ABC Announces Its Fall Schedule

Scheduled to debut next season are four new comedy entries - Carpoolers, Cavemen, Miss/Guided and Sam I Am; along with seven new drama series - Big Shots, Cashmere Mafia, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies and Women's Murder Club. Oprah's Big Give is also slated to debut.
In addition to the new series, ABC previously announced season renewals for Brothers & Sisters, Men in Trees, Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Dancing with the Stars, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Bachelor, Supernanny, America's Funniest Home Videos and Wife Swap.
October Road and Notes from the Underbelly will also return for second seasons.
As previously announced, Saturday Night College Football will return for a second season on Saturday, September 1 (8:00 pm, ET).
ABC's fall prime-time schedule is as follows (all times listed are Eastern, with new shows in bold):
MONDAY:
8 pm Dancing with the Stars
9:30 pm Sam I Am
10 pm The Bachelor
TUESDAY:
8 pm Cavemen
8:30 pm Carpoolers
9 pm Dancing with the Stars the Results Show
10 pm Boston Legal
WEDNESDAY:
8 pm Pushing Daisies
9 pm Private Practice
10 pm Dirty Sexy Money
THURSDAY:
8 pm Ugly Betty
9 pm Grey's Anatomy
10 pm Big Shots
FRIDAY:
8 pm Men in Trees
9 pm Women's Murder Club
10 pm 20/20
SATURDAY:
8 pm Saturday Night College Football
SUNDAY:
7 pm America's Funniest Home Videos
8 pm Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9 pm Desperate Housewives
10 pm Brothers & Sisters
Cashmere Mafia, Notes from the Underbelly and October Road will premiere after Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor conclude their fall seasons.
Following, in alphabetical order, are descriptions of the new series joining ABC's prime-time schedule next season:
Dramas
Big Shots: This is the story of four friends at the top of their game... until the women in their lives enter the room. Lines between boardroom and bedroom blur when these competitive but dysfunctional CEOs take refuge in their friendship, discussing business, confiding secrets, seeking advice and supporting each other through life's surprising twists and turns. Starring: Michael Vartan ( Alias), Dylan McDermott ( The Practice), Christopher Titus ( Titus), Joshua Malina ( The West Wing), Nia Long ( Premonition), Paige Turco ( Party of Five), Peyton List ( Day Break), Wendy Moniz ( Nash Bridges), Jessica Collins ( The Nine), Amy Sloan (the upcoming The Heartbreak Kid).
Cashmere Mafia: Four ambitious and sexy women, who've been best friends since business school, try to balance their glamorous and demanding careers with their complex personal lives in the city that never sleeps. They've created their own boys club to protect each other and discuss their ups and downs as they try to have it all. What good is it to break the glass ceiling without girlfriends to share in your success? Starring: Lucy Liu ( Ally McBeal), Frances O'Connor ( Windtalkers), Miranda Otto ( War of the Worlds), Bonnie Somerville ( NYPD Blue), Peter Hermann ( Law & Order: SVU), Julian Ovenden ( Related).
Dirty Sexy Money: Some people say money is the root of all evil. They may be right. Although Nick George has always lived in the shadow of the Darling family, as an adult he's leading the perfect life as an idealistic lawyer - until his father's suspicious death. The absurdly wealthy Darlings of New York have asked him to take over his father's job as their personal lawyer, but the money that will allow him the freedom to be an altruistic do-gooder is only part of the deal. That same money pulls him into the dubious doings of the Darling clan. Power, privilege and family money are a volatile cocktail. Starring: Peter Krause ( Six Feet Under),
Donald Sutherland ( Commander in Chief), William Baldwin ( The Squid and the Whale), Natalie Zea ( Eyes), Glenn Fitzgerald ( Six Feet Under),
Samaire Armstrong ( The O.C.), Seth Gabel ( The Da Vinci Code), Zoe McLellan ( JAG), Laz Alonso ( Stomp the Yard), Jill Clayburgh ( Running with Scissors).
Eli Stone: Many lawyers consider themselves prophets, but Eli Stone may be the real deal. Eli has built a successful career at a top law firm in San Francisco representing the biggest and richest corporations that make a habit of screwing over the little guy. But after experiencing a series of odd hallucinations, Eli wants to find a deeper meaning to life while trying not to lose his job and destroy his relationship with the boss' daughter. When Eli discovers an aneurysm in his brain, he wonders if his condition is health-related or if perhaps he now has a higher calling. Starring: Jonny Lee Miller ( Melinda and Melinda), Victor Garber ( Alias), Natasha Henstridge ( Commander in Chief), Loretta Devine ( Crash), Sam Jaeger ( Catch and Release), Laura Benanti ( Take the Lead), James Saito ( I Think I Love My Wife).
Private Practice: From Shonda Rhimes, the Golden Globe-winning creator of Grey's Anatomy, comes a story about new beginnings and old friends. Addison Forbes Montgomery is a renowned neonatal surgeon, respected by her friends and colleagues at Seattle Grace Hospital. Deciding she can no longer healthily co-exist with her ex-husband, McDreamy and her ex-lover, McSteamy, Addison heads to Los Angeles for sunnier weather and happier possibilities. Reunited with her once-married, newly divorced medical school friends, Naomi and Sam, Addison joins their chic private practice. Starring: Kate Walsh ( Grey's Anatomy), Tim Daly ( The Nine), Taye Diggs ( Day Break), Paul Adelstein ( Prison Break), Merrin Dungey ( The King of Queens), Chris Lowell ( Veronica Mars), Amy Brenneman ( Judging Amy).
Pushing Daisies: From Bryan Fuller ( Heroes) and Barry Sonnenfeld ( Men in Black) comes an unprecedented blend of romance, crime procedural and high-concept fantasy in a forensic fairytale about a young man with a very special gift. Once upon a time, a mild-mannered boy named Ned realized he could touch dead things and bring them back to life. Grown-up Ned puts his ability to good use, not only touching dead fruit and making it ripe with everlasting flavor, but working with an investigator to crack murder cases by asking the deceased to name their killers. But the tale gets complicated, as all tales do, when Ned brings his childhood sweetheart, Chuck, back from the dead and keeps her alive. Chuck encourages him to use his power to help others, instead of merely solving mysteries and collecting the rewards. Life would be perfect for Ned and Chuck, except for one cruel twist: If he ever touches her again, she'll go back to being dead, this time for good. Starring: Lee Pace ( The Good Shepherd), Anna Friel ( Rogue Trader), Chi McBride ( Boston Public), Swoosie Kurtz ( Sisters), Kristin Chenoweth ( The West Wing), Jim Dale ( reader of the Harry Potter series of audio books).
Women's Murder Club: Based on James Patterson's best-selling novels, The Women's Murder Club, four working women in San Francisco - a detective, a district attorney, a medical examiner and a reporter - use their expertise and unique talents to solve murder cases. Each woman is successful in her own field, but because of their unique friendship, they realize that pooling their resources during investigations leads to undiscovered clues and answers in their work and their personal lives. Starring: Paula Newsome ( Little Miss Sunshine), Aubrey Dollar ( Point Pleasant), Tyrees Allen ( Alias), Angie Harmon ( Law & Order), Laura Harris ( 24), Elizabeth L. Ho, Rob Benedict ( Threshold).
Comedies
Carpoolers: Four guys from very different backgrounds relish their daily commute as they commiserate about their lives, jobs and families in the carpool lane. There's Laird, the recently divorced playboy; Aubrey, the timid homemaker and breadwinner; the conservative and traditional Gracen; and eager newlywed Dougie. Together, between the pressures of home and work, these men find time to be themselves while driving to and from the office. Starring: Fred Goss ( Sons & Daughters), Faith Ford (< i>Hope & Faith), Jerry O'Connell ( Crossing Jordan), Jerry Minor ( Arrested Development), Allison Munn ( That '70s Show), Tim Peper ( The Guiding Light), T.J. Miller.
Cavemen: A unique buddy comedy that offers a clever twist on stereotypes and turns race relations on their head, this sitcom was inspired by the popular Geico Insurance commercials. The series looks at life through the eyes of the ultimate outsiders - three modern cavemen - as they struggle to find their place in the world. Joel, his cynical best friend Nick, and easy-going little brother Jamie are contemporary cavemen who live in the suburban South and simply want to be treated like ordinary thirtysomething guys. Despite their attempts at assimilation, Nick doesn't believe mainstream society will ever completely accept them, Jamie seems to take it all in stride and Joel straddles the middle, torn between his friends, his more traditional values and his loving fiancée. Starring: Bill English ( The Pavement),
Nick Kroll ( Arranged), Dash Mihok ( Hollywoodland), Kaitlin Doubleday ( Catch Me If You Can), John Heard ( Prison Break), Stephanie Lemelin ( CSI: Crime Scene Investigation).
Miss/Guided: Having navigated the awkward and sometimes traumatic world of high school, Rebecca Freely returns to her alma mater as a guidance counselor, free of the insecurities and orthodontia of her school days. Amidst student behavioral problems and the persistent romantic advances of the male nurse Gary, Rebecca is certain of one thing - she is interested in the hot auto-shop-turned-Spanish-teacher Tim. However, much as in her high school days of unexpected teenage angst, Lisa, a former cheerleader and nemesis of Rebecca's, returns as the new English teacher determined to make our heroine relive her unpopular past, setting her sights on Tim as well. Starring: Judy Greer ( Two and a Half Men), Brooke Burns ( Pepper Dennis), Earl Billings (How I Met Your Mother), Kristoffer Polaha ( CSI: Miami), Jonathan Sadowski ( American Dreams).
Sam I Am: When a terrible accident leaves Samantha "Sam" Newly in a coma for eight days, she wakes up with no recollection of any past experiences, memories or events. Faced with amnesia, Sam must start over. To her dismay she discovers that she wasn't a particularly honest, good-hearted or loving person. In fact she was self-involved, narcissistic and devoid of real relationships - in short a bitch. Sam must now struggle with her desire to be good and her temptation to be... not so good. Finding the line between good and evil is never easy. Starring: Christina Applegate ( Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy), Jennifer Esposito ( Related), Kevin Dunn ( Prison Break), Melissa McCarthy ( Gilmore Girls), Tim Russ ( Without a Trace), Jean Smart ( 24).
Alternative Series
Oprah's Big Give: The first prime-time series from Harpo Productions centers on the competition, drama and emotion as millions of dollars are given away to make a difference in people's. Each week contestants will face a big twist that will test their nerve, drive, ingenuity and passion. Big-name stars will turn up throughout the series to join the Oprah's Big Give tour. During the eight episodes filmed in various U.S. cities, the field will be narrowed. The stakes will get higher and higher, with one person ultimately chosen as The Biggest Giver. Oprah's Big Give is created and produced by Harpo Productions in conjunction with Profiles Television Productions, LLC. Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Rakieten, Harriet Seitler, Jonathan Sinclair, Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri are executive producers.