Lost Moves Up in ABC's World

For those of you who will be looking for Lost next year, you won't find it in the usual spot.
Staring down the dimly lit hatch of a spring with no new episodes of Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters or Desperate Housewives, ABC has opted to move the Emmy-winning Lost to Thursdays at 9 p.m., the time slot that in prestrike days would have played host to the weekly Grey's-CSI battle.


But the scribes are at a standstill, and it's Lost that will be getting the primo prime-time real estate as part of ABC's attempt to make its strike-impacted schedule look as attractive as possible in the absence of the rest of its scripted heavy hitters.


Not that Lost's reemergence won't bring along its own set of issues—the castaway drama is still one of myriad series that has only half of its preordered episodes in the can thanks to the writers' strike.


Fox, for instance, opted to postpone the seventh season of 24 indefinitely until it could air an uninterrupted "full day." But apparently ABC has figured that some Lost—eight consecutive new episodes instead of 16—is better than none at all, considering how none too pleased audiences were when the series' third season was interrupted by a three-month hiatus.


So, Lost's fourth season will premiere Jan. 31 at 9 p.m., where it will serve as lead-in to the new drama Eli Stone.


ABC will ring in the New Year Jan. 3 with the premiere of Darren Star's Cashmere Mafia, one of two competing Sex and the City-inspired femme-fests on tap for 2008 (so as not to be confused with Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle), which after its post-Grey's debut will set up shop in the corner office vacated by Lost, aka Wednesdays at 10 p.m.


Notably missing from ABC's early-'08 lineup are all its new hourlong series—minus the largely panned Big Shots, which will return Jan. 3 following Cashmere Mafia and then air in January on Thursdays at 10 p.m. before going on what could be a permanent break.


Otherwise, critical darling Pushing Daisies, Women's Murder Club, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money are going to take turns rotating during the 8-10 p.m. period on Fridays set aside for drama encores.


With not too much else going on in the hour-of-fiction department, that leaves plenty of space for the return of According to Jim and the continuation of Samantha Who?, Notes from the Underbelly and Carpoolers, the latter of which answers the prayers of those who saw the potential of the buddy sitcom but loathed the fact that it aired after Cavemen.


Following the lead of its fellow broadcasters, ABC has padded the rest of its schedule with plenty of tried-and-true reality shows and a few new offerings, including Oprah's Big Give, which will try to play off of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's family-friendly audience, and Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, which should tide Dancing with the Stars fans over until the juggernaut's return March 17.


Here's a look at ABC's midseason lineup, with new shows in bold:
MONDAY

January: Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, Notes from the Underbelly (9:30), October Road

February: Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann Results, Samantha Who?, Notes from the Underbelly, October RoadMarch: Dancing with the Stars, Samantha Who? (9:30), The Bachelor


TUESDAY
January: Just for Laughs (8-9 p.m.), According to Jim, Carpoolers, Boston LegalMarch: Just for Laughs (8-9 p.m.), Dancing with the Stars Results Show, Boston Legal


WEDNESDAY
January-March: Wife Swap, Supernanny, Cashmere Mafia


THURSDAY
January: Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Big ShotsFebruary: Ugly Betty, Lost, Eli Stone


FRIDAY
January-March: Drama encores (8-10 p.m.), 20/20


SUNDAY
March: America's Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Oprah's Big Give, Desperate Housewives