ABC sets 'Surviving Suburbia' for April

Bob Saget

Credit: Ian White/Comedy Central

ABC has formally announced the pick-up of the Bob Saget comedy "Surviving Suburbia" and given the sitcom a prime home on the spring schedule.

Originally developed by Media Rights Capital for The CW's Sunday night, "Surviving Suburbia" is now set to air on Mondays on ABC.

The network revealed on Wednesday (Feb. 4) that "Surviving Suburbia" will move into the 9:30 p.m. ET slot after "Dancing with the Stars" beginning on Monday, April 6.

"Surviving Suburbia" effectively takes the half-hour home of "Samantha Who?" which has been shuttled off to Thursday nights along with "In the Motherhood" as part of a new ABC comedy block. The new series will lead into the Nate Fillion cop drama "Castle," which will have premiered post-"Dancing" a month earlier.

The comedy stars Saget and Cynthia Stevenson ("Dead Like Me") as Steve and Anne Patterson, a couple living a seemingly cookie-cutter life in suburbia. It's only Steve's cynical view of the world around them that keeps them from fitting in entirely.

This brings Saget back to the network where he did "Full House" and "America's Funniest Home Videos," proving that after a raunchy celebrity roast, a raunchy cameo in "The Aristocrats," a raunchy penguin movie and many episodes of voiceover duty on "How I Met Your Mother," it's still possible to go home again.

"Surviving Suburbia" co-stars Jared Kuznitz and G Hannelius as the Patterson kids. Recurring guest stars include Jere Burns and Dan Cortese.

Created by Kevin Abbott ("Reba"), "Surviving Suburbia" became homeless when The CW severed its Sunday pact with MRC after a dismal fall. Production on the comedy continued despite its homelessness, so ABC is adding a comedy with 13 episodes in the can.

This also means that ABC is suddenly network TV's busiest home for live-action comedy. The network's spring features "Surviving Suburbia," "Samantha Who," "In the Motherhood," "Scrubs" and "Better Off Ted," all spread over three nights.

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

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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.