ABC reveals its 2009-2010 primetime schedule

View Photo Gallery

Joseph Fiennes of ABC's 'Flash Forward'

Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC

What's new at ABC? Quite a lot, actually. The network announced its 2009-2010 schedule to advertisers on Tuesday (May 19) morning, a schedule that includes a whopping eight new shows premiering between the end of the summer and fall, with two additional new dramas set for midseason.

New fall and midseason series include "Cougar Town," "The Deep End," "Eastwick," "Flash Forward," "The Forgotten," "Hank," "Happy Town," "The Middle," "Modern Family," "Shark Tank" and "V." 

The only two nights that are totally recognizable from last season on ABC are Monday, where "Dancing with the Stars" will air for two hours, leading into "Castle," and Sunday, where the unkillable "America's Funniest Home Videos" goes into "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers & Sisters" for the third consecutive season.

For every other day, stability has been thrown out the window in favor of new shows, some with familiar titles, some with familiar stars and some with familiar talent behind them.

"Our focus is always on delivering the best stories with the most memorable characters on TV, whether that’s established audience favorites or innovative new shows," says ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson in the morning announcement. "This year we’ve got the best of both. We’re headed into the season with a strong slate of returning series as well as great new shows from one of our best development seasons ever."

So how does that development manifest itself? Well, leaving aside Sunday and Monday in their infinite stability, here's how the ABC schedule plays out:

Tuesday will start with the Mark Burnett-produced business reality series "Shark Tank," which will actually premiere in the summer after the 10th anniversary celebration of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire." "Dancing with the Stars" will get its results on in the 9 p.m. hour, followed by the Jerry Bruckheimer procedural "The Forgotten," starring Rupert Penry-Jones, Reiko Aylesworth, Michelle Borth, Bob Stephenson, Anthony Carrigan and Rochelle Aytes.

ABC's going all-new on Wednesdays, doing a two-hour comedy block that starts with the Kelsey Grammer comedy "Hank" paired with the Patricia Heaton comedy "The Middle" in the 8 p.m. hour. The 9 p.m. hour will be "Modern Family" and Courteney Cox and Busy Philipps in "Cougar Town," from "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence. Those shows will set up the witchy drama "Eastwick," based on the film "The Witches of Eastwick," rather than the John Updike book. That's a lot of new shows for one night.

Thursday will begin with the new drama "Flash Forward," which has already been teased during "Lost." "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" 

"Ugly Betty," formerly the occupant of that Thursday real estate, has been shuffled off to the less auspicious climes of Friday night at 9 p.m. between "Supernanny" and "20/20."

"The Bachelor," "True Beauty," "Scrubs" and "Better Off Ted" are all set to return at midseason. Also prepped for midseason debuts are the new drama "V," based on the classic '80s miniseries, and "Happy Town," from the folks who brought you "Life on Mars" and "October Road."

ABC's preliminary primetime schedule for the 2009-2010 season:

MONDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars" (two-hours)
10:00 p.m. "Castle"

TUESDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Shark Tank"
9:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show"
10:00 p.m. "The Forgotten"

WEDNESDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Hank"
8:30 p.m. "The Middle"
9:00 p.m. "Modern Family"
9:30 p.m. "Cougar Town"
10:00 p.m. "Eastwick"

THURSDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Flash Forward"
9:00 p.m. "Grey’s Anatomy"
10:00 p.m. "Private Practice"

FRIDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Supernanny"
9:00 p.m. "Ugly Betty"
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. "Saturday Night College Football"

SUNDAY:
7:00 p.m. "America’s Funniest Home Videos"
8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
9:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives"
10:00 p.m. "Brothers & Sisters"

"The Bachelor" will air Monday nights from 8:00-10:00 p.m. following the run of "Dancing with the Stars," and "Scrubs" and "Better Off Ted" will air at 9:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., respectively, following the run of "Dancing with the Stars The Results Show."