Fall 2012 New Scripted Premiere Dates

ABC's finally made their premiere dates known, so here's a quick rundown of when all the new scripted broadcast shows will be premiering:

Go On - September 11, 9/8c, NBC
The New Normal - September 11, 9:30/8:30c, NBC
The Mob Doctor - September 17, 9/8c, Fox
Revolution - September 17, 10/9c, NBC

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Partners - September 24, 8:30/7:30c, CBS
Ben & Kate - September 25, 8:30/7:30c, Fox
The Mindy Project - September 25, 9:30/8:30c, Fox
Vegas - September 25, 10/9c, CBS
Animal Practice - September 26, 8/7c, NBC
Guys with Kids - September 26, 8:30/7:30c, NBC
The Neighbors - September 26, 9:30/8:30c, ABC
Last Resort - September 27, 8/7c, ABC
Elementary - September 27, 10/9c, CBS
Made in Jersey - September 28, 9/8c, CBS
666 Park Avenue - September 30, 10/9c, ABC

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Arrow - October 10, 8/7c, CW
Nashville - October 10, 10/9c, ABC
Chicago Fire - October 10, 10/9c, NBC
Beauty and the Beast - October 11, 9/8c, CW
Emily Owens, MD - October 16, 9/8c, CW
Malibu Country - November 2, 8:30/7:30c, ABC

This year, 11 of 21 scripted newbies (52%) premiere during the traditional premiere week. 11 is the same number as last year, but the percentage is higher (than last year's 44%) since there are fewer new shows this fall. There are a lot fewer post-premiere week premieres this year.

There is only one "collision" of series premieres, coming between ABC's Nashville and NBC's Chicago Fire on October 10. That's the same number as last year (when it was Person of Interest and Whitney). The debate preemption on October 3 almost certainly has a lot to do with that.

A few miscellaneous premiere date quirks:

• The comedy logjam on Tuesday 9/8c won't officially begin until late October with the announcement that Happy Endings and Apartment 23 premiere on October 23 (the week after a debate). That means Go On/The New Normal has a two-week head start on New Girl/The Mindy Project, which has a three-week head start before the debate, then they all first collide on the 23rd and will clash for two weeks before the election pre-emption!

• There are about 20 good reasons to move The Neighbors, but here's a somewhat subtle one: it allows ABC to premiere it after Modern Family but then avoid what would be a week two pre-emption on October 3 by sliding it down to the 8/7c hour. Modern Family will then presumably have two originals on October 10 leading into the Nashville premiere. ABC will (again, presumably) air something different at 9:30 on Wednesday for four straight weeks to start the season: Neighbors, debate, Modern Family, Suburgatory.

• If I were running a TV sportsbook, a prop bet I'd have started out of the upfronts would be whether the skedded Friday comedy blocks both actually make it to air on that night. Indeed, both Whitney/Community (October 19) and Last Man Standing/Malibu Country (November 2) are premiering super-late, which at least keeps open the option to use them as emergency filler. But I still think the odds have slightly increased that they both air on Fridays, since the most obvious potential mess on the ABC schedule (Tuesday) won't premiere its potentially weakest hour till late October. I suppose they could see two disastrous weeks of Endings/Apt. 23 and make the switch two weeks later (after the election), but that seems like a real long shot. I do still think there's some chance Whitney could end up back on Wednesday pretty early should Guys With Kids end up being another Free Agents.

• I considered the "unofficial" start of the 2011-12 season to be the week before the traditional premiere week; the only stuff to premiere before that was football and Cops. This year, two weeks before premiere week will be pretty sick. The Voice returns on September 10, the full NBC Tuesday lineup on September 11, and then the The X Factor and Glee are back the next two days and will have to deal with NBC's America's Got Talent finale week. And, oh by the way, there's also a pretty great NFL game on NFL Network on Thursday the 13th (Bears/Packers).