ABC Unveils Fall Premiere Schedule

BURBANK, July 17: ABC has
announced the fall premiere dates for its 2008/09 season, including returning
favorites such as Dancing with the Stars alongside new series Opportunity Knocks and Life on Mars.

The fall season will kick
off with a special two-hour performance show of Dancing with the Stars on September 22 at 8 p.m., followed by Boston
Legal, which heads into its fourth season at 10 p.m. The
following night, Dancing with the Stars returns at 9 p.m. for a two-hour run, while Opportunity Knocks makes its series debut at 8 p.m.

A special results show for
Dancing with the Stars will air
on Wednesday, September 24, at 8 p.m., before the series’ results show settles
into its regular day and time on Tuesday, September 30, at 9 p.m. Another
special in place to launch ABC’s new season will air on September 24 at 9 p.m.,
featuring master illusionist David Blaine.

Returning hits Ugly
Betty and Grey’s Anatomy will head into new seasons on September 25 at 8 and
9 p.m., respectively, while ABC’s Sunday night lineup of Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition, Desperate
Housewives and Brothers &
Sisters all reprise their
respective time slots on September 28.

October 1 marks the return
of Pushing Daisies at 8 p.m., Private
Practice at 9 p.m. and Dirty
Sexy Money at 10 p.m. Also back
for another season is Wife Swap,
which leads in Supernanny on
October 3.

Heading into their second
season are Samantha Who?,
returning at 9:30 p.m. on October 6, and Eli Stone, launching at 10 p.m. on October 14. New to the
network is Life on Mars, based
on the hit BBC series of the same name, which will premiere on October 9 at 10
p.m.

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski