ABC Fall Forecast: Ugly, Grey, Desperate and Lost

Wed., Mar. 21, 2007 6:32 PM PDT by Natalie Finn

The Yes men over at ABC have been awfully busy this week.

On Wednesday, the network announced 14 early pickups for the 2007-08 season, a selection that ran the gamut from "no-brainer" to "that's still on the air?!"

Among the givens were perennial ratings champs Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives, as well as Golden Globe-winner Ugly Betty and the less-watched-yet-still-compelling Lost which, with 12.5 million viewers last week, is down but nowhere near out.

Dancing with the Stars, attracting 21.8 million ballroom aficionados Monday night to give the competition its highest-rated season premiere to date, also made the early cut.

"We have had a strong year, with two of the season's breakout hits, Ugly Betty and Brothers & Sisters, and the solid performance of Men in Trees," ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson said at a development meeting held in Los Angeles.

"We are pleased that viewers have invested in these new favorites along with our other returning series. These shows provide us with a substantial foundation to make '07-'08 our best schedule yet."

Like McPherson said, the ensemble drama Brothers & Sisters and the Anne Heche-fronted Men in Trees will be back to sophomore seasons this fall, having carved out solid little niches for themselves in their respective Sunday and Thursday timeslots.

And luckily for The Wedding Bells creator David E. Kelley, Boston Legal will still be on next year, as well, the current sole reminder that Michelle Pfeiffer's hubby used to make really good TV.

That does it for ABC's scripted shows, however, as none of the network's few sitcoms, which include the veteran George Lopez and freshman In Case of Emergency (3-to-1 odds on brilliantbutcanceled.com that it's getting the ax), were tapped for early renewal.

Also not mentioned were the struggling What About Brian, which barely eked out a pickup last year, and the brand-new October Road, which had a strong top-10 debut Thursday with 13.9 million viewers, edging the premiere of Raines on NBC.

The rest of the shows already on the docket for 2007-08 are Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Supernanny, Wife Swap, America's Funniest Home Videos (still afloat after 16 years, with Tom Bergeron at the helm for the past six) and The Bachelor, which will return for its 11th and, judging from the last go-round, least-watched installment. Meanwhile, season 10, The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman, premieres Apr. 2.