The TV Zone

What, no “What About Brian?”

That seemed like the only series ABC didn’t announce Wednesday as getting an early renewal for the 2007-2008 fall season. “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives” will be back, as expected, along with freshman faves “Brothers & Sisters,” “Ugly Betty” and “Men in Trees.” Also coming back is “Boston Legal.”
[Above: George and Izzie have plenty of time to sort it out now that "Grey's" has gotten a fall renewal. ABC photo by Vivian Zink.]

ABC’s other fall pickups were unscripted series: the smash hit “Dancing With the Stars,” the declining romance competition “The Bachelor,” reliable Sunday feel-good “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” and late-night talkfest “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Previously announced were the seemingly immortal (and inexpensively produced) “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (on ABC since 1990), “Supernanny” and “Wife Swap.”

That’s 14 series, if you’re counting, already attached to a fall schedule normally announced in its entirety in mid-May, during the week of networks’ annual advertiser presentations known as the upfronts.

Among the shows not on ABC’s early-renewal list: any sitcoms. That’s not a huge show of faith in “George Lopez,” “According to Jim” or “The Knights of Prosperity,” which ABC had been rumored to be relaunching next season with a Ray Romano arc of episodes left unaired when the midseason entry was sent on hiatus. “Lopez” and “Jim” have mostly been used recently to plug lineup holes when fresher series failed (which was frequently).

Fox also announced a pickup Wednesday for the third season of “Prison Break,” which has broken out beyond prison into a massive government conspiracy. It joins other Fox returnees “House,” “Bones,” “The Simpsons,” “American Idol” and “MADtv.” Also surely coming back: animated cult fave “Family Guy,” the Saturday reality lineup of “Cops” and “America’s Most Wanted,” and new quiz hit “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Not to mention “24.”

NBC got the whole quick-pickup game going in January, when it announced fall renewals for “Heroes,” “The Office,” “My Name Is Earl,” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Fans of “Friday Night Lights” should keep their fingers crossed.

Other shows already ordered for at least one more season include NBC’s “ER” and “Las Vegas,” CBS’ “Survivor,” and The CW’s “Everybody Hates Chris.”