The much-discussed sidelining of Ugly Betty on ABC in late March and April will end up being nothing more than an extended spring break for the show.
ABC says Betty will return Thursday, May 7 for its final episodes of the season after taking off the last week of March and all of April while Samantha Who? and new comedy In the Motherhood fill its 8 p.m. Thursday timeslot. ABC front-loaded this season and after this week will have aired 19 episodes, leaving only four left in Betty’s season order.
Those four episodes will air over three weeks starting May 7, concluding with a two-hour finale on May 21. It’s one of several two-hour finales ABC has in store for its series in May — Lost (May 13), Grey’s Anatomy (May 14), America’s Funniest Home Videos (May 15), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Desperate Housewives (both May 17) and Dancing with the Stars (May 19) will also get to go long for their season-enders. So will Scrubs, which has a one-hour finale on May 6.
As for Samantha Who? and In the Motherhood, the two comedies will end their seasons on Thursday, April 30 after a six-week tryout in the 8 p.m. Thursday slot.
The network has also set a May 18 premiere date for the new season of The Bachelorette, with Jillian Harris in the central role.
Here’s the rundown of ABC’s spring finale dates (all times Eastern/Pacific):
Wednesday, April 1
10 p.m. Life on Mars
Wednesday, April 29
8:30 p.m. Better Off Ted
Thursday, April 30
8 p.m. In the Motherhood
8:30 p.m. Samantha Who?
10 p.m. Private Practice
Friday, May 1
8 p.m. Wife Swap
9 p.m. Supernanny
Tuesday, May 5
8:30 p.m. According to Jim
Wednesday, May 6
8 p.m. Scrubs (one hour)
Sunday, May 10
10 p.m. Brothers & Sisters
Monday, May 11
10 p.m. Castle
Tuesday, May 12
10 p.m. Cupid
Wednesday, May 13
9 p.m. Lost (two hours)
Thursday, May 14
9 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy (two hours)
Friday, May 15
8 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos (two hours)
Sunday, May 17
7 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (two hours)
9 p.m. Desperate Housewives (two hours)
Tuesday, May 19
9 p.m. Dancing with the Stars (two hours)
Thursday, May 21
8 p.m. Ugly Betty (two hours)
Source: Zap2It
