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Lost & Cavemen Join ABC Slate of 12 New & 16 Returning Shows

Another season of LOST and a new series, CAVEMEN, inspired by the popular Geico Insurance commercials are among the 12 new and returning offerings on the ABC network announced today, May 15, 2007, by Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Ent., as he unveiled the network's 2007-08 fall schedule before a crowd of ABC affiliates and representatives of the advertising and media communities at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

Debuting next season are four new comedy series: CARPOOLERS, CAVEMEN, MISS/GUIDED and SAM I AM; along with seven new drama series: BIG SHOTS, CASHMERE MAFIA, DIRTY SEXY MONEY, ELI STONE, PRIVATE PRACTICE, PUSHING DAISIES and WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB. Alternative series, OPRAH'S BIG GIVE, will also debut.

ABC has given new season renewals for BROTHERS & SISTERS, MEN IN TREES, UGLY BETTY, GREY'S ANATOMY, LOST, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, BOSTON LEGAL, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, DANCING WITH THE STARS, EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION, THE BACHELOR, SUPERNANNY, AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS, WIFE SWAP, OCTOBER ROAD and NOTES FROM THE UNDERBELLY.

CAVEMEN (Tuesdays at 8:00 pm) looks at life through the eyes of three modern cavemen as they struggle to find their place in the world. Joel (Bill English), his cynical best friend, Nick (Nick Kroll), and easy-going little brother, Jamie (Dash Mihok) live in the suburban south and simply want to be treated like ordinary thirty-something guys. Despite their attempts at assimilation, Nick doesn't believe mainstream society will ever completely accept them, Jamie seems to take it all in stride and Joel straddles the middle, torn between his friends, his more traditional values and his loving fiancée, Kate (Kaitlin Doubleday). Produced by ABC Studios, exec producers are Daniel Rappaport, Guymon Casady, Bill Martin and Mike Schiff; exec producer/directors are Will Speck & Josh Gordon and Joe Lawson is co-exec producer/writer.

Also on tap in the supernatural range is PUSHING DAISIES (Wednesdays at 8:00 pm) from Bryan Fuller (HEROES) and Barry Sonnenfeld (MEN IN BLACK), a blend of romance, crime procedural and high-concept fantasy in a forensic fairytale about a young man with a very special gift. Ned (Lee Pace) can touch dead things and bring them back to life. He puts his ability to good use, not only touching dead fruit and making it ripe, but working with an investigator to crack murder cases as he asks the deceased to name their killers. Ned brings his childhood sweetheart, Chuck (Anna Friel), back from the dead and keeps her alive. The series also stars Chi McBride, Swoosie Kurtz, Kristin Chenoweth and Jim Dale. It's produced by the Jinks/Cohen Co. in association with Warner Bros. Television.

"We're heading into the new season with a strong lineup of returning shows that we've developed and nurtured over the past few years," said McPherson. "That solid foundation will help us launch an exciting development slate as we continue our forward momentum this fall. We're dedicated to working hard week after week to deliver the best stories and most memorable characters on TV."

Excluding sports from the mix this season (to account for the loss of MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, the 2006 SUPER BOWL and the Bowl Championship series) ABC is the No. 2 network to FOX among adults 18-49. The network airs even of the top 20 TV series in the key young adult sales demographic. ABC retained 99% of its total viewers, 100% of its adult 18-34 audience and 95% of its adult 18-49 audience year to year in the "non-sports" averages. Additionally, ABC marked its second straight season as the No. 1 television network among advertiser-prized upscale, high-income adults 18-49 (with/$100K+ annual income). ABC is the only network whose May Sweep performance is up from a year ago.

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