“Community” fans, you can breathe little easier.  Your show may be missing from the midseason line-up, but NBC assures us it  has not canceled.

Additionally,  Mariska Hargitay has NOT left “Law & Order: SVU.”

In fact, NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt told reporters, not only is Hargitay still on the show, she’s finally getting a love interest:  Harry Connick Jr., who joins “SVU” for a four episode arc.

Hargitay and Connick Jr. appeared together in a recorded video presentation for reporters attending the Television Critics Association’s Winter Press Tour, currently underway in Pasadena, California. For her part, Hargitay assured us that she was having “too much fun” to leave the long-running crime drama. Then she and Connick Jr. started to fake canoodle for our benefit.

Sadly, there was no such reassuring Jeff-Britta-Annie make-out video to soothe “Community” fans, who have a bit more to be concerned about.

Though Greenblatt apologized for failing to be clearer about “Community’s” fate when he left it off the midseason schedule, he did not mention a specific return date. When it does come back, he added, it will not be in the 8pm Thursday timeslot.  Nor would Greenblatt commit to a fourth season of “Community,” explaining that he had other pilots to consider as well as weighing the performance of the six comedies on the midseason schedule, in addition to a few critics haven’t seen yet.

Then there was this comment, in answer to a question about another NBC comedy: “I hope ‘Whitney‘ will be a long term player for us.”

Oh… oh dear.

Greenblatt, the man responsible for making Showtime the premium cable powerhouse that it is today, is still getting used to his position; he just joined NBC last spring. To his credit, Greenblatt didn’t just take on the task of saving a zeppelin in “mayday” mode. He’s also (so far) remained fairly honest and humble about it.

“We had a bad fall. Worse than I hoped for, but about what I expected,” Greenblatt admitted to reporters, also reminding us that NBC is a network with no decent lead-ins to launch new shows or strengthen underperforming but worthy veterans.

But the “Whitney” comment could be interpreted in a number of ways. Though “Whitney” was not technically part of Greenblatt’s imprint on the schedule — we’ll be seeing his selections from midseason onward — he appears to favor comedies built around specific stars as opposed to ensembles. Joining Whitney Cummings on the schedule is Chelsea Handler‘s upcoming “Are You There, Chelsea?” (premiering Jan. 11) and a previously announced project from Sarah Silverman.

NBC picked up five pilots before the holidays and plans to announce more pick-ups as soon as next week. The network desperately needs something to stick; Greenblatt pointed out that it’ll take four or five hits to start turning the tide which, for a network that barely has one, could be a monumental task.

But plenty of eyes will be on dramas launching in midseason, “Smash” in particular. The hope is that launching the musical drama with “The Voice” as a lead-in will give it the strength required to open successfully.

“Smash” may be a bit more in tune with what audiences want this season, too. As Greenblatt observed, viewers currently want escapism in the form of fairytale fantasies (such as ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” and to a lesser extent, “Grimm“)… which explains why other shows like the critically-acclaimed “Prime Suspect” was a ratings disappointment.

Or, Greenblatt joked, “Maybe we should just blame the hat and move on.”

Fox has announced that it will decide the fate of the Steven Spielberg-produced drama after the holidays, but signs do not look favorable for its renewal. Special-effects heavy and clumsily plotted over its first 10 episodes, “Terra Nova” was expected to be a blockbuster for Fox.

However, its season-to-date ratings are modest at best, ranking 38th among viewers in the Nielsen rankings.  Optimists may point out that it is tied for 38th with Fox’s breakout comedy “New Girl,” (which, going into midseason, Fox considers to be a success) aging drama  “House,” and ABC’s “The Middle.” Problem is, “Terra Nova” costs more to make. A lot more.  “Terra Nova” is one of the most expensive series on television, and according various reports, the pilot alone cost somewhere between $10 and $20 million to produce.

There are always unknowns that factor into a network’s decision to stay with a series or let it go, so there may be hope yet for the Shannons. Nevertheless, “Terra  Nova” viewers are encouraged to watch and savor tonight’s episodes, “Occupation” and “Resistance” …and take comfort in knowing that if all else fails, you’ll always have Blu-Ray.

On Thursday the network announced that “Extreme  Makeover: Home Edition,” hosted by kind, studly carpenter Ty Pennington, would be ending in January 2012.  The series will have aired 200 episodes and constructed more than 200 homes. According to ABC, the crew visited Joplin, Missouri in the 200th and final episode to build seven homes for seven families in seven days.

A spinoff of the unscripted reality series “Extreme Makeover,” which gifted recipients with cosmetic surgery, “Home Edition” was one of the feel-good reality series that stood in contrast to the “Fear Factors” of the world. At the height of its popularity it won over audiences by swooping into the lives of families that had fallen down on their luck and transforming their homes into dream palaces…with the idea that in doing so, their recipients’ lives would also improve.

But that was not always true. After the cameras left, a number of “Extreme Makeover” homes went into foreclosure or were sold when the homeowner could no longer afford maintenance costs, or tapped out their equity.

The final two episodes of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will air from 8-10pm January 6 and 13 on ABC.  Excerpts from the official press release are included below.

From ABC: “During its run, the quintessential feel-good reality show transformed the lives of thousands of deserving families and galvanized communities and businesses to help their neighbors in need. “EM:HE” also put a spotlight on causes that touched these families, ranging from the treatment of serious illnesses or accident victims and the importance of foster care and adoption, to helping veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress and the plight of the homeless, to campaigning against texting while driving and building coalitions to end bullying. Celebrities including First Lady Michelle Obama, Elton John, Robin Williams, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Mariah Carey, Glenn Close, Tyler Perry, Mary J Blige, Carrie Underwood, David Duchovny, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Usher, KISS, Rihanna, Jessica Alba and Derek Jeter are among the many who “got on the bus” over the years to join the show. In addition, the series won multiple Emmys for Outstanding Reality Program, received six Emmy nominations, won two People’s Choice Awards and an NAACP Image Award, as well as many additional honors.

As the series traveled to all 50 states, the team designed and re-built over 200 state of the art homes, and didn’t stop there, also tackling firehouses, schools, daycares, soup kitchens, Little League fields, free clinics, churches, food and clothing shelters, summer camps, community centers, dormitories, parks, teen centers, homeless shelters, animal shelters, dance studios, therapeutic riding centers and much more. A typical build attracted 3,000-5,000 volunteers, for a total of over one million people sacrificing their time to build for their neighbors.”

Jessica Lowndes, AnnaLynne McCord, and Jessica Stroup return in "90210."

The CW will not officially reveal its schedule until Thursday morning, which is when yours truly will be on a plane. Not to worry; the blog will be updated with the official schedule soon after it is released.  Besides, enough information has trickled into the trades for us to talk about a few important details and make some educated guesses as to where new series will land on the schedule. Or, we should say, the first version of its schedule, because almost every network tweaks its lineup once the upfronts come to a close.

Before we get to the new stuff, here’s a round-up of the current news: “One Tree Hill”  was officially picked up earlier this week, joining previously announced CW renewals “90210,” “Life Unexpected,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Gossip Girl,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “Supernatural,” and “Smallville.” Additionally, the CW confirmed today that “Smallville’s” 10th season will be its last.

Gone from the schedule (thereby proving there is a Higher Power that cares for us all) are “Melrose Place,” “High Society,” “Fly Girls” and this season’s “here today, gone tomorrow” prizewinner, “The Beautiful Life: TBL,” which barely made it out of the gate. Their departure from the TV landscape will doubtless be mourned by…someone.

On the other hand, if they hadn’t been cleared away, The CW wouldn’t have any place to put its new additions, “Nikita” and “Hellcats.”

“Nikita” is a reboot of the franchise that began with Luc Besson’s (freaking awesome) cult action film “La Femme Nikita,” which was remade for American audiences as the awful “Point of No Return” starring Bridget Fonda.  The character of Nikita resurfaced in a Canadian-produced action drama that ran for about five seasons on USA Network, and was played by Peta Wilson. Maggie Q takes over the role in the new version, which also has her going rogue.

The first TV version of “La Femme Nikita,” it must be mentioned, was part of a late-’90s, early ’00s girl power trend on television that included “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Xena: Warrior Princess,”  and “Alias.” Considering that we live in a time in which Paris Hilton, the Kardashians and  “Girls Gone Wild” are celebrated pop culture fixtures, returning “Nikita” to TV is — in concept — a breath of fresh air.

On the other hand, it’s on The CW. If someone doesn’t screw it up, there’s still the question of whether it’ll pull the ratings to survive. With McG as an executive producer, there is hope.

“Nikita” is joined on the schedule by “Hellcats,” a drama about competitive cheerleading starring Aly Michalka and Ashley Tisdale. If “Nikita” is a nod to what The CW used to be (in its previous incarnations, UPN and the WB), “Hellcats” seems to fit in perfectly with what the tiny broadcast network is now.

Question is, where will they appear on the schedule? Currently there are two obvious opportunities, one on Wednesday nights, and one on Fridays, where “Smallville” has been able to hold on to its audience.   The CW’s schedulers have been known to slide veterans into different timeslots in the hope of finding a perfect pairing so really, it’s foolish to guess what the network’s lineup will look like. But why should that stop us?

Keep reading after the jump for our scheduling guesswork.

MONDAYS

The one-two punch of “Gossip Girl” and “One Tree Hill” seemed to work out just fine this season in spite of creative problems with the former’s story arc. “OTH” is a veteran whose audience has grown up and stuck with it, and the trend-setting “Gossip Girl” is now as acceptable among adults as it is with tween and teens. We doubt the network will mess with this.

TUESDAYS

Since “Life Unexpected” was a late addition to this season’s schedule, it’s highly possible that it will move to Wednesdays in order to team up “Hellcats” and “90210.”

WEDNESDAYS

On the other hand, if “Hellcats” is as bitchy as it sounds, coupling it with “America’s Next Top Model” wouldn’t be the worst idea.

Bloody lust is so sexy. Paul Wesley stars in "The Vampire Diaries."

THURSDAYS

Here’s where things get a bit dicey. “The Vampire Diaries” is this season’s clearest hit, not only among new shows but in the context of the schedule at large. It finally gave The CW a real presence on Thursday nights.  At the same time, it’s probably popular enough to take its audience with it if it were to move. The obvious destination for it would probably be Friday.

Please. Not going to happen.

“Supernatural” is another veteran series that paired beautifully with “Smallville” on Thursdays in season past. One should not be surprised if The CW decides to reunite old friends  — especially considering that the repeats of this past season’s episodes will air at 9 o’clock Fridays this summer. “Supernatural’s” audience probably won’t be too excited to see its show move to Fridays next fall, but they’re (we’re!) passionate, and most of them (us!) will follow.  That leaves 9 o’clock Thursdays open for “Nikita” to slide in,  and with potent “Vampire” as its lead-in, “Nikita” would have one of the best slots on the CW’s schedule.

FRIDAYS

On the flipside, “Smallville” fans could already be familiar with “Nikita’s” mythology, so the network could opt to create an end-of-the-week destination for action genre viewers.

Now it’s your turn.  Have any guesses as to how the deck will be shuffled?

William Shatner stars in the new comedy "$#*! My Dad Says."

Guess what’s no longer fashionable this year among CBS’s programming executives? Stability.

Year after year, CBS touted the potency of its schedule, explaining that its across-the-board strength made it unnecessary to make any drastic changes. There is something to be said for that, even in the new world of shifted viewing. People create habits around their weekly TV consumption, and the last thing a successful network wants to do is make it hard for audiences to find their favorite shows.

On the other hand, in any cutthroat business, one would be stupid not to leap into an opening when one sees it. CBS’s decision to move top-rated comedy “The Big Bang Theory” from Monday nights at 9:30 to Thursdays at 8 just makes sense. CBS’s Monday night block remains solid, and with NBC trying to maintain its Thursday night comedy perch with series that  receive much higher critical praise than ratings, why not trump the Peacock by offering a comedy that’s set to finish the 2009-2010 season firmly in the Nielsen top 20 as competition?

The hope is that “Big Bang” will serve as a potent lead-in to “$#*! My Dad Says,” a new comedy from “Will & Grace” executive producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, starring William Shatner. “$#*!” has already gotten a great deal of attention thanks to the Twitter feed that inspired it, in which struggling writer Justin Halpern logs the colorful observations made by his 74-year-father.

“Big Bang” isn’t the only major move from Monday nights. “CSI: Miami,” currently airing Mondays at 10, moves to Sundays in the same timeslot. Wednesday night’s “CSI: NY” moves to 9 p.m. Fridays, bumping “Medium” up to 8 o’clock…and “Ghost Whisperer” into Cancellation Land. Reality stalwart “Survivor” is moving up from Thursday nights to Wednesdays at 8. In fact, the only lineup that remains unchanged is Tuesday’s.

New dramas include “Hawaii Five-O,” “The Defenders” and “Blue Bloods,” all of which are being tested in 10 p.m. slots. Meanwhile Chuck Lorre, the executive producer behind “Big Bang” and “Two and a Half Men,” is becoming to CBS what Seth MacFarlane is to Fox, introducing yet another comedy, “Mike & Molly,” to Monday nights. The previously announced “Criminal Minds” spinoff, starring Forest Whitaker, is on deck for midseason.

Earlier this week CBS cleaned house, slicing a number of underperformers from its schedule including “Accidentally On Purpose,” “Gary Unmarried,” “Ghost Whisperer,” “Cold Case,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine,”  “Numb3rs,” and late season entry “Miami Medical” from the schedule. (“Three Rivers,” which premiered last fall, dried up a long time ago.)

CBS’s fall schedule is below, with new series highlighted in bold. All times are ET/PT.

MONDAY

8 PM   “How I Met Your Mother”

8:30 PM  “Rules of Engagement”

9 PM “Two and a Half Men”

9:30 PM  “Mike & Molly”

10 PM  “Hawaii Five-O”

TUESDAY

8 PM “NCIS”

9 PM “NCIS: Los Angeles”

10 PM “The Good Wife”

WEDNESDAY

8 PM “Survivor”

9 PM “Criminal Minds”

10 PM “The Defenders”

THURSDAY

8 PM  “The Big Bang Theory”

8:30 PM “$#*! My Dad Says”

9 PM  “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”

10 PM “The Mentalist”

FRIDAY

8 PM  “Medium”

9 PM  “CSI: NY”

10 PM “Blue Bloods”

SATURDAY

8-10 PM  “Crimetime Saturday” (aka procedural repeats)

10 PM   “48 Hours Mystery”

SUNDAY

7 PM “60 Minutes”

8 PM  “The Amazing Race”

9 PM  ” Undercover Boss”

10 PM “CSI: Miami”

Keep reading after the jump for descriptions of the new series, taken from the press release.

COMEDIES

$#*! MY DAD SAYS, based on the popular Twitter feed by Justin Halpern, stars Emmy Award winner William Shatner as Ed Goodson, a forthright and opinionated dad who relishes expressing his unsolicited and often wildly politically incorrect observations to anyone within earshot.  Nobody is immune from Ed’s rants, including his sons, Henry, a struggling writer-turned-unpaid blogger; and Vince (Will Sasso), the meek half of his husband/wife real estate duo with domineering Kathleen (Nicole Sullivan).  When Henry finds he can no longer afford to pay rent to his pretty roommate — and secret admirer — Sam (Stephanie Lemelin), Ed reveals a soft spot and invites Henry to move in with him. Henry agrees, knowing that the verbal assault will not abate and now there will be no escape.  Describing their father/son relationship is tricky – but Ed will easily come up with a few choice words.  E

MIKE & MOLLY is a comedy from Chuck Lorre (“Two and a Half Men,” and “The Big Bang Theory”) about a working class Chicago couple who find love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.  Officer Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell) is a good-hearted cop who sincerely wants to lose weight.  Mike’s partner, Officer Carl McMillan (Reno Wilson), is a thin, fast-talking wise-guy, who despite his teasing encourages Mike on his road to slimness and romance.  While speaking at an O.A. meeting, Mike meets Molly Flynn (Melissa McCarthy), an instantly likeable fourth-grade teacher with a healthy sense of humor about her curves.  For Molly, focusing on smart choices isn’t easy because she lives with her sexy older sister, Victoria (Katy Mixon), and their mother, Joyce (Swoosie Kurtz), both of whom flaunt their healthy appetites and slender figures.  Mike also faces temptation at the diner he and Carl frequent, where they’ve become friends with the Senegalese waiter, Samuel (Nyambi Nyambi), who finds trying to eat less a foreign concept.  For Mike and Molly, thanks to their mutual love of pie and the desire to resist it, finding each other may have been worth the “weight.”

DRAMAS

HAWAII FIVE-0 is a contemporary take on the classic series about a new elite federalized task force whose mission is to wipe out the crime that washes up on the Islands’ sun-drenched beaches.  Detective Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin), a decorated Naval officer turned cop, returns to Oahu to investigate his father’s murder and stays after Hawaii’s governor persuades him to head up the new team: his rules, her backing, no red tape and full blanket immunity to hunt down the biggest “game” in town.  Joining McGarrett is Detective Danny “Danno” Williams (Scott Caan), a newly relocated ex-New Jersey cop who prefers skyscrapers to the coastline but is committed to keeping the Islands safe for his 8-year-old daughter; and Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim), an ex-Honolulu Police Detective wrongly accused of corruption and relegated to a federal security patrol, who is also a former protégé of McGarrett’s father.  Chin’s cousin, Kono (Grace Park), is a beautiful and fearless native, fresh out of the academy and eager to establish herself among the department’s elite.  McGarrett vows to bring closure to his father’s case while the state’s brash new FIVE-0 unit, who may spar and jest among themselves, is determined to eliminate the seedy elements from the 50^th state.

THE DEFENDERS stars Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell in a comedic drama about two colorful Las Vegas defense attorneys who go all-in when it comes to representing their clients.  Nick and Pete are the local go-to guys with an eclectic client list who are still looking to hit their own jackpot.  Leading the law firm of Morelli & Kaczmarek are Nick Morelli (Belushi), an earnest, hard-charging attorney who represents his clients to the best of his ability, no matter how big or small the case, and his partner, Pete Kaczmarek (O’Connell), whose passion for the law is matched only by his love of fast cars, beautiful women and expensive clothes.  Joining them in their growing law practice is new associate Lisa Tyler (Jurnee Smollett), an enthusiastic young attorney looking to put her exotic dancing days behind her; and their young assistant, Sophie (Tanya Fischer), a spunky and sweet ingénue who is eager to please her bosses.  As Lady Luck shines on their legal careers, the partners have their hands full when it comes to their personal lives.  While Pete is busy cruising the Vegas Strip for his latest romantic conquest, Nick is focused on repairing his fractured marriage to his estranged wife, Jessica (Gillian Vigman), while remaining present in the life of their young son.  No matter the offense, Nick and Pete aim to prove that when the stakes are high they’re willing to bet the house on the clients they defend in Sin City.

BLUE BLOODS is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement.  Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) is the New York Chief of Police and patriarch of the Reagan brood, which he heads as diplomatically as he does the force, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry (Len Cariou), during his stint as Chief. A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), a seasoned detective, family man and Iraqi War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases.  The sole Reagan woman in the family, Erin (Bridget Moynahan), is a N.Y. Assistant D.A. and newly single parent, who also serves as the legal compass for her siblings and father.  Jamie (Will Estes) is the youngest Reagan, fresh out of Harvard Law and the family’s “golden boy.”  However, unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and is now a newly minted cop, a career change seemingly supported by his beautiful girlfriend, Sydney Davenport (Dylan Moore), a first year lawyer. Jamie’s life takes an abrupt turn, however, when he’s asked to become part of a clandestine police investigation even his father knows nothing about, and one that could impact the family’s legacy.

MIDSEASON

CRIMINAL MINDS SPINOFF stars Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker in a drama about an elite team of agents within the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit who use unconventional methods of investigation and aggressive tactics to capture the nation’s most nefarious criminals.  Unit chief Special Agent Sam Cooper (Whitaker) is a mentally and physically fierce natural leader who is not afraid to put his career on the line in order to stand by his convictions.  Cooper strives to avoid political bureaucracy and has handpicked an eclectic group of profilers to work outside the confines of Quantico:  Former British Special Forces soldier Mick Rawson (Matt Ryan), confident and handsome, works as a highly-skilled marksman with an undiluted eye for rooting out evil; John “Prophet” Sims (Michael Kelly), a former convict with a street-smart edge and a calm, Zen-like presence, who is determined to make amends for past sins; and Gina LaSalle (Beau Garrett), an attractive, tough agent armed with a cunning sense of perception.  This exceptional group of FBI operatives is strong in their beliefs and steadfast in their mission to bring the country’s most dangerous criminals to justice.

Julie Benz and Michael Chiklis star in the new series "No Ordinary Family." Photo by Eric McCandless, courtesy of ABC.

With a few exceptions, ABC generally has no problem shuffling its schedule around each fall. Unless we’re talking about a series that serves as an important tentpole such as “Grey’s Anatomy,”  “Desperate Housewives,” or  “Dancing with the Stars,” no show is too good to escape a few timeslot swaps.

This is particularly true when you also consider the network’s fondness for gorging on pick-ups. The 2010-2011 season, for example, will see ten new ABC shows premiere. Ten.

Yet the schedule for the coming season also shows plenty of evidence of stability. If it ain’t broke, ABC sure as heck isn’t going to fix it.  And unlike past seasons, if a program clearly isn’t working, it’s not on the schedule. Nobody should be shocked to notice the absence of “Scrubs” from the fall schedule, for example.  Ditto for the sadly performing “Happy Town” or the late spring entry “Romantically Challenged. ” The cancellation of “FlashForward” must be a downer for a number of fans, but honestly, ABC gave it a shot.  As much as we loved “Ugly Betty,” we love the idea of series regular Vanessa Williams joining the cast of “Desperate Housewives” even more. And yes, we adored comedy underdog “Better Off Ted.” Instead of watching it continue to fade into oblivion, however, let’s consider ourselves to be better off with fond memories of its short-lived brilliance.

But let’s look at what is working for the Alphabet…

Wednesday nights. At long last, ABC has a comedy block worth cherishing, which is why “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town” are staying right where they are, at 9 and 9:30p.m. “The Middle” made less noise on Wednesdays, but performed well enough to remain in play, while new series “Better Together” (description below) is hammocked between it and “Modern” at 8:30. New legal drama “The Whole Truth” follows at 10.

“Castle” on Mondays. The 10 o’clock slot is a tough one on most nights of the week, but until “Castle” came along none of the other networks could find anything to go up against “CSI: Miami.” Nathan Fillion’s vehicle sputtered at first, but toward the end of the season it managed to crack the Nielsen top 20 a few times.  More importantly, “Castle’s” ratings gains gave ABC its first successful crime procedural in several seasons.

Thursdays and Sundays.  The Shonda Rhimes one-two punch of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice” remain in place at 9 and 10p.m., with new drama “My Generation” kicking off the night at 8. The network’s  Sunday lineup of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Brothers & Sisters” remains intact.

This leaves Tuesdays and Fridays as ABC’s 2010-2011 experiments. Of the two nights Tuesdays is the higher stakes enterprise, highlighted by “No Ordinary Family,” probably best described as a live-action version of The Incredibles. “Dancing’s” results show follows at 9 with the faux-documentary style police drama “Detroit 1-8-7″ at 10.

“V,” by the way, has been pushed back to midseason, the same time of year we’ll see new shows starring Elisha Cuthbert (“Happy Endings”), Matthew Perry (“Mr. Sunshine”), and a new medical drama from Shonda Rhimes (“Off the Map”) about sexy doctors in the jungle. We suspect a few of them will be forced to go shirtless from time to time. This is only a guess.

The Friday night lineup and the rest of the schedule follows. New series are in bold. (And yes, Friday’s new entry “Secret Millionaire” is the same series that ran during the 2008 holiday season on Fox.)

MONDAY

8p.m.   “Dancing with the Stars”

10p.m.  “Castle”

TUESDAY

8p.m.  “No Ordinary Family”

9p.m.   “Dancing with the Stars: Results Show”

10p.m. “Detroit 1-8-7”

WEDNESDAY

8p.m. “The Middle”

8:30p.m. “Better Together”

9p.m. “Modern Family”

9:30p.m. “Cougar Town”

10p.m.  “The Whole Truth”

THURSDAY

8p.m.  “My Generation”

9p.m.  “Grey’s Anatomy”

10 p.m.   “Private Practice”

FRIDAY

8p.m. “Secret Millionaire”

9p.m. “Body of Proof”

10p.m. “20/20”

SATURDAY

8p.m.  “Saturday Night College Football”

SUNDAY

7p.m.  “America’s Funniest Home Videos”

8p.m.  “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”

9p.m.  “Desperate Housewives”

10p.m. “Brothers & Sisters”

Descriptions of the new series, taken from the network press release, come after the jump.  (Please note:  if a show is not listed on the above schedule, it is set to premiere during midseason.)

DRAMA

“BODY OF PROOF”

Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) was in a class of her own, a brilliant neurosurgeon at the top of her game. But her world is turned upside down when a devastating car accident puts an end to her time in the operating room. Megan resumes her career as a medical examiner, determined to solve the puzzle of who or what killed the victims. Her instincts are sharp, but she’s developed a reputation for graying the lines of where her job ends and where the police department’s begins. It turns out her career isn’t the only thing that will need to be rebuilt; Megan’s family has taken a backseat to her ambition, and now she’s discovering there’s a lot of work to do when it comes to dissecting her relationships with the living.

“DETROIT 1-8-7”

What does it take to be a detective on America’s most dangerous streets? Get ready to be part of the action when a documentary crew rolls with some of Detroit’s finest, offering an insider’s glimpse behind the curtain of a Homicide Unit. The cameras unearth the crisis and revelation, heartbreak and heroism of these inner city cops — moments of raw exposure when they address us directly, as well as private moments when they forget they’re being filmed.

There’s the damaged but driven Detective Louis Fitch, a wily homicide vet who is the most respected
– and most misunderstood — man in the division; Detective Damon Washington, Fitch’s new partner, who finds the first day on the job is a trial by fire, complicated by the imminent birth of his first child; Detective Ariana Sanchez, sexy, edgy and beautiful, who has emerged from a rough background to become a rising star in the department; Narcotics undercover cop John Stone, a streetwise smooth talker, clever and quick with a smile made for the movies, who is teamed with Sanchez — a combustible pairing rife with conflict and sexual tension; Sergeant Jesse Longford, a 30-year veteran struggling with his impending retirement from the force and the city he loves, who, together with his partner, Detective Aman Mahajan — a fully Americanized son of Indian immigrants — form an amusing mismatch of experience and enthusiasm, intellect and instinct, old school and new world, but whose combined skills have never encountered a case that couldn’t be cleared; and all are headed by Lieutenant Maureen Mason, a strong-willed single mom struggling to balance home and work.

The men and women of Detroit Homicide are as smart and tough as they come. They have to be, working the neighborhoods of the once and future Motor City, a rebounding bastion of middle America still saddled with the highest murder rate in the country.

“MY GENERATION”

What a difference ten years can make. In 2000, a documentary crew follows a disparate group of high schoolers from Greenbelt High School in Austin, TX as they prepare for graduation, then revisits these former classmates ten years later as they return home to rediscover that just because they’re not where they planned doesn’t mean they’re not right where they need to be.

These students couldn’t wait to graduate and head out into the real world. But the world they were entering got very real very fast. As these classmates return home to revisit their old hopes for their future, they’ll discover that, even if you don’t get exactly what you thought you wanted out of life, it’s not too late to get what you need.

“NO ORDINARY FAMILY”

The Powells are about to go from ordinary to extraordinary. After 16 years of marriage, Jim and Stephanie’s relationship lacks the spark it once had, and their family life now consists of balancing work and their two children, leaving little time for family bonding. During a family vacation set up by Jim in an attempt to reconnect, their plane crashes into the Amazon River. But this is where the fun starts for the Powells, as they soon discover that something’s not quite right. Each of them now possesses unique and distinct superpowers. But saving and savoring their family life will be equally important, as they try to find purpose for their new powers and embark on a journey to find out what defines and unifies them. The Powells are a totally relatable family who happen to be a little bit amazing.

“OFF THE MAP”

Executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice”) and creator Jenna Bans (“Grey’s Anatomy”) bring you an uplifting medical drama that explores how far you have to go to truly heal.

Welcome to “la ciudad de las estrellas” (the city of stars), a tiny town in the South American jungle which has one understaffed, under-stocked medical clinic. That’s where idealistic young Dr. Lily Brenner just landed, along with fellow doctors Mina Minard and Manny Diaz. All of these young doctors are running away from personal demons, but they aren’t the only ones with emotional baggage. Take the legendary and enigmatic Ben Keeton, who was the youngest Chief of Surgery at UCLA. He walked away from it all to found the clinic. Together with his right-hand doctor, Otis Cole, he’ll teach these newcomers how to save lives in the most challenging environment they’ve ever worked in.

In this ensemble drama, five doctors who have lost their way will go to the ends of the earth to try to remember the reasons why they wanted to become doctors in the first place.

“THE WHOLE TRUTH”

This unique legal drama chronicles the way a case is built from the perspective of both the defense and prosecution. Showing each side equally keeps the audience guessing, shifting allegiances and opinions on guilt or innocence until the very final scene.

Kathryn Peale, the product of a New England background and a sheriff father, is the Deputy Bureau Chief in the New York State District Attorney’s office. Jimmy Brogan, born and raised in Hell’s Kitchen and a friend of Kathryn’s since their days at Yale Law School, is one of New York’s rising criminal attorney stars. Buoyed by their respective teams, these evenly matched lawyers — each with a strong streak of competitiveness, a fervent belief in their clients and an equally intense passion for the law —go about creating two different stories from the same set of facts. As this up-close, behind-the-scenes look at the legal process mirrors the excitement of a championship match, it becomes evident that truth has nothing to do with innocence or guilt — at the end of every trial, the only thing that matters is what the jury believes.

COMEDY

“BETTER TOGETHER”

Maddie and Ben have been dating for nine years. They know each other inside and out, a relationship marked by contentment and affection, seeing their commitment to one another as a “valid life choice,” something they proclaim often — and often loudly. Maddie’s younger sister, Mia, has been dating Casey for seven weeks. With a shared c’est la vie attitude, Mia and Casey are smitten with each other, and thrilled to explore the oh-so-many things they don’t know about each other yet. But when they announce they’re getting married and having a baby, it’s news that throws Maddie for a loop. Surprisingly, the girls’ parents, Vicky and Joel, couldn’t be more pleased. Married 35 years, they have recently adopted a carpe diem sort of philosophy, rather like Mia’s, maybe because they’re getting older and lost a good portion of their savings when the economy tanked. With three very different relationships tightly intertwined in one family, will it be free thinkers vs. over-thinkers, or will each couple begin to see things a little bit differently?

“HAPPY ENDINGS”

Forget who gets to keep the ring – when a couple splits, the real question is, who gets to keep the friends? In this modern comedy, a couple’s break-up will complicate all of their friends’ lives and make everyone question their choices. When life throws you for a curve, hold on tight to the people you love. Every circle of friends has someone who’s the gravitational center. For years, perfect couple Dave and Alex drew their friends in and held them together. Now that they’ve split, does this group have the stuff to stay together? Or do Max, Brad, Jane and Penny have to choose sides? Suddenly every event is a negotiation… like, who gets to go on the annual ski trip? There are a lot of big questions to be answered, but this group has been together so long, somehow, little by little, they’ll figure out how to hold on, even though their center is split up. It helps that Dave and Alex have agreed to stay friends. But there will definitely be other complications down the road – like Penny’s long-suppressed feelings for Dave. What is the waiting period for dating a friend’s ex? This show isn’t afraid to ask the embarrassing personal questions that inevitably arise in every long-term, close-knit group of friends.

“MR. SUNSHINE”

Matthew Perry stars as Ben Donovan, the self-involved manager of a second-rate San Diego sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40^th birthday. Working alongside him is his boss and arena owner, Crystal — attractive, powerful and highly erratic; Alice — the cute, tomboyish marketing director and Ben’s friend with benefits; Alonzo – a former basketball player, handsome and unbelievably happy; Ben’s assistant, Heather – pretty, sweet, but terrifying because she once lit a boyfriend on fire; Crystal’s son, Roman – sweet-faced, clueless and Ben’s newest employee; and a hapless operations crew whom Ben refers to collectively as the “Steves.”

ALTERNATIVE SERIES

“SECRET MILLIONAIRE”

“Secret Millionaire” is a one-hour alternative series that follows some of America’s wealthiest people for one week as they leave behind their lavish lifestyles, sprawling mansions and luxury jets, conceal their true identities, and go to live and volunteer in some of the most impoverished and dangerous communities in America. Surviving on welfare wages, their mission is to discover the unsung heroes of America — deserving individuals who continually sacrifice everything to help those in need. Throughout this incredible experience, the Secret Millionaires will attempt to remain undiscovered, coming face to face with extraordinary and amazing people battling the odds every day of their lives. On the final day, in an emotional and dramatic climax, they reveal their true identities. Ultimately, the millionaires will each give away at least $100,000 of their own money, changing lives forever.

Will Arnett and Keri Russell star in "Running Wilde."

In years past, Fox had a habit of sending a slew of non-starters out for the fall season,  along with “House,”  its undisputed scripted hit, and “Bones,” which in recent seasons has become a strong performer.   As a result, it was hard to take most of what Fox had to say about its fall season seriously at the upfronts because it was generally accepted that most of the new shows wouldn’t make it past the holidays. Fox didn’t truly enter the game until midseason, when “American Idol” and “24″ began their premiered.

This started to change last year once “Bones”  began holding its own on Thursdays. Paired with the struggling but creatively solid “Fringe,” the dramas gave the network its most solid toehold outside of “Idol.”  Then “Glee” came along with its critical acclaim, awards and coolness factor. Suddenly Fox has no reason to wait for January,  and its four new comedies and three dramas sound like real contenders.

Out of these seven new series, three (drama “Lonestar” and comedies “Raising Hope” and “Running Wilde”) premiere in the fall. The comedy entries are worth noting because along with “Glee,” which airs at 8 p.m. Tuesdays with the new series at 9 and 9:30, they represent Fox’s attempt to build a lighter weeknight block to rival what ABC has created on Wednesdays with “Modern Family,” “The Middle” and “Cougar Town.” Naturally Fox is not crazy enough to put these comedies directly against ABC’s  Wednesday night tent; not only are they untested, but Fox hasn’t launched a successful half-hour comedy that isn’t a cartoon since…can you remember? We can’t.

One move on the schedule may worry fans a bit, and for good reason: “Human Target” now airs on Friday at 8p.m. with “The Good Guys,” which gets its first run this summer, following at 9p.m.  Tonally speaking, these two series go together quite well. The problem is that on Fox’s schedule, the Friday night slot is still the place where series go to die. (Remember “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”? “Dollhouse”?)

Viewers will also notice that “American Idol’s” results show is now only half an hour long.  Perhaps Fox is preparing for the inevitable day when “Idol” will — shock — no longer be the powerhouse on its schedule. And perhaps that day is closer than we imagine, with Simon Cowell soon to exit the series.

But, back to the new blood. Fox’s third addition for fall is “Lonestar,” a primetime soap with Texas oil as a backdrop. That airs on 9p.m. Mondays following “House.”

The rest of the new series, including executive producer Shawn Ryan’s (‘The Shield”) new series “Ride-Along,” will premiere in midseason. (Premiere date and timeslot for  “Terra Nova” is TBD.)

Fans are in the process of bidding farewell to “24,” and you won’t see “Past Life” or “Sons of Tucscon” return to the fall 2010 schedule. Word is that the ax also has fallen on “The Wanda Sykes Show.”

Here is the schedule as listed on the Fox press release. All times are ET/PT, and new series are in bold.

MONDAY

8PM  “House”

9PM  “Lonestar”

TUESDAY

8PM  “Glee

9PM “Raising Hope”

9:30PM “Running Wilde”

WEDNESDAY

8PM “Lie to Me”

9PM “Hell’s Kitchen”

THURSDAY

8PM “Bones”

9PM “Fringe”

FRIDAY

8PM  “Human Target”

9PM  “The Good Guys”

SATURDAY

8PM “Cops”

8PM “Cops”

9PM “America’s Most Wanted”

SUNDAY

7PM  “The OT’

8PM “The Simpsons”

8PM “The Cleveland Show’

9PM  “Family Guy”

9PM  “American Dad”

MIDSEASON:

MONDAY

8PM “House”

9PM “Lonestar/ “Ride-Along”

TUESDAY

8PM         “American Idol”

9:30PM  “Running Wilde”/ “Mixed Signals”

WEDNESDAY

8PM “Raising Hope”

8:30PM “American Idol: Results”

9PM “Glee”

THURSDAY

8PM “Bones”

9PM  “Fringe”

FRIDAY

8PM  “Human Target”

9PM   “Kitchen Nightmares”

SATURDAY

8PM “Cops”

8:30PM “Cops”

9PM  “America’s Most Wanted”

SUNDAY

7PM “The Simpsons” (repeats)

7:30PM  “American Dad”

8PM “The Simpsons”

8:30PM “Bob’s Burgers”

9PM “Family Guy”

9:30PM “The Cleveland Show”

Read descriptions of the new series, taken from the network’s press release, after the jump.

The following new comedies will premiere this fall on FOX:

RAISING HOPE

RAISING HOPE is a new single-camera family comedy from Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (“My Name Is Earl”) that follows the Chance family as they find themselves adding an unexpected new member into their already terribly flawed household. At 23 years old, JIMMY CHANCE (Lucas Neff, “The Beast”) is going nowhere in life. He skims pools for a living, parties every night and still lives at home with his family, including his MAW MAW (guest star Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Cloris Leachman); his mother, VIRGINIA (Martha Plimpton, “How to Make It in America”); his father, BURT (Garret Dillahunt, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Damages”); and his cousin, MIKE (Skyler Stone, “The Mentalist,” “Dollhouse”). Jimmy’s life takes a drastic turn when a chance romantic encounter with LUCY (guest star Bijou Phillips, “Choke,” “Almost Famous”) goes awry once he discovers she is a wanted felon. Months later, when Jimmy pays a visit to the local prison, he discovers Lucy gave birth to their baby, who he is now charged with raising. At home with his new daughter, Jimmy’s family is less than enthusiastic about a new addition to the household. His parents, who had him when they were 15, never knew anything about raising a child and have no interest in trying again. If Jimmy can work up the nerve to ask her out on a date, he might get some help from SABRINA (Shannon Woodward, “The Riches,” “ER”), a sardonic checkout clerk he met at the supermarket. Cousin Mike is only concerned about how the baby is going to affect their social life, and out-of-touch Maw Maw is no help either. But Jimmy is determined to take care of his baby – whom Virginia thinks they should name HOPE. With very few useful skills but their hearts in the right place, will the Chance family be successful when they step into the unpredictable and immensely challenging world of parenting?

RUNNING WILDE

From the Emmy Award-winning creator and the star of the critically acclaimed FOX series “Arrested Development” comes RUNNING WILDE, a romantic comedy starring Will Arnett (“Arrested Development,” “30 Rock”) as STEVE WILDE, a filthy-rich, immature playboy trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart, EMMY KADUBIC (Keri Russell, “Waitress,” “Felicity”), the über-liberal humanitarian who got away – all told through the perspective of a 12-year-old girl. Steve Wilde has never performed a selfless act. But why should he – he’s rich! The son of an oil tycoon, Steve hasn’t had to work a day in his life and has always gotten everything he’s wanted – with one exception: the love of Emmy. The daughter of a former Wilde housekeeper, Emmy is an earnest do-gooder who has spent her adult life trying to save the world. And though Emmy is content living with an indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest, her 12-year-old daughter, PUDDLE (Stefania Owen, “The Lovely Bones”), just wants to be a normal kid experiencing her adolescence in a normal place. And she would speak up except for the fact that she hasn’t spoken in years. When Wilde Oil’s expansion in the rainforest threatens her adopted tribe, Emmy decides to attend Steve’s self-thrown “Humanitarian of the Year” award ceremony in hopes of convincing him to help her cause…and also maybe because she still has a thing for Steve. But same-old Steve is unwilling to help because fighting Wilde Oil (a/k/a Dad) means putting his meal ticket in jeopardy. Rather than run the risk of letting Emmy slip away again, Steve pulls out all the stops to win her heart. To do so, he enlists the only other people in his life who can help: MIGO SALAZAR (Joe Nuñez, “Superbad,” “Prison Break”), Steve’s employee/sidekick/errand-boy, and GERTIE STELLVERTRETTER (Jayne Houdyshell, “Law & Order”), Steve’s nanny-turned-head-of-security as well as the biggest protector of Steve…and her own job. Despite having everything he ever wanted, Steve knows he can’t buy love and happiness, which falls in sharp contrast to Emmy, who has nothing but love and happiness. So with Emmy committed to doing good for nothing, and Steve being a good for nothing, will this hopelessly mismatched pair ever be able to reconcile their differences?

The following new drama will debut this fall on FOX:

LONESTAR

From Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman, the creators of “Party of Five”; Marc Webb, the director of “(500) Days of Summer”; and creator Kyle Killen, comes LONESTAR, a provocative soap set against the backdrop of big Texas oil. ROBERT/BOB ALLEN (newcomer James Wolk) is a charismatic and brilliant schemer who has meticulously constructed two lives in two different parts of Texas. He’s juggling two identities and two women in two very different worlds – all under one mountain of lies. As “Bob,” he lives in Houston and is married to CAT (Adrianne Palicki, “Friday Night Lights”), the beautiful daughter of CLINT (Jon Voight, 24, “Midnight Cowboy”), the patriarch of an ultra-wealthy Texas oil family. More than 400 miles away in the suburban west Texas town of Midland, he’s “Robert,” living a second life with his sweet, naïve girlfriend, LINDSAY (Eloise Mumford, “Mercy,” “Law & Order: SVU”). In Midland, he plays the perfect boyfriend while secretly bilking local investors of their savings. In Houston, he’s a devoted husband, charming Cat and her family to cement his position in the rich family business he aims to clean out. Bob has lived both lives successfully for years without arousing any suspicions…so far. While one brother-in-law, DREW (Bryce Johnson, “Popular,” “The Mentalist”), admires Bob, his other brother-in-law, TRAMMELL (Mark Deklin, “Nip/Tuck,” “Desperate Housewives”), is suspicious of his motives. Bob begins to fear his secret lives may unravel. With the cons closing in on him, Bob is divided by his love for two women; his loyalty to his father and mentor, JOHN (David Keith, “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “The Class”); and his respect for his father-in-law, Clint. Now as he tries to hold his two lives together, while fending off angry investors and the suspicions of those around him, Bob puts it all on the line hoping he can beat the odds, leave the schemes behind and keep two separate relationships afloat.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20^th Century Fox Television, Depth of Field Productions, Keyser/Lippman Productions

CREATOR/WRITER: Kyle Killen

The new animated comedy joining the FOX schedule in mideason is:

BOB’S BURGERS

BOB’S BURGERS is a new animated series about a man, his family and a burger joint. A third-generation restaurateur, BOB BELCHER (H. Jon Benjamin, FAMILY GUY, “Archer”) runs Bob’s Burgers with the help of his wife and their three kids. Bob has big ideas about burgers, condiments and sides, but only a few thoughts on customer service and business management. Despite his greasy counters, lousy location and occasionally spotty service, Bob is convinced his burgers speak for themselves. Even though business is slow, Bob gets to work with his family. His wife, LINDA BELCHER (John Roberts, “The Christmas Tree,” “Jackie & Debra”), supports Bob’s dream through thick and thin (but truth be told, she’s getting a little sick of the thin). Their eldest daughter, TINA (Dan Mintz, “Important Things with Demetri Martin,” “The Andy Milonakis Show”), is a 13-year-old hopeless romantic with minimal social skills. Middle child GENE (Eugene Mirman, “Flight of the Conchords,” “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”) is an aspiring musician and a prankster who serves up more jokes than burgers. Their youngest, LOUISE (Kristen Schaal, “Flight of the Conchords,” “Modern Family”), is the most enthusiastic about her dad’s business, but an off-balance sense of humor and her elevated energy level make her somewhat of a liability in the kitchen. Beyond the restaurant is a city rich with character. Next door to Bob’s is It’s Your Funeral Home and Crematorium; down the street is Wonder Wharf, the oceanside amusement pier; and a few blocks away is Wagstaff Middle School, where Bob and Linda’s kids go to school. And across the street is Jimmy Pesto’s Pizzeria, Bob’s Burgers’ main competition and the thorn in Bob’s side.

The two new dramas slated for midseason debuts are:

TERRA NOVA

From executive producers Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga (24, “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and David Fury (“Lost,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) comes an epic family adventure 85 million years in the making. TERRA NOVA follows an ordinary family embarking on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a massive experiment to save the human race. In the year 2149 the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped, overcrowded and overpolluted. With the majority of plant and animal life extinct, devotion to science has brought mankind to the brink of destruction, but has also provided its only hope for salvation. Knowing there is no way to reverse the damage to the planet, a coalition of scientists has managed to open up a fracture in the space-time continuum, creating a portal to prehistoric Earth. This doorway leads to an amazing world, one that allows for a last-ditch effort to save the human race…possibly changing the future by correcting the mistakes of the past. The series centers on the Shannon family as they join the tenth pilgrimage of settlers to TERRA NOVA, the first colony of humans in this second chance for civilization. JIM SHANNON, a devoted father with a checkered past, guides his family through this new land of limitless beauty, mystery and terror. Jim’s wife, ELISABETH SHANNON, is a trauma surgeon chosen through a global lottery as a new addition to Terra Nova’s medical team. JOSH SHANNON is their son, mourning the girl he left behind, as he’s torn between two role models – his father and the charismatic COMMANDER FRANK TAYLOR, the leader of the settlement, and the heroic first pioneer through the time portal. MADDY SHANNON, Jim and Elizabeth’s teen daughter, is as independent and adventurous as her parents, but her distrust of authority soon leads her on a dangerous path. In addition to blue skies, rolling rivers and lush vegetation, TERRA NOVA offers new opportunities and fresh beginnings to its recent arrivals, but the Shannons have brought with them a familial secret that may threaten their citizenship in this utopia. Additionally these adventurers soon discover that this healthy, vibrant world is not as idyllic as it initially appears. The areas surrounding Terra Nova are filled with dangerous dinosaurs, and other prehistoric threats, as well as external forces that may be intent on destroying this new world before it begins. But perhaps even more threatening than what lies outside the protective walls is the Shannons’ realization that something sinister may be happening inside TERRA NOVA as not everyone on this mission has the same intentions of how best to save mankind.

RIDE-ALONG

The city of Chicago is a paradox that serves as the setting for RIDE-ALONG, a new drama from Shawn Ryan (“The Shield,” “The Unit”). During a ride-along, a civilian spends a shift in the passenger seat of a squad car, observing the work day of a police officer. But in this series, the audience is the passenger, taking an unpredictable ride through the streets of Chicago and navigating crime and corruption with the most respected – and notorious – cops in the city. JAREK WYSOCKI (Jason Clarke, “Public Enemies,” “Brotherhood”) is a local legend and larger-than-life veteran of the Chicago Police Department. Like the city of Chicago, Jarek is razor blades and brass knuckles wrapped in politeness and egoless charm – a man who throws away partners the way others throw away tissues. TERESA COLVIN (Jennifer Beals, LIE TO ME, “The L Word”) arrived at the pinnacle of the Chicago Police Department in a short period of time. She’s determined to implement changes before the mud that is Chicago politics clogs her office. As a result of Teresa’s difficult choices, she has made some powerful enemies along the way, including two street gangs, the police officers’ union and a city alderman who proves to be a dangerous adversary. Jarek’s new partner, CALEB EVERS (Matt Lauria, “Friday Night Lights”), is a smart and observant young detective who desperately wants to prove himself. He is savvier and more observant than most people give him credit for, and just might make the perfect yin to Jarek’s yang. Also in Jarek’s charge is his niece, VONDA WYSOCKI (Devin Kelley, “Tease”), a rookie beat cop whose father, Jarek’s brother, was killed in the line of duty when she was young. Jarek keeps close tabs on her and is less than thrilled to discover she’s falling for her partner, ISAAC JOINER (Todd Williams, “In Plain Sight,” “CSI”), a charismatic cop who takes unnecessary risks on the job that land him and Vonda in some dangerous situations. ALDERMAN RONIN GIBBONS (Delroy Lindo, “Kidnapped”) is a building-magnate-turned-politician who has ruled his ward with a velvet glove for three decades. Jarek and Teresa are convinced Gibbons and his cohorts, including LIAM HENNESSEY (Billy Lush, “The Black Donnellys”), an Irish tough guy in Gibbons’ construction empire, are dirty to the core, but they’ve never had the evidence to prove it. When a murder investigation leads them to Gibbons, they are determined to bring him to justice and clean up Chicago – if that’s even possible.

The following new comedy will premiere in the spring:

MIXED SIGNALS

MIXED SIGNALS is a new comedy series about three longtime friends and their attempts to reconcile the irreconcilable: to balance their relationships with their need for freedom. The series reveals how friendships and romances enhance – and further complicate – the lives of men and the women who love them. ETHAN (Kris Marshall, HUMAN TARGET, “My Family”) is the perpetual bachelor. He loves women, and when he’s in, he’s all in – at least for three weeks. Charming, genuine and hopelessly independent, Ethan is finding out that as he gets older, the pool of women who are willing to take things day by day is rapidly evaporating. ADAM (Nelson Franklin, “The Office,” “I Love You Man”) recently moved in with his girlfriend, CALLIE (Alexandra Breckenridge, FAMILY GUY), and is learning how vastly different “she comes over a lot” and “she lives with me” really are. Adam is discovering there isn’t much “me” time any more, there’s only “us” time. MIKE (David Denman, “The Office”) is a married lawyer still trying to figure out the male-female dynamic. He wants nothing more than to be a good family man to his wife, LISA (Liza Lapira, “Dexter,” “Dollhouse”), and his infant son, but he’s also trying to carve out a little space for himself. Currently that space is in his car, where he watches action movies in 15-minute chunks while telling his wife he’s stuck in traffic.

Editor’s note: This week brings the network upfronts, which take place in New York. The upfronts are a traditional industry practice in which networks unveil their fall schedules to advertisers, hoping to get them to commit ad dollars to blocks of programming ahead of their premiere. To regular viewers, however, this is the week during which we find out whether our favorite programs will be coming back in the fall.

IMDb’s TV blog will be regularly updated with information on the day the networks unveil their schedules. NBC and Fox are up first.

IMDb’s TV blog will be regularly updated with information on the day the networks unveil their schedules. NBC and Fox are up first.

Although NBC officially presented its fall schedule to advertisers on Monday, the big news already hit the airwaves last Friday when various industry news outlets reported that long-running series “Law & Order” was getting the ax. While this was not surprising from a ratings standpoint (viewership for first-run episodes has been feeble this season, to put it kindly) it was a shock to those who believed NBC would at least let Dick Wolf achieve his goal of breaking the record set by “Gunsmoke,” which ran for 20 seasons. Alas, “Law & Order” will only tie that record, leaving “The Simpsons” as the only series to go beyond that mark.

Shocking news, yes; whether it is good or bad is a matter of personal opinion. Same goes for the cancellations of “Trauma,” “Mercy” and “Heroes,” all of which had their share of die-hard fans…just not enough of them. The light in all of this darkness, however, is that NBC seems confident that it has a strong schedule for the fall — and for the first time in a long time, that declaration does not on the face of it seem laughable.

Better still is the news that cult-fave spy comedy “Chuck” has a place on that schedule, remaining on Mondays at 8 p.m.

NBC is serious about strengthening its Thursday comedy presence, keeping its block largely intact save for the addition of new comedy “Outsourced.” According to reports “Parks & Recreation,” which vastly improved in it second year, is set to return in midseason. (Or sooner, if “Outsourced” doesn’t work.) Additionally, the network is maintaning the evening’s tone at 10p.m. with the introduction of the hour-long comedy “Love Bites,” starring Becki Newton (of “Ugly Betty”) and Jordana Spiro (of “My Boys”) as two of the last remaining single girls in their group of friends.

More excitement is brewing about the new J.J. Abrams action series “Undercovers,” starring Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as ex-spies pulled back into the game when a friend disappears. That leads in to the still-potent “Law & Order: SVU,” which will be followed by Dick Wolf’s latest entry in to the franchise, “Law & Order: Los Angeles,” which sounds like the same formula on a different coast.

Here’s NBC’s Fall 2010 schedule and short descriptions of its new series, taken from the network’s press release. All times listed are ET/PT and new series are in bold. As always, feel free to share your take on NBC’s new schedule in the comments area.

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. -  “Chuck”
9-10 p.m. –  “The Event”
10-11 p.m. -  “Chase”

TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser”
10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood”

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. – “Undercovers”
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Los Angeles”

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. – “Community”
8:30-9 p.m. – “30 Rock”
9-9:30 p.m. -  “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. -  “Outsourced”
10-11 p.m. -   “Love Bites”

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. – “Who Do You Think You Are?”/”School Pride”

9-10 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
10-11 p.m. – “Outlaw”

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY
7- 8:15 p.m. — “Football Night in America”
8:15-11:30 p.m. — “NBC Sunday Night Football”

SUNDAY MIDSEASON (beginning March 2011)
7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. – “Minute to Win It”
9-11 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice”

Descriptions of the new series are after the jump.

New Dramas

‘THE EVENT’ — “The Event” is an emotional, high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker (Jason Ritter, “The Class”), an Everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée, Leila (Sarah Roemer, “Disturbia”), and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history.  Sean’s quest will send ripples through the lives of an eclectic band of strangers, including: newly elected U.S. President Martinez (Golden Globe nominee Blair Underwood, “In Treatment”); Sophia (Emmy Award nominee Laura Innes, “ER”), who is the leader of a mysterious group of detainees; and Sean’s shadowy father-in-law (Scott Patterson, “Gilmore Girls”).  Their futures are on a collision course in a global conspiracy that could ultimately change the fate of mankind.  Ian Anthony Dale (“Daybreak”) and Emmy winner Željko Ivanek (“Damages”) also star in the ensemble drama. 

‘UNDERCOVERS’ – Acclaimed writer/producer/director J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek,” “Fringe,” “Lost,” “Alias”) serves as co-writer, executive producer – and also directs – his first direction of a TV series pilot since “Lost” in “Undercovers” with executive producer/writer Josh Reims (“Brothers and Sisters”).  “Undercovers” is a sexy, fun, action-packed spy drama that proves once and for all that marriage is still the world’s most dangerous partnership.  Outwardly, Steven Bloom (Boris Kodjoe, “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion,” “Soul Food,” “Resident Evil: Afterlife”) and his wife, Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Doctor Who,” “Bonekickers”), are a typical married couple who own a small catering company in Los Angeles and are helped by Samantha’s easily frazzled younger sister, Lizzy (Jessica Parker Kennedy, “Smallville”).  Secretly, the duo were two of the CIA’s best spies until they fell in love on the job five years ago and retired.  When fellow spy and friend Nash (Carter MacIntyre, “American Heiress”) goes missing while on the trail of a Russian arms dealer, the Blooms are reinstated by boss Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney, “Deadwood”) to locate and rescue Nash.  The pair is thrust back into the world of espionage as they follow leads that span the globe — and Steven and Samantha realize that this supercharged, undercover lifestyle provides the excitement and romance that their marriage has been missing.  Also starring is Ben Schwartz (NBC’s “Parks and Recreation”). 

‘THE CAPE’ — “The Cape” is a one-hour drama series starring David Lyons (“ER”) as Vince Faraday, an honest cop on a corrupt police force, who finds himself framed for a series of murders and presumed dead. He is forced into hiding, leaving behind his wife, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin, “Life on Mars”) and son, Trip (Ryan Wynott, “Flash Forward”). Fueled by a desire to reunite with his family and to battle the criminal forces that have overtaken Palm City, Faraday becomes “The Cape” his son’s favorite comic book superhero — and takes the law into his own hands.  Rounding out the cast are James Frain (“The Tudors”) as billionaire Peter Fleming — The Cape’s nemesis — who moonlights as the twisted killer: Chess; Keith David (“Death at a Funeral”) as Max Malini, the ringleader of a circus gang of bank robbers who mentors Vince Faraday and trains him to be The Cape, Summer Glau (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) as Orwell, an investigative blogger who wages war on crime and corruption in Palm City; and Dorian Missick (“Six Degrees”) as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend to Faraday.

‘CHASE’ – “Chase” is a fast-paced drama from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer (“CSI” franchise, “The Amazing Race,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” films) and executive producer Jennifer Johnson (“Cold Case”) that drops viewers smack into the middle of a game of cat-and-mouse as a team of U.S. marshals hunts down America’s most dangerous fugitives.  Kelli Giddish (“Past Life”) stars as U.S. Marshal Annie Frost, a cowboy boot-wearing deputy whose sharp mind and unique Texas upbringing help her track down the violent criminals on the run.  Cole Hauser (“K-Ville”), Amaury Nolasco (“Prison Break”), Rose Rollins (“The L Word”) and Jesse Metcalfe (“Desperate Housewives”) also star as members of Frost’s elite team. 

‘OUTLAW’ – Starring Emmy Award winner Jimmy Smits (“NYPD Blue,” “The West Wing”), “Outlaw” is a new drama from executive producer John Eisendrath (“Alias,” “Felicity,” “Playmakers”).  Cyrus Garza (Smits) is a U.S. Supreme Court justice who abruptly quits the high-level position.  A playboy and a gambler, Garza had always adhered to a strict interpretation of the law until he realized the system he believed in was flawed.  Now that he’s quit the bench and returned to private practice, he’s determined to represent “the little guy” and use his inside knowledge of the justice system to take on today’s biggest legal cases — and he’s making plenty of powerful people unhappy along the way.  Jesse Bradford (“The West Wing”), Carly Pope (“24″), Ellen Woglom (“Californication”) and David Ramsey (“Dexter”) also star.

‘HARRY’S LAW’ — Emmy Award-winning creator David E. Kelley (“The Practice,” “Boston Legal”) brings his unique storytelling to “Harry’s Law,” a series about fate and the people it brings together, starring Academy Award winner Kathy Bates (“Misery,” “About Schmidt”).  Harriet (Bates), Matthew (Ben Chaplin, “Me and Orson Wells”) and Malcolm (Aml Ameen, “Kidulthood”) couldn’t be any more different.  Harriet is a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer who, having just been fired from her cushy job, is completely disillusioned with her success and looking for a fresh start.  Her world unexpectedly collides with Malcolm’s — a young man trying to figure out life. When he finds out Harriet is a lawyer, he begs her to represent him in an upcoming criminal case.  Matthew, a dreamer at heart and also recently fired from his job as a high school teacher, is introduced to Harriet through Malcolm, a previous student of his. When these three cross paths, they realize they’re all looking for a fresh start.  Now, the most unlikely of people are starting a law practice in the most unlikely of places–a rundown shoe store.  “Harry’s Law” also stars Brittany Snow (“Hairspray”) as Harriet’s assistant, Jenna Backstrom and Beatrice Rosen (“Dark Knight”) as Eve, a high school French teacher.

‘LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES’ – The new “Law & Order: Los Angeles” is a procedural crime drama that will follow the theme and storylines similar to the “Law & Order”-brand series on the streets of Los Angeles.

New Comedy Series

‘PERFECT COUPLES’ — “Perfect Couples” depicts the misadventures of three engaging couples as they struggle to find out what makes the ideal relationship — and how to maintain it through humorous trial-and-error.  The series explores their heroic journey in search of the perfect relationship without destroying each other in the process.  Dave (Kyle Howard, “My Boys”) and Julia (Christine Woods, “Flash Forward”) are the relatable, normal couple, but Julia’s hope of remaining the cool, low-maintenance chick is tested by Dave’s attempts to keep both his wife and his needy best friend Vance (David Walton, “Heist”) equally happy.  Vance, along with the neurotic Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), are the high-passion, high-drama couple who bring out the best and worst in each other.  The third duo features Rex (Hayes MacArthur, “She’s Out of My League”), a reformed party guy, and, and his wife, Leigh (Olivia Munn, “Attack of the Show”), who considers herself as the group’s mother hen.  Believing that they are relationship experts, Rex and Leigh have attended every class and seminar on relationships — and regard themselves as the “perfect couple.” 

‘OUTSOURCED’ — “Outsourced” is a comedy where the Midwest meets the exotic East in a hilarious culture clash. The series centers on the all-American company Mid America Novelties that sells whoopee cushions, foam fingers and wallets made of bacon — and whose call center has suddenly been outsourced to India. Todd Dempsy (Ben Rappaport, off-Broadway’s “The Gingerbread House”) is the new company’s manager who learns that he’s being transferred to India to run the operation.  Overwhelmed, Todd discovers that his new staff needs a crash course in all things American if they are to understand the U.S. product line and ramp up sales from halfway around the world. But as strange as America seems to his eclectic sales team, Todd soon realizes that figuring out India will be more than a full-time job. Rizwan Manji (“Privileged”), Sacha Dhawan (BBC’s “Five Days II”), Rebecca Hazlewood (BBC’s “Doctors”), Parvesh Cheena (“Help Me Help You”), and Anisha Nagarajan (Broadway’s “Bombay Dreams”) also star as members of Dempsy’s off-shore team; Diedrich Bader (“The Drew Carey Show”) and Jessica Gower (Network Ten’s “The Secret Life of Us”) additionally star.

‘THE PAUL REISER SHOW’ — “The Paul Reiser Show” is a new single camera comedy from Emmy and Golden Globe nominated comedian-author-producer-actor Paul Reiser (“Mad About You”) and writer-producer Jonathan Shapiro (“Life”).  The show stars Paul Reiser as…Paul Reiser.  It’s been a few years since Paul’s hit TV series went off the air. Since then, he’s been enjoying the quiet life at home with his lovely wife and kids and generally minding his own business.  Lately, however, Paul has been thinking that it’s time he did something new, something meaningful.  As to what that next thing might be, he has no idea.  In his quest to figure it out, Paul is helped and hindered by his new “friends.”  Like most men his age, Paul didn’t choose these friends.  They’re the husbands of his wife’s friends, the dads of kids that his boys go to school with. Thrown together by circumstance, Paul and his friends form an unlikely comradeship — and a horrible basketball team.  In addition to Reiser, Ben Shenkman (“Angels in America”) stars as Jonathan, Omid Djalili (“The Infidel”) as Habib, Duane Martin (“All of Us”) as Fernando, Andrew Daly (“MADtv”) as Brad, Amy Landecker (“A Serious Man”) as Claire, Brock Waidmann as Zeke and Koby Rouviere (“Greenberg”) as Gabe.

‘FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS’ — From Oscar and Emmy winner Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Arrested Development”), “Friends With Benefits” is a half-hour comedy revolving around a group of twenty-something singles as they navigate the difficult, and often confusing, world of dating.  Ben Weymouth (Ryan Hansen, “Party Down”) is on the hunt for the perfect woman who meets his unique set of standards, while his best friend, Sara Maxwell (Danneel Harris, “One Tree Hill”), is just looking for a man to settle down with and raise a family.  Ben and Sara have fallen into the habit of turning to each other for moral and physical support as they wait for Mr. and Ms. Right to arrive.  Their friend Aaron (Fran Kranz, “Dollhouse”), a romantic at heart, doesn’t approve of Ben and Sara’s complicated friendship, but he, along with womanizer Hoon (Ian Reed Kesler) and straight shooter Riley (Jessica Lucas, “Cloverfield”), are all distracted with their own dating trials and tribulations. 

New One-Hour Comedy Series

‘LOVE BITES’ – From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Cindy Chupack (“Sex and the City”), “Love Bites” is an hour-long romantic comedy anthology series featuring three loosely connected, modern stories of love, sex, marriage and dating. Each episode contains multiple vignettes, all illuminating the theme of love with an edgy, irreverent spin.  Becki Newton (“Ugly Betty”) stars as Annie and Jordana Spiro (“My Boys”) stars as Frannie, the last two single girls standing after all of their friends get married. Annie is an infectiously bubbly optimist and Frannie is an always-a-bridesmaid realist. Their story will anchor the series, while other romantically-challenged characters will come and go each week.  The pilot’s guest cast includes Jennifer Love Hewitt (“Ghost Whisperer”), Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”), Craig Robinson (“The Office”), Jason Lewis (“Sex and the City”), Lindsay Price (“Lipstick Jungle”), Larry Wilmore (“The Daily Show”), Charlyne Yi (“Knocked Up”), Pamela Adlon (“Californication”), Stacy Galina (“Hidden Hills”), Brian Hallisay (“Privileged”), Kyle Howard (“My Boys”) and Steve Howey (“Bride Wars”). 
New Alternative Series

‘SCHOOL PRIDE’ – From executive producers Cheryl Hines (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and Denise Cramsey (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and “True Beauty”), “School Pride” is a proactive, alternative series that tells the stories of communities coming together to renovate their aging and broken public schools.  While transforming the school, the community also restores its sense of value and school pride.  The cameras follow students, teachers and parents as they roll up their sleeves and rebuild their own schools, concluding with the unveiling of a brand new, completely transformed school.  They are motivated by a quartet of community organizers and personalities — SWAT Commander Tom Stroup, interior designer Susie Castillo (“House of Payne”), comedian and former substitute teacher Kym Whitley (“Til Death”) and political correspondent Jacob Soboroff (“AMC News”).  Together, the team of experts will lead the community through the makeover process.  Months later, cameras will revisit the school to discover the lasting effects of the transformation — a renewed sense of school pride and an increase in student achievement scores.  “School Pride” is produced by Horizon Alternative Television.

"The Beautiful Life" joins The CW's fall schedule.

Pop quiz — what’s the difference between the old WB and the new CW?

From the looks of this fall’s lineup, one letter.

The littlest network that keeps on keeping on announced its 2009-2010 schedule today, and it looks a heckuva lot more like The WB  (and vintage Fox) than dear old UPN. Gone are its African-American-skewing comedies and, as previously announced, any network presence on Sundays. Instead, this season is all about rich kids and models and vampires. (Oh, my.)

The much-talked about “Melrose Place” update includes original stars Laura Leighton and Thomas Calabro, and has been paired with the second season of “90210″ on Tuesdays.  Just like in the old days.

New drama “The Beautiful Life,” starring Mischa Barton and Elle Macpherson, with Ashton Kutcher producing, has “America’s Next Top Model” as its lead-in on Wednesdays.

The cast of "The Vampire Diaries": "Lost's" Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, and Paul Wesley

Vampire slayers are so last century;  today’s teenage girls prefer to have crushes on them rather than, well, crushing them.  As such, “The Vampire Diaries,” based on a series of books by L.J. Smith (think of it as “Twilight”-lite) leads in to  “Supernatural” on Thursdays. “Smallville” moves to Fridays this season.

The CW also announced it has picked up one drama for midseason, “Parental Discretion Advised.”

That means “Privileged,” “Reaper,” “Everybody Hates Chris” and “The Game” are out.  The announcement also puts to rest any “will-they-or-won’t they” speculation about the ’80s “Gossip Girl” spinoff.  From what we can tell, it’s not happening.

Keep reading after the jump for the schedule as well as descriptions of the new shows.

THE CW’s 2009-2010 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              GOSSIP GIRL

9:00-10:00 PM            ONE TREE HILL

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              90210

9:00-10:00 PM            MELROSE PLACE (New Series)

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL

9:00-10:00 PM            THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE (New Series)

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (New Series)

9:00-10:00 PM            SUPERNATURAL

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              SMALLVILLE (New night)

9:00-10:00 PM            AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (Encore Presentation)

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 P.M. “GOSSIP GIRL”

Returning for its third season, GOSSIP GIRL is a one-hour drama based on an exclusive group of privileged teens on Manhattan’s Upper East Side whose lives revolve around the blog of the all-knowing albeit ultra-secretive Gossip Girl.  No one knows Gossip Girl’s identity, but everyone in this exclusive and complicated vicious circle relies on her website and text messages for the latest scoop.  The series stars Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen, Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf, Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey, Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald, Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey, Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass, Jessica Szohr as Vanessa Abrams, Kelly Rutherford as Lily van der Woodsen and Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey.  Filmed in New York and based on the popular series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, GOSSIP GIRL is from Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Josh Schwartz (“Chuck,” “The O.C.”), Stephanie Savage (“The O.C.”), Bob Levy (“Privileged”), Leslie Morgenstein (“Privileged”), John Stephens (“Gilmore Girls,” “The O.C.”), and co-executive producer Joshua Safran.

9:00-10:00 P.M. “ONE TREE HILL”

In season seven of ONE TREE HILL our beloved characters learn the struggle to live an exceptional life doesn’t end once you’ve achieved your dreams.  Whether they found true love, answered a call to greatness, or sought redemption for sins of the past, nothing that’s come before compares to the challenges our characters now face to keep their dreams alive, their friendships intact and their lives full in the place they call home.  ONE TREE HILL was created by Mark Schwahn and is executive produced by Schwahn, Joe Davola, Greg Prange, Mike Tollin and Brian Robbins.  ONE TREE HILL is a Mastermind Laboratories and Tollin/Robbins Production in association with Warner Bros. Television.

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 P.M. “90210″

The second season of “90210″ focuses on the West Beverly group as they begin their all-important Junior year.  They’ll go through all the ordinary teenage struggles and triumphs – crushes, sexual discovery, academic pressure, evolving friendships, shunning and isolation, love and relationships, family issues, SATs, STDs, a desire to fit in, a desire to stand out, fear and humiliation, joy and exultation – but they’ll do so in the extraordinary world of LA – a world of movie stars and overnight success, glamour and glitz, surfing and sunshine; a city where the American dream is writ large in the Hills and yet failure could come around any corner of the Boulevard of Broken Dreams.  We’ll follow Naomi, the well-meaning, but delightfully narcissistic rich girl with a heart of cubic zirconium; Adrianna, the gifted, artistic drama queen whose personal life is as dramatic as any role she could hope to play; Silver, the outspoken free spirit who marches to the beat of her own drum machine; Annie, the good girl from Kansas who has gotten a bit lost in the land of Oz; Dixon, her charming, good-natured brother who adapts easily to any challenging situation and yet is still struggling to find his own voice; Navid, whose geeky charm makes all the Blaze girls swoon; and Liam, the troubled New York transplant who abhors the decadent materialistic world of Beverly Hills.  These stories could only happen in LA…and only on “90210.”   The series stars Rob Estes as Harry Wilson, Lori Loughlin as Debbie Wilson, Shenae Grimes as Annie Wilson, Tristan Wilds as Dixon Wilson, AnnaLynne McCord as Naomi Clark, Ryan Eggold as Ryan Matthews, Jessica Stroup as Silver, Michael Steger as Navid Shirazi, Jessica Lowndes as Adrianna Tate-Duncan and Matt Lanter as Liam Court.  90210 is produced by CBS Television Studios with executive producer Rebecca Sinclair.

9:00-10:00 P.M. “MELROSE PLACE” (New Series)

In an elegant Spanish-style apartment building in the trendy Melrose neighborhood of Los Angeles, a diverse group of 20-somethings have formed a close-knit surrogate family.  Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton, the original “Melrose Place”) is the landlady, still beautiful at 40, and a central figure in the lives of all her tenants, especially handsome and rebellious David Breck (Shaun Sipos, “Shark”).  Sydney started an affair with David despite her turbulent history with his estranged father, Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro, the original “Melrose Place”).  Both father and son learned through experience that Sydney was not above using blackmail to control people.  Another tenant, high-powered publicist Ella Simms (Katie Cassidy, “Supernatural”), once considered Sydney her mentor, but their friendship was destroyed by betrayal, and Sydney threatened to evict Ella and ruin her career.  Sydney also played a pivotal role in the career of Auggie Kirkpatrick (Colin Egglesfield, “All My Children”).  After they met at an AA meeting, she became Auggie’s sponsor and encouraged his dream to become a chef.  Now a successful sous chef at the trendy restaurant Coal, Auggie has been avoiding Sydney since she began drinking again.  The other tenants include Lauren Yung (Stephanie Jacobsen, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”), a medical student in desperate need of money to pay her student loans, and Jonah Miller (Michael Rady, “Swingtown”), an aspiring filmmaker who has just proposed to his live-in girlfriend Riley Richmond (Jessica Lucas, “Cloverfield”), a first-grade teacher.  The newest tenant, 18-year-old Violet Foster (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, “7^th Heaven”), has just arrived in LA with her own secret connection to Sydney.  When a bloody body is found floating in the courtyard pool, David is the leading suspect.  However, as the police are soon to discover, almost everyone living at Melrose Place had a reason to want the deceased out of the way.  An updated version of the popular 1990s series, MELROSE PLACE is from CBS Television Studios with executive producers Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer (“Smallville”).  Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) is the director and executive producer of the pilot.

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 P.M. “AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL”

Returning with its thirteenth and fourteenth cycles, the runaway runway hit series stars Tyra Banks.  The show gives real people an opportunity to prove that they can make it in the high-stress, high-stakes world of supermodeling.  With mentoring by Tyra Banks and exposure to high-profile fashion-industry gurus, young women of various backgrounds, shapes and sizes must endure a highly accelerated modeling boot camp and face weekly tests to determine who will make the cut as they vie for a professional modeling contract.  The executive producers are Ken Mok (“Making the Band”), Tyra Banks and Daniel Soiseth (“Hell’s Kitchen”). The reality series was created by Tyra Banks and developed by Mok and Kenya Barris.  AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL is produced by 10 by 10 Entertainment in association with Bankable Productions.

9:00-10:00 P.M. “THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE” (New Series)

The life of a high-fashion model appears glamorous and sexy, but as every new model quickly learns, behind the beautiful façade is a world of insecurity and cutthroat competition.  Two teenage models who are about to discover this world for themselves are Raina Collins (Sara Paxton, “Last House on the Left”), a stunning beauty with a secret past, and Chris Andrews (Benjamin Hollingsworth, “The Line”), a strikingly handsome Iowa farm boy.  When Raina makes an unforgettable impression at a show introducing the new line from designer Zac Posen (appearing in a cameo role), she steals the spotlight from her friend Sonja (Mischa Barton, “The O.C.”).  Sonja has been out of the country for mysterious reasons and is now desperate to reclaim her standing as the reigning supermodel.  While Raina and Sonja live at the top of the fashion food chain, Chris is starting at the bottom, having just been discovered by agent Simon Lockridge (newcomer Dusan Dukic) of the Covet Modeling Agency, which is owned by former supermodel Claudia Foster (Elle Macpherson, “Friends”).  At his first photo shoot, Chris’ inexperience almost derails his career until Raina comes to his rescue, showing him how to relax and work the camera.  That afternoon, Raina brings Chris to the “models’ residence” where she lives along with other young hopefuls, including Marissa Delfina (Ashley Madekwe, “Secret Diary of a Call Girl”), Egan (Jordan Woolley, “As The World Turns”), Issac (Corbin Bleu, “High School Musical 2″) and the current alpha-male-model known as Kai (Nico Tortorella, “Twelve”).  At an exclusive industry party that night, Chris is again impressed by Raina’s generosity when she steps aside to make sure Sonja lands a job that will resurrect her career.  However, after an ugly scene with Simon, Chris is left to question whether he can survive in this world of dangerous excess and fleeting fame.  THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE is from Katalyst Films in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg (“True Beauty,” “Punk’d”), Karey Burke (“True Beauty”), Mike Kelley (“Swingtown,” “Jericho”) and Carol Barbee (“Swingtown,” “Jericho”).  Christian Duguay (“Coco Chanel”) directed the pilot.

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 P.M. “THE VAMPIRE DIARIES” (New Series)

Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents, 17-year-old Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev, “DeGrassi: The Next Generation”) and her 15-year-old brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen, “Everwood”) are still trying to cope with their grief and move on with their lives.  Elena has always been the star student; beautiful, popular and involved with school and friends, but now she finds herself struggling to hide her sadness from the world.  As the school year begins, Elena and her friends are fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley, “Army Wives”).  Stefan and Elena are immediately drawn to one another, and Elena has no way of knowing that Stefan is a centuries-old vampire, struggling to live peacefully among humans, while his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder, “Lost”) is the embodiment of vampire violence and brutality.  Now these two vampire brothers ─ one good, one evil ─ are at war for Elena’s soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia.  Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is from Alloy Entertainment and Bonanza Productions Inc in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Williamson (“Dawson’s Creek,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer”), Julie Plec (“Kyle XY,” “Wasteland”), Leslie Morgenstein (“Gossip Girl,” “Privileged”) and Bob Levy (“Gossip Girl,” “Privileged”).  Marcos Siega (“Dexter”) directed the pilot.

9:00-10:00 P.M “SUPERNATURAL”

Returning for its fifth season, this haunting series follows Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers bound by tragedy and blood to their dangerous, other-worldly mission.  This past season, Dean was rescued from Hell by the angel Castiel, who told Dean he was meant to avert the impending Apocalypse, as well as Lucifer rising from Hell.  As the brothers were caught up in the epic battle between angels and demons, Sam and Dean found their relationship was strained almost to the breaking point until ultimately, both brothers were betrayed.  Now, in season five, they must battle the Devil himself.  The series stars Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester, Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester and Misha Collins as Castiel).  SUPERNATURAL is from Warner Bros. Television in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, with executive producers McG (“Charlie’s Angels,” “The O.C.”), Eric Kripke (“Boogeyman”) and Robert Singer (“Midnight Caller”).

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 P.M. “SMALLVILLE”

Returning for its ninth season, last season SMALLVILLE was filled with twists and surprises, starting with the disappearance of Lex Luthor.  However, someone quickly arrived to take his place – the enticing Tess Mercer.  As Tess maneuvered her way through town, she flirted with her old flame Oliver Queen, discovered Clark’s true identity and unleashed a new world of danger.  As if that hurdle wasn’t enough for Clark, he also met his greatest match – Doomsday.  SMALLVILLE explored the origins of Doomsday, revealing a sympathetic guy named Davis Bloome, who battled an inner demon – the Doomsday character fans have loved to hate for years.  When Clark wasn’t busy battling the beast, he was knee-deep in work at the Daily Planet.  Last season threw Clark and Lois Lane together – literally across the desk from each other.  As Clark’s persona as the cub Planet reporter emerged, so did his feelings for Lois, the fated love of his life.  The series stars Tom Welling as Clark Kent, Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan, Erica Durance as Lois Lane, Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen and Cassidy Freeman as Tess Mercer.  Reinterpreting the Superman mythology from its roots, SMALLVILLE was developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (“Shanghai Noon,” “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”), based on the DC Comics characters.  Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson serve as executive producers, along with James Marshall, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola.  The series is produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television.  SUPERMAN was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

9:00-10:00 P.M. “AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL” (Encore Presentation).

MIDSEASON

“PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED” (New Series)

After spending all of her 15 years bouncing from one foster family to another in Portland, Oregon, Lux (Britt Robertson, “Swingtown”) has decided it’s time to take control of her life and become an emancipated minor.  Her journey through the legal maze leads Lux to her biological father, 30-something Nate “Baze” Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha, “Mad Men”), who owns a bar, lives like an aging frat-boy with two slacker roommates, and is astonished to learn that he has a teenage daughter.  Lux is equally astonished when Baze reveals that her mother is Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby, “E.R.”), a star on the local “Morning Madness” radio show, along with her on-air partner and real-life boyfriend, Ryan Thomas (Kerr Smith, “Eli Stone”).  Lux has been listening to Cate’s voice on the radio as long as she can remember, so she feels an instant connection with the mom she’s never met.  Baze takes Lux to meet Cate, who is shocked and saddened to learn that Lux has grown up in foster care, but thrilled to finally meet her beautiful daughter. When a judge decides that Lux isn’t ready for emancipation and unexpectedly grants temporary joint custody to Baze and Cate, they agree to try to get past the awkwardness and make a belated attempt to give Lux the family she deserves.  PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED is produced by Mojo Films in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Liz Tigelaar (“Brothers and Sisters,” “What About Brian”) and Gary Fleder (“October Road”).  Gary Fleder directed the pilot.