After a weird TV season interrupted by the writers' strike, ABC made sort of a weird announcement for its fall schedule.
Almost nothing is new. Only two new shows will roll off the assembly line in the fall. On the other hand, three slightly used series — "Pushing Daisies," "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money" — will be relaunched after truncated first seasons (caused by the strike).
And, as has been rumored for months and months and months, a final season of "Scrubs" is headed for ABC after seven seasons — and, according to ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson — 17 different time slots on NBC.
McPherson and his NBC counterpart, Ben Silverman, clearly dislike one another intensely and have been feuding over "Scrubs" for quite some time. McPherson was in charge of ABC's television studio, which produces the show, when "Scrubs" was developed and has long been a champion of the show. It will start midseason.
Elsewhere, ABC renewed "Eli Stone" (which may be the best news the network released this week). It also means that executive producer Greg Berlanti has not one, not two but three shows on ABC's schedule this fall — "Eli Stone," "Brothers & Sisters" and "Dirty Sexy Money."
"Boston Legal," which was on the bubble, was also renewed — but only for 13 episodes in what will be its final season.
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New shows on ABC this fall are: "Opportunity Knocks" (Tuesdays, 7 p.m.), a reality/game that will send the show to people's homes to test how well they know their families. Contestants can win prizes that roll up to their door on semitrailers by answering questions about their loved ones.
And "Life on Mars" (Thursdays, 9 p.m.), which is the Americanization of a British drama about a police detective (Jason O'Mara) who awakens after a car accident to find he's been transported back to 1973.
MIDSEASON SHOWS will look familiar as well. In addition to "Scrubs," ABC has "Lost," "According to Jim," "The Bachelor" and "Primetime: What Would You Do?"
New midseason shows are "The Goode Family," an animated series from Mike Judge ("King of the Hill") about a family obsessed with doing the right thing; and "The Untitled Ashton Kutcher/Tyra Banks Project," a reality show about "a beauty pageant unlike any you've ever seen." (It is, obviously, awaiting a real title).
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Canceled shows include "Big Shots," "Carpoolers," "Cashmere Mafia," "Cavemen," "Dance War," "Here Come the Newlyweds," "Just for Laughs," "Men in Trees," "Miss/Guided," "Notes From the Underbelly," "October Road," "Oprah's Big Give" and "Women's Murder Club."
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com