notes from the underbelly

Barry Sonnenfeld (Addams Family, Men in Black) is executive producing the new ABC comedy Notes from the Underbelly, about a couple, Andrew and Lauren (Peter Cambor and Jennifer Westfeldt) who become pregnant and must deal with advice from their friends and family while also dealing with the pressures of giving up their once carefree lifestyle for a more mature one. See Joel's take on the series here (he didn't like it much).

The couple's friends include overzealous parents Julie (Melanie Paxson) and Eric (Sunkrish Bala); Cooper (Rachael Harris), an attorney who values her work over the idea of raising a family; and Danny (Michael Weaver), a womanizer.

It appears that all the stereotypes needed for a basic sitcom are in place, now it's just a matter of seeing if everything can come together to create something that's worth watching. I must say, though, that the premise alone doesn't sound all that exciting.

Remember way back in August, when Ugly Betty was moved from Fridays to Thursdays? Even though it was only two months ago, people have already forgotten the names of the two new shows that were displaced by the move. Well, here's a refresher: one of the shows was called Big Day, a serialized comedy that takes an entire season to explore the ins and outs of a young couple's wedding day. According to this press release, the show will finally debut on Tuesday, November 28 at 9. That was the time slot that was reserved for The Knights of Prosperity before ABC decided to delay its premiere until midseason. Considering how little-regarded Big Day show was when ABC sent the pilots out over the summer (Anna said in her preview, "I don't think I laughed at all."), it seems like Knights might end up back in that timeslot sometime around Christmas.

Oh, the other displaced show, Notes from the Underbelly, has yet to be rescheduled. Don't rush with that one either, ABC.

[via The Futon Critic]

Yesterday, when I reported that ABC moved Ugly Betty from Fridays to Thursdays, I wasn't sure of the fate of the two shows it was replacing, Big Day and Notes from the Underbelly (right). According to Richard Huff of the New York Daily News, the two serialized comedies will find a home on the schedule on either Tuesday or Wednesday, after Dancing with the Stars and its results show are done. It's just as well; Underbelly doesn't seem like it has staying power, anyway, and from what I've heard, Big Day isn't that special, either. ABC made the right choice by putting a stronger show in the more high-profile timeslot.

So what's going to take Ugly Betty's vacated Friday spot? A second episode of America's Funniest Videos, that's what. So that means this fall we're going to be seeing Tom Bergeron four nights a week, since he hosts both AFV and Dancing. Who knew he'd become the network's next Regis Philbin?

Now that NBC and CBS have us all excited about its fall season, it's time to move along to the screener DVDs we've been receiving from ABC. While we're not allowed to technically "review" each new show, we can give you a short preview with our initial thoughts.

For ABC, we're covering: The Knights of Prosperity (formerly Let's Rob...), Help Me Help You, The Nine, Big Day, Notes from the Underbelly, Six Degrees, Ugly Betty, and Men in Trees. (We'll do a Part 2 of the ABC previews once we receive the remaining shows.)

Ahead of next week's Upfronts, where the networks lay out their fall schedules, ABC has announced it's picking up a handful of new dramas and sitcoms for next fall. Also, NBC is expected to pick up Tina Fey's new comedy and put it on Thursday nights. Oh, and NBC canceled Teachers. Shocker.

Details, details, details on ABC's pick-ups:

• The Nine, a drama following the aftermath of hostages in a bank robbery;
  
• Six Degrees, a drama about six strangers brought together by mysterious circumstances (Identity meets Lost?);
  
• Day Break, a drama starring Taye Diggs as a cop who tries to figure out who tried to kill him;
  
• In Case of Emergency, a comedy starring David Arquette, Greg Germann and Jonathan Silverman as a group of high school buddies who reunite when their lives intersect in some sort of comedic way;
  
• Help Me Help You, a comedy starring Ted Danson as a troubled celebrity shrink;
  
• Notes from the Underbelly, a comedy about how the life of a couple changes as they're expecting their first child.

There is a lot more speculation about the fall schedules for all the networks here in The Hollywood Reporter.