samantha who

ABC is saying goodbye to a whopping five series.

Absent from the network's fall schedule launch this morning (see the full schedule at Variety) were a number of freshman series, including 'Cupid,' 'In the Motherhood' and 'The Unusuals.'

'Motherhood' faced a number of hurdles early on, including poor ratings that subsequently caused the series' episode order to be sliced in half. ABC also tried numerous ways to promote 'The Unusuals' -- even airing it twice a week -- but the show never caught on.

Also getting the boot are 'According to Jim,' which finally ends its eight season run, and the previously announced 'Samantha Who?' 'Samantha' was reportedly cancelled when the show failed to come up with appropriate budget cuts.

Samantha Who?, the little ABC-sitcom-that-could may be looking at a production overhaul if the network decides to stick with it into a third season. The big change would be shifting from the single-camera format it currently uses to a much cheaper multi-camera format. How I Met Your Mother is an example of a show that uses the multi-camera format, albeit without a studio audience, to great creative effect, so Samantha should be able to keep a lot of its quirky charm.

Cost cutting is a huge part of the network's plans this season as they mull over continuing with existing series. If switching to multi-camera on Samantha Who? can save $500,000 per episode, it might be worth doing. Samantha is one of those rare comedies these days that just works. It's funny without being provocative or shocking in anything it does. One could almost argue, but not very convincingly, that it's even good wholesome family entertainment ... with sex and alcohol and stuff.

Ah, spring. It's the time of year for daffodils, chirping birds ... and cancelling shows.

TV Squad has a rundown of shows that will be renewed, cancelled or are on the bubble. The Hollywood Reporter also has a handy update, and we're sad to see some of our favorite shows are in jeopardy of going dark, including a personal fave, 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.' TV critic Alan Sepinwall also makes a good case to NBC for keeping the action-comedy 'Chuck.'

So, if you had the power to save a show on the bubble, which one would you choose?

10. Samantha Newly, Samantha Who? - Real Estate

9. Christine Campbell, The New Adventures of Old Christine - Gym Manager

8. Jim, The Office - Salesman

7. Betty Suarez, Ugly Betty - Editorial Assistant

6. Chuck Bartowski, Chuck - IT Guy

5. Kenneth Parnell, 30 Rock - Page

4. Gary Barnes, Gary Unmarried - House Painter

3. Susan Mayer, Desperate Housewives - Children's Book Author

2. Adrian Monk (Monk); Shawn Spencer (Psych); Patrick Jane (The Mentalist) - Police Consultants

1. Penny, Big Bang Theory - Cheesecake Factory waitress/aspiring actress

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If we all lived in the box -- you know, the TV box -- life would be a hell of a lot easier. Taxes would be paid with ease. Mortgages would be managed. And even the lowliest job would be more than enough to maintain a respectable lifestyle, one that looks quite comfortable in fact.

Despite the grim economic news we hear every day, the characters on television have been able to survive -- indeed, thrive -- in some of the crappiest jobs in the universe.

An editorial assistant at a fashion mag, like Ugly Betty, finds a way to keep a Manhattan studio apartment, and commute home to Papi in Queens. Running a gym is a breeze for Old Christine, because she doesn't really work. And even without an income, Samantha Who? is never without her Jimmy Choos.

• Sci-Fi has a Moonlight marathon all night.
• At 8, ABC has a new In The Motherhood, followed by a new Samantha Who?
• CBS has a new Survivor at 8, then a new CSI and the series premiere of Harper's Island.
• NBC has a new Office at 8, then the series premiere of Parks and Recreation, another new Office, a new 30 Rock, and then the series premiere of Southland.
• FOX has new episodes of Bones and Hell's Kitchen.
• At 9, TLC has a new American Chopper.
• Spike has TNA Wrestling at 9.
• At 10, A&E has a new episode of The Beast.
• Comedy Central has the series premiere of Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire at 10.
• At 12:15AM, Cartoon Network has a new Xavier: Renegade Angel.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

• At 8, NBC has an ER Retrospective, followed by the ER series finale.
• CBS has a new Survivor at 8, then new episodes of CSI and Eleventh Hour.
• ABC has a new In The Motherhood, followed by a new Samantha Who?
• FOX has new episodes of Bones and Hell's Kitchen.
• There's a new Smallville on The CW at 8, then a new Supernatural.
• AMC has It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World at 8.
• Discovery has two new episodes of Destroyed In Seconds at 8, then a new Treasure Quest.
• Also at 8: Nickelodeon has a new Penguins of Madagascar.
• At 9, Spike has a new TNA Wrestling.
• At 10, Food Network has a new Ace of Cakes.
• The Biography Channel has a new Chris Isaak Show at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

'In the Motherhood'
(8PM, ABC) series premiere
Fake pregnancies, 'mannies' and staycations ... all just part of a day in the life of 'In the Motherhood,' an adaptation of the Internet comedy about three friends with radically different styles of parenting.

Rosemary (Megan Mullally) is the most free-spirited of the bunch, which makes it all the more surprising that her teenage son Syd is a responsible kid.

Her newly-divorced pal Jane (Cheryl Hines) struggles with her caring, but quirky manny Horatio (Horatio Sanz), while Jane's uptight sis Emily is finding out that, despite all her efforts to build the perfect life with the perfect husband in the perfect home, her children are not at all perfect.

There's a reason why when you watch The Mentalist, there are always subtle close ups of Simon Baker's eyes or of his mouth when he's talking. The producers know he's hot and they know women are watching. Between him, the cast of Friday Night Lights, and a whole other list of DILF's, there's a lot of male eye-candy on TV right now. But what about the women? Of course television is filled with hot chicks, but who do other women like to watch?

There are certain female characters who, when you watch them, you just want to hang out with. Either you think she'd be a good friend, or exciting to have around, or maybe you just kind of want to be her. This, my friends, is a Girl Crush. Here is my list of Top Ten TV Girl Crushes.

I've been pretty hard on NBC of late, like calling for Jeff Zucker's head when NBC announced it will present Jay Leno every weeknight in prime time next fall, but I think I'm going to have to tip my cap to the network for how ER is coming to an end.

Not only have the producers lured George Clooney and Juliana Margulies back for a last go-round, they've also cast Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon for a guest turn. George, Julianna and Susan will all appear on ER on March 12.

I'm curious to see their appearances, but here's the casting that will have me definitely tuning in: Alexis Bledel is booked for ER two-hour finale on April 2.

Let's say you were trapped in an elevator with Samantha Who? star Christina Applegate. Just you and her, stuck between the 7th and 8th floors of a high-rise, waiting for someone to come and get the elevator moving again so you won't be late for your Pilates class. What question would you ask her?

Well, you have the chance to ask Applegate anything you want, and you don't even have to be trapped in a box. It's actually via Outside The Box, over at AOL Television. You can submit a question to either Applegate, Jean Smart, or Barry Watson. If your question is chosen they'll even use your name and where you're from. You can even leave your question in the comments section below.

I have no idea if you'd want to ask Applegate about Married...With Children or Smart about Designing Women or Watson about 7th Heaven. But if you do ask Watson something about that show, I'd like to know if Jessica Biel is still going out with Justin Timberlake or if she's available.

Fans of Samantha Who? have been wondering what would happen to their favorite amnesiac as ABC, who first said it would resume the show's second season in January, decided to shelve the series until it finds a slot for it. Well, the network has finally announced when SW? would return: Thursday, March 26 at 8 p.m. Yes, your eyes are not playing a trick on you: Ugly Betty will be shelved... for a few weeks. Oh and while they were at it, ABC's Power That Be decided that Scrubs would also move nights starting in March!

I like Samantha Who? I think it's a quirky and fun show with a pretty clever premise. What I don't get about it is Tim Russ' character. Don't get me wrong, I like Tim Russ. As a sci-fi geek, I think I'm pretty much required to. After all, Star Trek: Voyager came on while I was in college (I know, I'm aging myself here), and I'm glad to see him getting the work. I'm just not sure what the point of his role is.

As Frank, the doorman of the building Sam lives in, he has a working knowledge of what kind of a person she was pre-amnesia, but only Dena really didn't know "bad Sam." Samantha didn't seem to have any sort of special relationship with Frank then, and the writers haven't developed one now.

Did they just forget about him, or quickly realize they didn't know what to do with him? It's a weird thing on an otherwise solid show. Can you think of any other cases like that?

Guest stars can be good and guest stars can be not-so-good, but this one sounds like a winner to me. EW's Michael Ausiello has an exclusive report that Florence Henderson will be on Samantha Who?

And if you think Christina Applegate kind of looks like she could be related to Florence, you're not alone. The Brady Bunch veteran has been cast as Samantha Newly's grandmother, Jean Smart's mama. And if that's not blonde goodness and potential hilarity for you, TVGuide.com has another exclusive; Christine Ebersole will play Sammy's aunt. In the very same storyline!

This news has part of me saying "great, this should be fun!" and the other part of me saying, "oh God, please don't have Mr. Slate making a sex tape with Wilma."

Marco Pennette is writing a Broadway musical version of The Flintstones, and this version is supposed to involve modern-day topics such as marriage problems, adoption, and the environment. Now, this could be good, in a Brady Bunch Movie sort of way, if they really play it for laughs. It could be horrible if they don't.