back-to-back Emmy Award winners James Spader and William Shatner play Alan Shore and Denny Crane, unlikely kindred spirits among the litigators at Crane Poole & Schmidt. Shirley Schmidt (five-time Emmy winner Candice Bergen), a founding partner of the firm, has been coaxed back to bring order to the office. She keeps an eye on all, particularly Denny with whom she shares a checkered past.
“Boston Legal,” a consistent performer for ABC, generates an extremely upscale audience. The drama stands as the No. 1 TV show this season, based on the concentration of high income viewers in its young adult audience (Adult 18-49 index w/$100K+ annual income).
It stars James Spader as Alan Shore, Julie Bowen as Denise Bauer, Mark Valley as Brad Chase, Rene Auberjonois as Paul Lewiston, Constance Zimmer as Claire Simms, Gary Anthony Williams as Clarence/Clarice Bell, with Candice Bergen as Shirley Schmidt and William Shatner as Denny Crane.
Created by David E. Kelley, Kelley, Bill D’Elia and Janet Leahy are executive producers of the series, which is produced by David E. Kelley Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television, and premiered October 3, 2004.
“Dancing with the Stars”
“Dancing with the Stars” has established itself as one of television’s most popular programs. During its Fall run, it was the second-most-watched program on television, and the No. 1 unscripted TV series in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. On its season finale during the 2006 November Sweep, the show achieved its most-watched telecast ever, with an average audience of 27.5 million. In its fourth season premiere, “Dancing with the Stars” delivered its best opening numbers ever.
Hosted by Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris, celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which are judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.
“Dancing with the Stars” is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, “Strictly Come Dancing.” This version is produced in America by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green and Richard Hopkins are executive producers, and Izzie Pick is co-executive producer. Rob Wade and Matilda Zoltowski are supervising producers. Alex Rudzinski directs.
“Desperate Housewives”
A primetime soap with a truly contemporary take on the “happily ever after,” this hit series takes a darkly comedic look at suburbia, where the secret lives of housewives aren’t always what they seem.
For the third season in a row, “Desperate Housewives” is Sunday’s No. 1 TV program in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. It qualifies as the second-highest-rated scripted TV program this season among Adults 18-49, behind only ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.”
“Desperate Housewives” stars Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Van De Kamp, Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis, Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt, Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young, James Denton as Mike Delfino, Doug Savant as Tom Scavo, Ricardo Antonio Chavira as Carlos Solis, Andrea Bowen as Julie Mayer, Shawn Pyfrom as Andrew Van De Kamp, Joy Lauren as Danielle Van De Kamp, Josh Henderson as Austin Britt, Rachel Fox as Kayla Huntington and Brent and Shane Kinsman as Porter and Preston Scavo.
Marc Cherry is executive producer and creator. “Desperate Housewives” is produced by ABC Television Studio and is the winner of both the 2005 and 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series Musical or Comedy.
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” makes dreams come true in every episode. It features a race against time, involving a team of designers, contractors and several hundred workers who all have just seven days to totally rebuild an entire house and change the lives of the lucky families forever.
For the fourth straight season, ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” ranks No. 1 in its Sunday 8 o’clock time period in the key Adult 18-49 demographic.
The design team includes team leader and carpenter Ty Pennington, Paul DiMeo (carpentry/attitude), Paige Hemmis (carpentry/nut & bolts), Michael Moloney (interiors/glamour), Ed Sanders (construction), Preston Sharp (exteriors/big ideas), Tracy Hutson (shopping/style), Tanya McQueen (interiors) , Eduardo Xol (landscaping) and new designer John Littlefield (nuts & bolts).
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is president of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Denise Cramsey and premiered December 3, 2003 on the ABC Television Network.
“Grey’s Anatomy”
The award-winning drama follows the interconnecting relationships of Seattle’s hottest doctors who live life to its fullest amid the daily life-and-death stakes of their jobs. It’s the drama and intensity of medical training mixed with the funny, sexy, painful lives of interns who are discovering that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey.
“Grey’s Anatomy” has established a strong presence on Thursday night, winning its 9 o’clock time period and qualifying as Thursday’s No. 1 TV show across each of the adult demographics. It’s the highest-rated scripted show on all of television this season with key adults.
The series stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd, Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang, Isaiah Washington as Preston Burke, Katherine Heigl as Isobel “Izzie” Stevens, Justin Chambers as Alex Karev, T.R. Knight as George O’Malley, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens, Jr. as Richard Webber, Kate Walsh as Addison Shepherd, Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres and Eric Dane as Mark Sloan.
Shonda Rhimes is creator and executive producer. Betsy Beers, Mark Gordon and Krista Vernoff are executive producers. “Grey’s Anatomy” is an ABC Television Studio production.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live”
Emmy-winner Jimmy Kimmel serves as host and executive producer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” a distinctive late-night talk show with a diverse lineup of guests, including celebrities, athletes, comedians, politicians and human interest subjects.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” turned in a record-setting February, attracting the show’s biggest February Sweep audience ever. This season “JKL” is up 12% in Total Viewers and 17% among Adults 18-49 over the same point last year. In fact it’s up the most among the late-night entertainment talkers, and is the only show to grow its delivery in the key Adult 18-49 demographic.
Jimmy Kimmel and Jill Leiderman serve as executive producers and Jason Schrift and Douglas DeLuca as co-executive producers. “Jimmy Kimmel Live” is shot live in front of a studio audience and is produced by Jackhole Industries in association with ABC Television Studio.
“Lost”
The band of friends, enemies and strangers continue to work together to stay alive. But as they have discovered during their 70-plus days on the island, danger and mystery loom behind every corner, and those they thought could be trusted may turn against them. Even heroes have secrets.
For the third consecutive season, “Lost” ranks No. 1 in its time period in Adults 18-49. It is Wednesday’s highest-rated scripted TV program in Adults 18-49, and since entering the hour also qualifies as the No. 1 10:00 p.m. series on any network.
“Lost” stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, Michael Emerson as Ben, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet, Dominic Monaghan as Charlie and Terry O’Quinn as Locke.
“Lost” was created by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof. Abrams, Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Jack Bender, Jeff Pinkner and Carlton Cuse serve as executive producers. It’s filmed entirely on location in Hawaii and premiered on September 22, 2004, is from ABC Television Studio.
