The 2008–09 network television schedule for the six major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2008 through August 2009. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2007–08 season. The schedule omits the Public Broadcasting Service (whose programming is listed here).

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

was the first to announce its fall schedule on April 2, 2008, followed by

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

and

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

on May 13,

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

on May 14,

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

on May 15, and

MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (unofficially abbreviated MyTV, MyNet, MNT or MNTV, and sometimes referred to as My Network) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its ...

on May 22. The CW unveiled its Sunday lineup on May 27, 2008.

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcasts times for network shows may vary. Each of the 30 highest-rated shows released in May 2009 is listed with its rank and rating as determined by

Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...

.Highest-rated series is based on the annual top-rated programs list compiled by

and reported o
TimBrooks.net/Ratings
New series are highlighted in bold. Repeat airings or same-day rebroadcasts are indicated by . All times are U.S. Eastern and

Pacific Time The Pacific Time Zone (PT) is a time zone encompassing parts of western Canada, the western United States, and western Mexico. Places in this zone observe standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC−08:00). ...

(except for some live sports or events). Subtract one hour for Central,

Mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

and Hawaii-Aleutian times. All sporting events air live in all time zones in U.S. Eastern time, with local and/or late-night programming (including Fox affiliates during the 10 p.m. ET/PT hour) by affiliates after game completion.

Legend

Sunday

Notes: * On Sundays, The CW programming begins at 6:30 p.m. (EST). * CBS' Sunday Night primetime lineup is often delayed due to ''

NFL on CBS The ''NFL on CBS'' is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that are produced by CBS Sports, the sports division of the CBS television network in the United States. The network has aired NFL game telecasts sin ...

'' game coverage running longer than scheduled, except in the Pacific and Mountain time zones, where the lineup airs as scheduled. * The 7 p.m. hour on Fox features animated series reruns in the Pacific and Mountain time zones during the NFL season.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Notes: *'' The Moment of Truth'' was originally scheduled to air Thursdays at 8:00 on Fox, but was instead shelved, effectively canceling it.

Friday

Saturday

By network

ABC

Returning series: * ''

20/20 Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of vision, but technically rates an examinee's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity is dependent on optical and neural factors, i.e. (1) the sharpness of the retinal ...

'' * '' ABC Saturday Movie of the Week'' * ''

According to Jim ''According to Jim'' is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children (and then five children, starting with the seventh season finale). It originally ran on ABC from October ...

'' * ''

America's Funniest Home Videos ''America's Funniest Home Videos'', also called ''America's Funniest Videos'' (abbreviated as ''AFV''), is an American video clip television series on ABC, based on the Japanese variety show ''Fun TV with Kato-chan and Ken-chan''. The show featur ...

'' * '' The Bachelor'' * ''

The Bachelorette A bachelorette is an unmarried woman. Bachelorette may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Bachelorette'', a reality television dating show part of ''The Bachelor'' franchise with numerous versions: ** ''The Bachelorette'' (American TV ser ...

'' * '' Boston Legal'' * '' Brothers & Sisters'' * '' Dancing with the Stars'' * '' Desperate Housewives'' * ''

Dirty Sexy Money ''Dirty Sexy Money'' is an American prime time drama television series created by Craig Wright. It ran on ABC from September 26, 2007, to August 8, 2009. The series was produced by Berlanti Television and ABC Studios. Wright served as an ex ...

'' * ''

Eli Stone ''Eli Stone'' is an American legal comedy-drama television series, named for its title character. The series was created by Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, who also served as executive producers alongside Ken Olin who directed the pilot, wit ...

'' * '' Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'' * ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...

'' * '' Here Come the Newlyweds'' * ''

I Survived a Japanese Game Show ''I Survived a Japanese Game Show'' is an American reality show that saw its first-season premiere on ABC on June 24, 2008. The show followed a group of Americans, who leave the United States for Japan where they competed in a Japanese style gam ...

'' * '' Just for Laughs'' * ''

Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

'' * '' Primetime'' * '' Primetime: What Would You Do?'' * ''

Private Practice Private practice may refer to: *Private sector practice **Practice of law In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiati ...

'' * ''

Pushing Daisies ''Pushing Daisies'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007, to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to li ...

'' * ''

Samantha Who? ''Samantha Who?'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from October 15, 2007, to July 23, 2009. The series was created by Cecelia Ahern and Donald Todd, who also served as producers. Although highly rated during its fir ...

'' * '' Saturday Night Football'' * '' Scrubs'' (moved from

) * ''

Supernanny ''Supernanny'' is a British reality television programme about parents struggling with their children's behaviour, mealtime, potty training, etc. The show features professional nanny Jo Frost, who devotes each episode to helping a family wh ...

'' * ''

Ugly Betty ''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombi ...

'' * '' Wife Swap'' * '' Wipeout'' New series: * ''

Better Off Ted ''Better Off Ted'' is an American satirical sitcom series, created by Victor Fresco, who also served as the show's executive producer. The series ran on the ABC network from March 18, 2009, to January 26, 2010. ''Better Off Ted'' focuses on t ...

'' * * '' Castle'' * * '' Crash Course'' * * '' Cupid'' * * ''

Dating in the Dark ''Dating in the Dark'' ( nl, Daten in het Donker) is a reality show created in the Netherlands where 3 single men and 3 single women move into a light-tight house getting to know each other and form bonds in total darkness. Format Dating Three m ...

'' * * '' Defying Gravity'' * * ''

The Goode Family ''The Goode Family'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Goode Family'') is a short-lived American adult animated television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from May 27 to August 7, 2009. The series was created by Mike Judge, the creator of MTV's ' ...

'' * * '' Homeland Security USA'' * * ''

Life on Mars The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no proof of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that during the ...

'' * '' Opportunity Knocks'' * '' Shaq Vs.'' * * '' Shark Tank'' * * '' The Superstars'' * * ''

Surviving Suburbia ''Surviving Suburbia'' is an American sitcom television series starring Bob Saget and Cynthia Stevenson that aired on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from April 6 to August 7, 2009. The series originally aired at 9:30 PM Eastern/8:30 ...

'' * * '' True Beauty'' * * ''

The Unusuals ''The Unusuals'' is an American crime television series created by Noah Hawley for ABC. It follows the detectives in the New York City Police Department's fictional 2nd Precinct, many of whom have their secret eccentricities. The series ran for ...

'' * Not returning from 2007–08: * ''The ABC Friday Night Movie'' * '' Big Shots'' * ''

Carpoolers ''Carpoolers'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 2, 2007, to March 4, 2008. The show was created by Bruce McCulloch, who also executive produced alongside Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, David Miner, Marsh McCall, Jo ...

'' * '' Cashmere Mafia'' * ''

Cavemen The caveman is a stock character representative of primitive humans in the Paleolithic. The popularization of the type dates to the early 20th century, when Neanderthals were influentially described as "simian" or " ape-like" by Marcellin Bo ...

'' * ''

Dance Machine ''Dance Machine'' is an American dance game show and competition that premiered on June 27, 2008 on ABC. The show was hosted by Jason Kennedy. It was created by RDF USA. Due to the show's low ratings, ABC announced that the series was cancelled ...

'' * '' Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann'' * '' Duel'' * '' High School Musical: Get in the Picture'' * ''

Hopkins Hopkins is an English, Welsh and Irish patronymic surname. The English name means "son of Hob". ''Hob'' was a diminutive of ''Robert'', itself deriving from the Germanic warrior name ''Hrod-berht'', translated as "renowned-fame". The Robert spell ...

'' * ''

Men in Trees ''Men in Trees'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series starring Anne Heche as relationship coach Marin Frist, which premiered on September 12, 2006, on ABC. The series is set in the fictional town of Elmo, Alaska, and concerns M ...

'' * ''

Miss Guided ''Miss Guided'' is an American sitcom that ran from March 18, 2008, to April 3, 2008, as a mid-season replacement on ABC. The series follows the life of Becky Freeley, a guidance counselor at a high school that she attended when she was a teenage ...

'' * '' The Mole'' * ''

Notes from the Underbelly ''Notes from the Underbelly'' is an American sitcom that was aired on ABC from 2007 to 2008, originally debuting as a mid-season replacement. The series is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Risa Green, and was produced by Eric and Kim T ...

'' * '' October Road'' * '' Oprah's Big Give'' * ''

Wanna Bet? ''Wanna Bet?'' is an American game show based on the German series '' Wetten, dass..?'', which aired on ABC. It featured four celebrities making wagers on whether ordinary Americans will be able to complete outrageous stunts. The format first aire ...

'' * '' Women's Murder Club'' * ''

The Wonderful World of Disney The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...

'' (returned for 2019–20)

CBS

Returning series: * '' 48 Hours'' * '' 60 Minutes'' * ''

The Amazing Race ''The Amazing Race'' is an adventure reality game show franchise in which teams of two people race around the world in competition with other teams. The ''Race'' is split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselves in forei ...

'' * ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on C ...

'' * '' Big Brother'' * ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or r ...

'' * ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...

'' * ''

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...

'' * ''

CSI: Miami ''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Dete ...

'' * ''

CSI: NY ''CSI: NY'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: New York'', stylized as ''CSI: NY/Crime Scene Investigation'') is an American police procedural television series that ran on CBS from September 22, 2004, to February 22, 2013, for a total of nine seaso ...

'' * '' Flashpoint'' * '' Ghost Whisperer'' * '' How I Met Your Mother'' * ''

Million Dollar Password ''Million Dollar Password'' is an updated version of the game show ''Password'' on CBS, which was hosted by Regis Philbin and ran from June 1, 2008, to June 14, 2009. FremantleMedia produced the program. Production and broadcast history ''Millio ...

'' * '' NCIS'' * ''

The New Adventures of Old Christine ''The New Adventures of Old Christine'' (often shortened to simply ''Old Christine'') is an American sitcom television series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell, a divorced mother doing her best to keep pace with those around her ...

'' * ''

Numb3rs ''Numbers'' (stylized as ''NUMB3RS'') is an American crime drama television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 23, 2005, to March 12, 2010, for six seasons and 118 episodes. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heu ...

'' * ''

Rules of Engagement Rules of engagement (ROE) are the internal rules or directives afforded military forces (including individuals) that define the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which the use of force, or actions which might be construed as pro ...

'' * '' Survivor'' * ''

Two and a Half Men ''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, t ...

'' * ''

The Unit ''The Unit'' is an American action-drama television series created by David Mamet that aired on CBS from March 7, 2006, to May 10, 2009 with the total of four seasons and 69 episodes. The series focuses on a top-secret military unit modeled ...

'' * ''

Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...

'' New series: * ''

Eleventh Hour The Eleventh Hour may refer to: * "The eleventh hour", a phrase in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard __NOTOC__ The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (also called the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard or the Parable of the Ge ...

'' * ''Elite XC Saturday Night Fights'' * ''

The Ex List ''The Ex List'' is an American comedy-drama television series based on the Israeli series ''The Mythological X'' created and written by Sigal Avin. The Americanized version, developed by Diane Ruggiero, premiered on CBS on October 3, 2008. Avin a ...

'' * '' Game Show in My Head'' * * ''

Gary Unmarried ''Gary Unmarried'' is an American sitcom created by Ed Yeager, which ran on CBS from September 24, 2008, to March 17, 2010. The series focuses on a recently divorced couple (Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall) sharing custody of their kids while starting ...

'' * ''

Harper's Island ''Harper's Island'' is an American horror mystery limited series created by Ari Schlossberg for CBS. Schlossberg, Jeffrey Jackson Bell and Jon Turteltaub served as executive producers. The series features an ensemble cast led by Elaine Cassidy ...

'' * * ''

The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, the show f ...

'' * '' There Goes the Neighborhood'' * * ''

Worst Week ''Worst Week'' is an American sitcom television series that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2008. The series was based on the British sitcom '' The Worst Week of My Life''. It was adapted for American audiences by Fox under the title ''Wor ...

'' Not returning from 2007–08: * ''

Cane Cane or caning may refer to: *Walking stick or walking cane, a device used primarily to aid walking * Assistive cane, a walking stick used as a mobility aid for better balance *White cane, a mobility or safety device used by many people who are ...

'' * '' Jericho'' (reruns to broadcast on

, from late 2008) * '' Kid Nation'' * '' Moonlight'' * ''

Power of 10 A power of 10 is any of the integer powers of the number ten; in other words, ten multiplied by itself a certain number of times (when the power is a positive integer). By definition, the number one is a power (the zeroth power) of ten. The f ...

'' * '' Secret Talents of the Stars'' * ''

Shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...

'' * '' Swingtown'' * ''

Viva Laughlin ''Viva Laughlin'' is an American musical dramedy television series adapted by Bob Lowry and Peter Bowker (creator of the original series) from the popular BBC British serial, ''Blackpool'', and taking its name from the latter program's sequel, ' ...

'' * ''

Welcome to The Captain ''Welcome to The Captain'' (previously known as ''The Captain'') is an American sitcom television series created, executive produced and directed by John Hamburg. Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen also serve as executive producers. The show is about ...

The CW

Returning series: * ''

America's Next Top Model ''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...

'' * ''

Everybody Hates Chris ''Everybody Hates Chris'' is an American television semi-autobiographical sitcom that is inspired by the memories of the teenage years of comedian Chris Rock. The show is set from 1982 to 1987, although Rock himself was actually a teenager from ...

'' * '' The Game'' * ''

Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...

'' * ''

One Tree Hill One Tree Hill may refer to: * "One Tree Hill" (song), a 1987 song by U2 referencing One Tree Hill, New Zealand volcanic peak * ''One Tree Hill'' (TV series), a 2003–2012 American drama series named for the U2 song ** ''One Tree Hill'' (soundtr ...

'' * ''

Reaper A reaper is a farm implement or person that reaps (cuts and often also gathers) crops at harvest when they are ripe. Usually the crop involved is a cereal grass. The first documented reaping machines were Gallic reapers that were used in Roma ...

'' * '' Smallville'' * '' Supernatural'' New series: * '' 13: Fear is Real'' * * '' 90210'' * ''The CW Sunday Night Movie'' * '' Easy Money'' * '' Hitched or Ditched'' * * ''

In Harm's Way ''In Harm's Way'' is a 1965 American epic war film produced and directed by Otto Preminger and starring John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Patricia Neal, with a supporting cast featuring Henry Fonda in a lengthy cameo, Tom Tryon, Paula Prentiss, Stanle ...

'' * '' Privileged'' * '' Stylista'' * '' Valentine'' Not returning from 2007–08: * ''

Aliens in America ''Aliens in America'' is an American teen sitcom created by David Guarascio and Moses Port that aired on The CW for one season from October 1, 2007, to May 18, 2008. Guarascio and Port also served as executive producers of the show alongside Tim ...

'' * ''

Beauty and the Geek ''Beauty and the Geek'' is an American reality television series that premiered on The WB on June 1, 2005. It has been advertised as "The Ultimate Social Experiment" and is produced by Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg and J.D. Roth. The show's ti ...

'' * '' Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants'' * ''

CW Now ''CW Now'' is a news program/news magazine series which premiered on The CW on September 23, 2007. It was a brand extension of the syndicated Telepictures news magazine ''Extra'', and featured anchors and correspondents from that show, including ...

'' * ''

Farmer Wants a Wife ''Farmer Wants a Wife'' is a reality television series developed by Fremantle Media. The basic structure of the programme is that a number of farmers are presented with women from the city, from whom they choose one to be their spouse. The f ...

'' (moved to

in 2022–23) * '' Girlfriends'' * ''

Life Is Wild ''Life Is Wild'' is an American serial drama television series adapted by Michael Rauch, George Faber and Charlie Pattinson from the British drama '' Wild at Heart''. The show is about a New York veterinarian who moves his second wife and their ...

'' * '' Online Nation'' * '' Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious'' * ''

WWE SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...

'' (moved to

)

Fox

Returning series: * '' 24''"24" Clock Set for Two more days"
''The Futon Critic'', May 16, 2007 * ''America's Most Wanted'' * ''American Dad!'' * ''American Idol'' * ''Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? (American game show), Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?'' * ''Bones (TV series), Bones'' * ''Cops (TV program), Cops'' * ''Don't Forget the Lyrics! (American game show), Don't Forget the Lyrics!'' * ''Family Guy'' * ''Hell's Kitchen (American TV series), Hell's Kitchen'' * ''House (TV series), House'' * ''King of the Hill'' * ''Kitchen Nightmares'' * ''NFL on Fox'' * ''NFL on Fox#Post-game show: The OT, The OT'' * ''Prison Break'' * ''The Simpsons'' * ''So You Think You Can Dance (American TV series), So You Think You Can Dance'' * ''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'' * '''Til Death'' New series: * ''Dollhouse (TV series), Dollhouse'' * * ''Do Not Disturb (TV series), Do Not Disturb'' * ''Fringe (TV series), Fringe'' * ''Hole in the Wall (American game show), Hole in the Wall'' * ''Lie to Me'' * ''Mental (TV series), Mental'' * * ''More to Love'' * * ''Osbournes Reloaded'' * * ''Secret Millionaire'' * ''Sit Down, Shut Up (2009 TV series), Sit Down, Shut Up'' * Not returning from 2007–08: * ''Back to You (TV series), Back to You'' * ''Canterbury's Law'' * ''Fox Friday Night Movie'' * ''K-Ville (TV series), K-Ville'' 'TV Guide Blog: After the Strike' * '' The Moment of Truth'' * ''Nashville (2007 TV series), Nashville'' * ''New Amsterdam (2008 TV series), New Amsterdam'' * ''The Next Great American Band'' * ''The Return of Jezebel James'' * ''Unhitched''

MyNetworkTV

Returning series: * ''Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed, Magic's Biggest Secrets Revealed'' * ''Celebrity Exposé'' * ''Jail (TV series), Jail'' * ''Masters of Illusion (TV show), Masters of Illusion'' * ''My Thursday Night Movie'' * ''My Saturday Night Movie'' * ''Street Patrol'' * ''Under One Roof (2008 TV series), Under One Roof'' * ''

'' (moved from

) New series: * ''Dead Man Running'' * ''The Tony Rock Project'' * ''Vice Squad'' * ''The World's Funniest Moments'' Not returning from 2007–08: * ''The Academy (American TV series), The Academy'' * ''In Living Color, The Best of In Living Color'' * ''Control Room Presents'' * ''Decision House'' *''International Fight League, IFL Battleground'' * ''Meet My Folks'' * ''My Friday Night Movie'' * ''NFL Total Access'' * ''Paradise Hotel 2'' * ''Whacked Out Videos''

NBC

Returning series: * ''30 Rock'' * ''America's Got Talent'' * ''The Apprentice (American season 8), The Celebrity Apprentice 2'' * ''The Biggest Loser (American TV series), The Biggest Loser'' * ''Chuck (TV series), Chuck'' * ''Dateline NBC'' * ''Deal or No Deal (American game show), Deal or No Deal'' * ''ER (TV series), ER'' * ''Football Night in America'' * ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'' * ''I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (American TV series), I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' * ''Law & Order'' * ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''Exclusive: NBC renews 'Law & Order: SVU'
''Entertainment Weekly'', April 3, 2008 * ''Life (American TV series), Life'' * ''Lipstick Jungle (TV series), Lipstick Jungle'' * ''Medium (TV series), Medium'' * ''My Name Is Earl'' * ''NBC Sunday Night Football'' * ''The Office (American TV series), The Office'' New series: * ''America's Toughest Jobs'' * ''The Chopping Block (American TV series), The Chopping Block'' * * ''Crusoe (TV series), Crusoe'' * ''The Great American Road Trip'' * * ''Howie Do It'' * ''Kings (American TV series), Kings'' * * ''Knight Rider (2008 TV series), Knight Rider'' * ''The Listener (TV series), The Listener'' * * ''Merlin (TV series), Merlin'' * * ''Momma's Boys'' * ''My Own Worst Enemy (TV series), My Own Worst Enemy'' * ''Parks and Recreation'' * * ''The Philanthropist (TV series), The Philanthropist'' * * ''Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday'' * ''Southland (TV series), Southland'' * * ''Superstars of Dance'' * Not returning from 2007–08: * ''1 vs. 100 (American game show), 1 vs. 100'' (moved to Game Show Network, GSN) * ''American Gladiators (2008 TV series), American Gladiators'' * ''Amnesia (game show), Amnesia'' * ''The Baby Borrowers'' * ''Bionic Woman (2007 TV series), Bionic Woman'' * ''Celebrity Circus (American TV series), Celebrity Circus'' * ''Celebrity Family Feud'' (moved to

in 2014–15 United States network television schedule, 2014–15) * ''Clash of the Choirs'' * ''Fear Itself (TV series), Fear Itself'' * ''Friday Night Lights (TV series), Friday Night Lights'' (moved to The 101 Network) * ''Journeyman (TV series), Journeyman'' * ''Last Comic Standing'' * ''Las Vegas (TV series), Las Vegas'' * ''Most Outrageous Moments'' * ''My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad'' * ''Nashville Star'' * ''Phenomenon (TV series), Phenomenon'' * ''Quarterlife'' * '' Scrubs'' (moved to

) * ''The Singing Bee (American game show), The Singing Bee'' (moved to Country Music Television, CMT)

Renewals and Cancellations

Full-season pickups

ABC

* ''

''—On October 22, 2008, it was picked up for a full-season order. * ''

''—On October 31, 2008, it received a full-season order, adding seven episodes.

CBS

* ''

''—On November 14, 2008, it was picked up for a full 22-episode season. * ''

''—On October 15, 2008, it was picked up for a full-season order.

The CW

* '' 90210''—On September 22, 2008, it was picked up for a full-season order.

Fox

* ''Fringe (TV series), Fringe''—On October 1, 2008, it was picked up for a full-season order. * ''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles''—On October 17, 2008, it was picked up for a full-season order, despite its declining ratings this season. * '''Til Death''—Despite lower ratings, Fox ordered a fourth season of the show.

MyNetworkTV

*''

''—The only program to carry over in the network's conversion to a programming service.

NBC

* ''Chuck (TV series), Chuck''—On August 28, 2008, it was picked up for a full-season order, one month before the new season even premiered. * ''Knight Rider (2008 TV series), Knight Rider''—On October 21, 2008, it was picked up for a full-season order, then on December 3, 2008, NBC cut the order down to 17. * ''Kath & Kim (American TV series), Kath & Kim''—On October 31, 2008, was given a full-season order. * ''Life (American TV series), Life''—On November 7, 2008, NBC picked up ''Life'' for a full season. * ''Howie Do It''—Twelve additional episodes were ordered by NBC.

Renewals

ABC

* ''

''—Renewed for twentieth season on April 23, 2009.ABC Announces Early Pick-ups for next season
''The Futon Critic'', April 23, 2009 * '' Brothers & Sisters''—Renewed for a fourth season on April 23, 2009. * '' Castle''—Renewed for a second season on May 15, 2009. * '' Desperate Housewives''—Renewed for a sixth season on April 23, 2009. * ''

''—Renewed for a sixth season on April 23, 2009. * ''

''—Renewed for a third season on April 23. 2009. * '' Scrubs''—Renewed for a ninth season on April 23, 2009. * '' Shark Tank''—Renewed for a second season in August 2009.

CBS

* ''

''—Renewed for a fifteenth season on April 17, 2009. * ''

''—Renewed for a third and fourth season on March 18, 2009. * ''

''—Renewed for a seventh season. * ''

''—Renewed for a fifth season. * ''

''—Renewed for a tenth season. * ''

''—Renewed for an eighth season. * ''

''—Renewed for a sixth season. * '' How I Met Your Mother''—Renewed for a fifth season. * ''

''—Renewed for a second season. * '' Ghost Whisperer''—Renewed for a fifth season on March 13, 2009. * ''

''—Renewed for a second season. * '' NCIS''—Renewed for a seventh season. * ''

''—Renewed for a fifth season. * ''

''—Renewed for a sixth season. * ''

''—Renewed for a fourth season. * '' Survivor''—Renewed for a nineteenth and twentieth season on March 1, 2009. * ''

''—Renewed for a seventh, eighth and ninth season on March 18, 2009.

The CW

* '' 90210''—Renewed for a second and third season on February 24, 2009. * ''

''—Renewed for a fourth season on February 24, 2009. * ''

''—Renewed for a seventh season on February 24, 2009. * '' Smallville''—Renewed for a ninth season. * '' Supernatural''—Renewed for a fifth season on February 24, 2009.

Fox

* '' 24''—Renewed for an eighth and final season on May 16, 2007. * ''American Dad!''—Renewed for a fifth and sixth season on October 30, 2008. * ''Bones (TV series), Bones''—Renewed for a fifth and sixth season on May 16, 2009. * ''Dollhouse (TV series), Dollhouse''—Renewed for a second season on May 15, 2009. * ''Family Guy''—Renewed for an eighth season on May 5, 2008. * ''Fringe (TV series), Fringe'' – Renewed for a second season on April 26, 2009. * ''House (TV series), House''—Renewed for a sixth season. * ''Lie to Me''—Renewed for a second season on May 13, 2009. * ''Kitchen Nightmares''—Renewed for third season on March 22, 2009. * ''The Simpsons''—Renewed for a twenty-first and twenty-second season on February 26, 2009. * ''So You Think You Can Dance (American TV series), So You Think You Can Dance''—Renewed for a sixth and seventh season on May 15, 2009. * '''Til Death''—Renewed for a fourth season on January 9, 2009.

NBC

* ''30 Rock''—Renewed for a fourth season on January 15, 2009.NBC GIVES NEW SEASON PICKUPS TO POPULAR SERIES 'THE OFFICE,' '30 ROCK' AND "THE BIGGEST LOSER' FOR 2009–2010
''The Futon Critic'', January 15, 2009 * ''The Apprentice (American TV series), The Apprentice''—Renewed for a ninth season. * ''Chuck (TV series), Chuck''—Renewed for a third season on May 17, 2009. * ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes''—Renewed for a fourth season on March 5, 2008. * ''Law & Order''—Renewed for a twentieth season. * ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''—Renewed for an eleventh season on April 3, 2009. * ''The Office (American TV series), The Office''—Renewed for a sixth season on January 15, 2009. * ''Parks and Recreation''—Renewed for a second season.

Cancellations/Series endings

ABC

* ''

''—Canceled on May 19, 2009, after eight seasons. The series concluded on June 2, 2009. * '' Boston Legal''—It was announced on May 13, 2008 that season five would be the final season. The series concluded on December 8, 2008. * '' Cupid'' —Canceled on May 18, 2009. * '' Defying Gravity''—Canceled on October 29, 2009. * ''

''—Canceled on November 20, 2008. * ''

''—Canceled on August 8, 2009. * '' Homeland Security USA''—Canceled on May 19, 2009. * ''In the Motherhood''—Canceled on May 15, 2009. * '' Just for Laughs''—Canceled on April 7, 2010, after three seasons. * ''

''—Canceled on March 3, 2009. The series concluded on April 1, 2009. * '' Opportunity Knocks''—Canceled on October 16, 2008. * ''

''—Canceled on November 20, 2008. * ''

''—Canceled on May 18, 2009, after two seasons. * ''

''—Canceled on August 8, 2009. * ''

''—Canceled on May 17, 2009.

CBS

*''

'' – Canceled on May 19, 2009. *''Elite XC Saturday Night Fights'' – On October 20, Elite XC shut down operations, thus cancelling the show. *''

'' – This was the first new drama of the season cancelled. The series was replaced with repeats of CBS dramas and new episodes of ''The Price Is Right Primetime''. *'' Game Show in My Head'' – Due to declining ratings, CBS decided not to air any more episodes. *''

'' Cancelled on July 14, 2009. *''

'' – Canceled due to declining ratings. *''

'' – Canceled on May 19, 2009, after four seasons. *''

'' – Canceled on May 20, 2009. *''

'' – Canceled on May 19, 2009, after seven seasons.

The CW

*''13: Fear Is Real''—Canceled on May 21, 2009. *'' Easy Money''—MRC canceled the series on November 16, 2008. *''

''—Chris Rock chose to end the series after four seasons. *''The Game (American TV series), The Game''—Canceled on May 20, 2009. Moved to BET in January 2011. *''

''—The CW decided to get end the MRC Sunday night on November 23, 2008, effectively canceling the show. *'' Privileged''—Canceled on May 19, 2009. *''

''—Canceled on May 20, 2009, after two seasons. *'' Stylista''—Canceled on May 21, 2009. *'' Valentine''—Canceled on November 23, 2008.

Fox

* ''Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? (American game show), Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?''—Fox has announced that the show will not be returning for another season in the fall. On November 6, 2014, it was announced that the series would return for a fourth season. * ''Do Not Disturb (TV series), Do Not Disturb''—Canceled on September 25, 2008, marking the first cancellation of the season. * ''Don't Forget the Lyrics! (American game show), Don't Forget the Lyrics!''—Canceled on August 4, 2009, after two seasons. On April 28, 2021, it was announced that the series would return for a third season. * ''Hole in the Wall (American game show), Hole in the Wall''—Pulled from the schedule and canceled on May 18, 2009, due to poor ratings. On July 20, 2010, It was announced that Cartoon Network would pick up the series for another season. * ''King of the Hill''—It was announced on October 30, 2008, that season thirteen would be the final season. The series concluded on September 13, 2009. The last four episodes were aired on First-run syndication, syndication on May 3 to 6, 2010. On January 31, 2023, it was announced that a revival on Hulu was officially confirmed to be ordered. * ''Mental (TV series), Mental''—Canceled on March 9, 2010. * ''More to Love''—Canceled on March 9, 2010. * ''Osbournes Reloaded''—Canceled on May 18, 2009. * ''Prison Break''—It was announced on January 13, 2009, that season four would be the final season. The series concluded on May 15, 2009. On January 15, 2016, it was announced that the series would return for a fifth season. * ''The Secret Millionaire#US version, Secret Millionaire''—Canceled on May 18, 2009. On September 10, 2009, it was announced that

would pick up the series for another season. *''Sit Down, Shut Up (2009 TV series), Sit Down, Shut Up'' – Canceled on May 18, 2009. *''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles''—Canceled on May 18, 2009, after two seasons.

MyNetworkTV

The entire schedule of programs for MyNetworkTV except for ''WWE Smackdown'' did not pass on to the 2009/10 season due to the network's conversion to a programming service. * ''Celebrity Exposé'' * ''Comics Unleashed'' (syndicated program on MyNetworkTV's schedule) * ''Jail (TV series), Jail'' * ''Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed, Magic's Biggest Secrets Revealed'' * ''Masters of Illusion'' * ''My Saturday Night Movie'' (the network's time on Saturday nights was given back to local affiliates for their own purposes) * ''Street Patrol'' * ''The Tony Rock Project'' * ''The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series), The Twilight Zone'' (repeats of 2002 UPN series) * ''Under One Roof (2008 TV series), Under One Roof'' * ''Vice Squad'' * ''World's Funniest Moments''

NBC

* ''America's Toughest Jobs''—Canceled on March 13, 2009. * ''The Chopping Block (American TV series), The Chopping Block''—Canceled on March 26, 2009. * ''Crusoe (TV series), Crusoe''—The series concluded on January 31, 2009. * ''Deal or No Deal (American game show), Deal or No Deal''—Canceled on May 19, 2009. The Deal or No Deal (American game show), syndicated version of the show got picked up by

when it transitioned to a programming service. * ''ER (TV series), ER''—It was announced on April 2, 2008 that season fifteen would be the final season. The series concluded on April 2, 2009. * ''Howie Do It''—Canceled on May 19, 2009. * ''Kath & Kim (American TV series), Kath & Kim''—Canceled on May 19, 2009. * ''Kings (American TV series), Kings''—Canceled on April 21, 2009. * ''Knight Rider (2008 TV series), Knight Rider''—Canceled on May 19, 2009. * ''Life (American TV series), Life''—Canceled on May 4, 2009, after two seasons. * ''Lipstick Jungle (TV series), Lipstick Jungle''—Canceled on March 28, 2009, after two seasons. * ''The Listener (TV series), The Listener''—Pulled from the schedule on July 23, 2009, after 8 episodes. * ''Medium (TV series), Medium''—It was announced on May 19, 2009 that ''Medium'' will be moving to CBS next season. * ''Merlin (TV series), Merlin''—Canceled during the summer due to declining ratings. * ''Momma's Boys''—Canceled on March 13, 2009. * ''My Name Is Earl''—Canceled on May 19, 2009, after four seasons. * ''My Own Worst Enemy (TV series), My Own Worst Enemy''—Canceled on November 12, 2008. The series concluded on December 15, 2008. * ''The Philanthropist (TV series), The Philanthropist''—Canceled on October 20, 2009. * ''Superstars of Dance''—Canceled on May 19, 2009.

Top weekly ratings

* Data sources: AC Nielsen, TV by the Numbers

Total Viewers

18-49 Viewers

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008-09 United States Network Television Schedule United States primetime network television schedules 2008 in American television 2009 in American television

Legend

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

By network

ABC

CBS

The CW

Fox

MyNetworkTV

NBC

Renewals and Cancellations

Full-season pickups

ABC

CBS

The CW

Fox

MyNetworkTV

NBC

Renewals

ABC

CBS

The CW

Fox

NBC

Cancellations/Series endings

ABC

CBS

The CW

Fox

MyNetworkTV

NBC

See also

Top weekly ratings

Total Viewers

18-49 Viewers

Notes

References