ABC moves into 'Happy Town' in April

 Sam Neill of 'Happy Town'

Credit: ABC

The new serialized mystery drama "Happy Town" will premiere on ABC at the end of April.

ABC announced on Wednesday (Feb. 3) that "Happy Town" will move into the 10 p.m. Wednesday hour after "Ugly Betty" completes its series run, starting on April 28.

"Happy Town" comes to ABC from Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg, who previously brought the network the short-lived "October Road" and the short-lived "Life on Mars."

The drama, influenced equally by "Twin Peaks" and the small-town fiction of Stephen King, is set in Haplin, Minnesota, a community about to be rocked by its first murder in years. Of course, just because Haplin hasn't had murders doesn't mean that things are quiet, since there were a number of peculiar and unresolved disappearances only five years earlier, abductions blamed on the Magic Man.

The new unease coincides with the arrival in town of the dapper Merritt Grieves (Sam Neill) and the lovely Henley Boone (Lauren Germain), who show up for the rural atmosphere and the constant smell of fresh-baked bread, but probably have ulterior motives.

"Happy Town" also stars Geoff Stults, Amy Acker, Frances Conroy, Abraham Benrubi and a slew of other familiar faces.

ABC's Wednesday 10 p.m. slot has already been occupied this season by the swiftly cancelled "Eastwick" and the departing "Ugly Betty."

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

• Follow

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.