ABC adds ‘Cavemen’ to its fall lineup

NEW YORK – ABC scheduled its “Grey’s Anatomy” spinoff for Wednesdays and committed to a comedy derived from the Geico “Cavemen” commercials as part of an ambitious schedule with eight new series for the fall and 11 overall.

The third-place network lost an average of a million viewers in prime-time from last season, many attributable to the end of “Monday Night Football.” With bankable hits “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Dancing With the Stars” returning, ABC is giving viewers plenty of new choices in the fall.

That approach contrasts with fourth-place NBC, which is introducing half as many new series under the theory that it’s tough to market so many new shows.

The most anticipated new ABC series is “Private Practice,” which takes Dr. Addison Shepard (Kate Walsh) from Seattle and moves her to Los Angeles. A special “Grey’s Anatomy” that served as the show’s pilot was seen by 21 million people earlier this month. The new series will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m., part of a night with all-new programming.

Despite the high hopes, ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson indicated Tuesday that creator Shonda Rhimes has work ahead of her.

In the pilot, he said, “we spent a lot of time introducing the characters and not enough time introducing the stories.”

“Cavemen” takes the commercial characters and sets them up in Atlanta, trying to live like normal guys in their 30s. The series pokes fun at the normally serious topic of racial attitudes, but since they’re cavemen “it gives you kind of the ability to offend everybody but offend no one,” McPherson said.

The pilot has already gotten some poor word-of-mouth, but McPherson urged caution. Out of 17 drama pilots ABC tested before audiences last season, eventual hit “Ugly Betty” did worse than all but one, he said.

After serial dramas on dark topics failed last season, ABC leaned more toward series that don’t need an intense commitment to follow. Lighter, fantasy-oriented topics are also evident, with series on a lawyer with visions, a man who can bring dead people to life and ambitious executives.

“People didn’t show up for these shows (last year),” McPherson said. “It wasn’t a matter of seeing a show and rejecting it. People didn’t show up. So we listened to that.”

The network canceled the comedies “George Lopez,” “Help Me Help You” and “Knights of Prosperity.” “What About Brian” did not make the cut, and ABC is still debating the future of “According to Jim,” while leaving it off the fall schedule.

The cancellation angered Lopez, who complained in the Los Angeles Times that his comedy about a Latino family is being dumped in favor of cavemen.

“TV just became really, really white again,” Lopez said.

The first prime-time series from Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions, “Oprah’s Big Give,” will debut in midseason. It’s a reality series where contestants compete in philanthropy.

In contrast to last year, when “Grey’s Anatomy” made its successful switch to Thursday nights, ABC plans no major shifts of its existing series. “Men in Trees” moves to an earlier time slot on Friday nights.

“Lost” will return in midseason, but ABC made no time slot commitment.