ABC Unveils 13 New Programs for Fall Schedule

ABC has released its fall schedule, revealing the network will cancel a few shows. With that revelation, the reality is that the network had to find a number of new pilots that it liked.

According to Entertainment Weekly, ABC will debut 13 new shows in the fall, potentially inundating viewers with too many options. Those shows will debut in September as well as in the midseason replacement period. There is a nice mix of comedies and dramas that ABC is hoping will catch on quickly.

Shows like "Brothers & Sisters," "Off the Map," and "Detroit 1-8-7" had to be canceled to clear room in the fall schedule, but fans of those programs might not want to try something new. There are still many familiar shows on the docket, including "Dancing With the Stars" commanding the same Monday and Tuesday time slots and "Castle" taking up the 10 p.m. time slot on Mondays. "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" also return to Thursday nights, with the same schedule of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Shark Tank," and "20/20" on Friday nights.

The Wednesday night comedy block will still begin with "The Middle," but a new show called "Suburgatory" will take on the 8:30 pm time slot. According to the write-up, the show is about a single father who moves his teenage daughter from a big city apartment out to the suburbs. Jeremy Sisto and Jane Levy play the leads, and it might be a good filler in between the established ABC comedies on Wednesdays.

One of the big new shows for the network is going to be "Charlie's Angels" on Thursday nights. Taking on the unfavorable 8 p.m. time slot is a tough task for any show, maybe proving that ABC really supports this new program. It will have a tough time competing against the other networks, and it is yet another show that ABC hopes can finally win that time slot.

One bit of news that has frustrated a lot of viewers already is that "Cougar Town" will be held back until midseason to serve as a replacement show. Presumably this will allow viewers to enjoy the show without any repeat episodes getting in the way, but it's always hard to count on a network to really follow through with something like that.

With a list of 13 shows that will either begin the fall season or serve as a midseason replacement, ABC will be banking on a lot to work itself out before a show like "Cougar Town" is brought back