ABC's outlook might not be as rosy as it looks on first blush. They're bringing back their entire Sunday lineup intact (headlined by the now nearly buzz-free Desperate Housewives) and are launching five new shows on Wednesday; that's their second complete Wednesday revamp in two years.
Dancing with the Stars doesn't seem to be losing any steam (much to my surprise) while Grey's Anatomy is. Ugly Betty was sent to the Friday night farm to play with the other dogs in what most likely is its final season. Private Practice had an uneven second season and Castle debuted to numbers just ok enough to bring it back. Six shows (five dramas, one half-hour) were canned or ended.
On the plus side, none of the new entries come across as awful, although the forgotten seems to be the weakest of the bunch. ABC does have three of the buzziest new entries in V, FlashFoward and Cougar Town, but as you'll read throughout here, buzz doesn't necessarily translate to eyeballs and advertisers -- which is what this is really all about.
The Alphabet Network could definitely be doing worse and by using Dancing with the Stars and Saturday Night College Football to promote their lineup gives them a strong cross-demographic platform.
ABC will be fine and have a few bright spots.
