What the Heck is ABC Thinking?

It seems like the ABC executives just threw darts to find out what their schedule should be. It seems hastily put together with very little thought put into it. My biggest gripe is the decision to put Grey's Anatomy on Thursdays at 9/8 against CSI. Grey's is a great show but it can't compete with CSI's viewership. If ABC wanted to put it on Thursdays, why not at 8/7 against a much less powerful show in Survivor? Grey's would likely kill the competition and start to make CBS sweat on Thursdays. An even better idea would have been to put Grey's Anatomy on the very uncompetitive night (drama-wise) of Monday. It would turn the night from one of ABC's biggest weaknesses to a strength. Right now, ABC's Monday schedule is one of the weakest I've ever seen. Two so-so reality series and the surprisingly renewed What About Brian don't make for a great night of television.

I also have no idea why ABC didn't keep Dancing With the Stars on Thursdays and Fridays. It actually beat CBS's Survivor during its run in January. If ABC wanted to be competitive on Thursdays, this would have been a great way to start the night.

The Wednesday lineup seems completely random. You have the results show of Dancing With the Stars, According to Jim (how much more incompatible can you be), Lost (yet another less than stellar lead-in to this hit show), and The Nine (why not put J.J. Abrams' Six Degrees here instead?). Six Degrees sounds very character-centric (and is big into connections between characters, like Lost) so ABC really missed the boat on a potentially successful one-two punch on Wednesday.

On Thursday, you couldn't possibly give Grey's Anatomy a weaker lead-in. Two comedies with very little potential is not good enough to provide Grey's with viewership.

The one night I can't complain about is Sunday. While I personally would have picked up Secrets of a Small Town and placed it after Desperate Housewives, ABC did a decent job. Other than moving Grey's they didn't mess with their successful formula. Brothers & Sisters sounds like a potential hit and with it airing after Housewives, it has to be absolutely terrible not to be one.

I'm scared for ABC. Two of my three favorite shows could be in trouble. Grey's Anatomy is especially in danger. CSI could do a number on it and if ABC waits to long to move it, viewers could just give up on it. Lost has been dropping in the ratings (mainly due to weak lead-ins) and ABC isn't helping matters by airing According to Jim before it. Comedies don't work before Lost. ABC should have learned this after the George Lopez/Freddie combination failed on Wednesday. I can only hope that ABC is smarter than I am. I think this surging network is in trouble due to some terrible scheduling moves.