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ABC and CBS Announce Their New Fall Schedules

© F. Colin Kingston

The six major broadcast networks have announced their line-ups for the upcoming fall season. This week we begin a three part look at those schedules.

Most of the new series won¹t last the entire season. A select few may go on to become hits. One or two may even become a television classic. (Most won¹t but we can always hope!)

In an ideal world television would reflect the world in which we live. If one were to base reality on this crop of new shows one would think that the world is made up teens, twenty-somethings and white people. This doesn¹t reflect my world, but it is what most television executives seem to think we want to watch. (More on this after our three part series is over.)

Here are the new shows on ABC plus a brief description of the premise. (More information on each series will follow in coming weeks as it becomes available.)

ONCE AND AGAIN: A drama about two divorced parents who enter the world of dating all over again.

OH GROW UP ­ An ensemble comedy centering on three dysfunctional male roommates.

THEN CAME YOU ­ A sitcom about the romance between a thirty-something woman and a younger man.

WASTELAND ­ A new drama from Kevin Williamson, creator of the WB¹s popular DAWSON¹S CREEK.

ODD MAN OUT ­ The story of a teenage boy living with a house full of women.

SNOOPS ­ Created by David Kelley (THE PRACTICE), this series is described as a detective show with lots of comedy.

Here are the new shows on CBS plus a brief description of the premise. (More information on each series will follow in coming weeks as it becomes available.)

LADIES MAN ­ A comedy series starring Nancy Travis and Kevin Pollak.

FAMILY LAW ­ A drama starring Paul Haggis (DUE SOUTH) that CBS President Leslie Moonves compares to LA LAW.

JUDGING AMY ­ A female skewed drama starring Amy Brenneman.

WORK WITH ME ­ A comedy set to follow COSBY which moves to Wednesdays.

LOVE OR MONEY ­ A comedy set to follow KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS on Fridays.

NOW AND AGAIN ­ A drama from Paramount Studios.

This Week in Television History: June 6, 1978: 20/20 premieres on the ABC TV network. This program was conceived as a counterpart to the successful 60 MINUTES newsmagazine on CBS. The first episode was hosted by Harold Hayes and Robert Hughes and was a huge embarrassment to ABC. Among other segments, it featured a claymation rendition of then President Jimmy Carter singing GEORGIA ON MY MIND. The hosts were quickly replaced by veteran newsman Hugh Downs. Barbara Walters became his co-host in 1984.