The year 2008 will be all about dancing.
ABC announced its midseason primetime lineup today, and what's immediately apparent is all the dancing we're expected to see. Starting on Monday, January 7,
Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann will have a two-hour premiere beginning at 8pm. After the premiere, all subsequent episodes will fill the 8-9:30pm time slot. New episodes of
Notes from the Underbelly and
October Road will follow
Dance War throughout the month of January.
But the big news is that the sixth season of
Dancing with the Stars will definitely be returning on Monday, March 17, to fill in the void left by the lack of new scripted shows due to the WGA strike. Fans of
The Bachelor will be happy to hear that its 12th season is also beginning on March 17, at 10pm. Beginning in February, original episodes of
Samantha Who? will be returning for the 9pm time slot.
Dancing with the Stars will air live 90-minute episodes on Mondays beginning in March, followed by live results shows on Tuesdays from 9-10pm. The network has yet to announce the new lineup for the season.
Dance War is one of only four brand-new shows on ABC's lineup. Joining it are
Eli Stone, to follow
Lost on Thursdays;
Oprah's Big Give, to provide the filling in the
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition-
Desperate Housewives sandwich; and
Cashmere Mafia, set for Wednesday nights and which will be replaced by
Men In Trees beginning on February 27.
It's clear that the midseason lineup is reality-heavy, due to the writers' strike. Production for top-billing shows on ABC such as
Grey's Anatomy has come to an end, leaving gaping holes in the schedule. ABC is banking on
Lost, which returns for its fourth season on January 31 and is moving from Wednesday nights to Thursday nights, to keep viewers tuned in.
Which ABC show are you looking forward to most?
-Debbie Chang, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: ABC
(Image courtesy of ABC)