ABC is risking much

You might think these would be great times at ABC. In the past couple of seasons, the network has risen from a dismal fourth-place in the ratings to second or third (depending on the measurement), and it has added three of the hottest, most talked-about shows on TV — "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy."

And yet ... if things are so great at the network, why did ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson make such massive changes?

When ABC unspools its new fall schedule in a couple of weeks, there will be seven new shows, which comprise 27 percent of its prime-time schedule. Three hours (14 percent) of returning programming have moved to new nights and/or times, and if you count shifting college football to prime-time on Saturdays (another 14 percent) and putting repeats of "Grey's Anatomy" in the 7 p.m. time slot on Fridays, 59 percent of ABC's schedule has changed from last year.

ABC actually announced nine new fall shows back in May, but decided to hold off on two of them ("Big Day" and "Notes from the Underbelly") until ... eventually.

And then there are the problems within the shows. "Brothers & Sisters" has already added and then deleted a show-running executive producer who came on (and then departed) after the original pilot — a pilot that was scrapped. Another new hourlong drama, "Six Degrees," hired a new show-runner just last week (it premieres Sept. 21) after his predecessor left.

That would be 9 percent of ABC's fall schedule that falls under the heading "troubled."

All this in addition to McPherson's bold scheduling of "Grey's Anatomy" on Thursdays at 8 p.m. opposite "CSI" and the plan to air six episodes of "Lost" this fall (beginning Oct. 3) and then send it on hiatus until February 2007.

All of this may work out. The "troubled" shows may right themselves, the scheduling could be genius, ABC's momentum could continue.

But McPherson has taken some very big risks. The most exciting story at ABC this season may be what happens behind the scenes.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com