2009 Fall TV Schedule

All the networks have unwrapped their fall schedules, and there are plenty of surprises. Check out which shows will be going up against each other!

Monday

Mondays won’t look too different from last season, with the only significant changes being ABC expanding Dancing With the Stars to two hours, Fox’s Lie to Me following House, and CBS swapping a pair of comedies. CBS made the decision to create a strong block with Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory. In experiments putting the two shows back-to-back last year, numbers were way up for Big Bang, and the network hopes to make this hit as big as Two and a Half Men. ABC is stoked that Castle’s only real competition in the 10:00 hour is CSI: Miami–it should translate into a ratings jump for Castle and our beloved Nathan Fillion. This is just a guess, but neither of the two new scripted shows (CBS’ Jenna Elfman comedy Accidentally on Purpose and NBC’s drama Trauma) looks to make much of an impact on this night. Mondays should belong to ABC thanks to the strength of Dancing With the Stars.

Tuesday

Do you like stuff? Do you like that same stuff twice? Well so do networks on Tuesday nights. ABC is doing two hours of reality, Fox is doing two hours of dancing, CBS is doing two hours of NCIS, NBC is doing two hours of Biggest Loser, and The CW is doing two hours of ’90s show remakes. Boooooring. Fox is hoping that So You Think You Can Dance will hold the fort down until American Idol returns, but how much dancing can people take with Dancing With the Stars also running? On the other hand, doubling up should work well for CBS–people can’t seem to get enough NCIS, and the new LA-based spinoff should do more than just fine (LL in the house!). However, without options, Tuesday may be a good night to catch up on DVR’d shows. We expect this night to go back and forth between CBS and Fox, and we wouldn’t be surprised if this schedule sees changes early to spice things up.

Wednesday

Now things are getting interesting. ABC is taking a huge risk with FIVE new programs on this evening, including four comedies. Our early review of Modern Family: hilarious–it has a splash of Arrested Development and the best bits of Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries (plus there’s a great twist at the end of the pilot). But it seems mismatched with the other three. Parenthood could be a sleeper hit thanks to its stellar cast, but it will be going against the most-hyped new show of the season in Glee. ABC’s bewitching Eastwick has a chance to survive in the 10:00 hour given its only competition is CSI: NY. So far, this seems like the most wide open night of the week and a great opportunity for any network to take.

Thursday

Thursdays shall heretofore be known as “Bloodbath Thursdays” or “The Night of Exploding DVRs”–it’s packed with all sorts of goodness. Flash Forward is badly mismatched with Grey’s Anatomy, but we think it will get off to a quick start–it’s just a matter of holding its audience. Fringe moves into Thursdays at 9 to battle Grey’s, CSI, The Office, and Supernatural, but the biggest move on this night was by CBS. Moving The Mentalist behind CSI forms a CBS superblock on the most competitive night of television. NBC’s comedy block gets MUCH stronger with Kath & Kim replaced by the very good-looking Community. Even with all this competition, CBS looks like the winner here, but not without taking a serious hit. And once again, Supernatural will still go sorely underwatched. If a show looks to have a chance to breakout, don’t be surprised if it gets moved over to Wednesdays, where things are a little less cutthroat.

Friday

Several days later, it’s still shocking to see Dollhouse on the schedule. But Fox likes what Joss Whedon laid out for the show’s second season and is giving it a chance. Its reward? Going up against some new competition. With CW giving up Sundays and NBC launching its Jay Leno primetime show, the Friday landscape changes drastically. Ugly Betty, Medium (now on CBS), Southland, and Smallville all now call Friday home, creating an interesting night on what is usually a TV graveyard. This is another evening totally up for grabs, but will likely be dominated by DVRs.

Saturday

Nothing new here. Saturdays are poor ratings night, and no one wants to go up against ABC’s college football. Bad boys, bad boys, whatchoo gonna do? Watch ABC win in a landslide.

Sunday

Animation Domination versus Amazin Racin’ versus Extreme Home Makeoverin’–that’s Sundays for ya. ABC typically wins this night thanks to Desperate Housewives, but things could change here. The big wild card: CBS’ organ-transplant drama Three Rivers. Housewives has been tapering off, and Three Rivers could steal some of its audience thanks to hunky Alex O’Loughlin, best known from his days on Moonlight. With The Amazing Race continuing to be steady, it looks like CBS could upset the balance here. We’ll take CBS by a nose on Sundays in a changing of the guard.

For the complete new TV schedule go to the source below.