ABC picks up four newbies for full season

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ABC announced full season pick-up orders for new drama “FlashForward” and comedies “Cougar Town,” “The Middle” and “Modern Family.”


“Cougar Town” (Wednesdays 9:30-10:00 ET) has Courteney Cox starring as Jules, a recently divorced single mother exploring the honest truths about dating and aging in our beauty and youth obsessed culture. Now in her forties, she embarks on a journey to self-discovery whilst surrounded by fellow divorcees and singletons eager to live or re-live a time gone by.

“FlashForward” (Thursdays 8:00-9:00 ET): What would you do if you were given a glimpse of the future? Would you accept what you saw and live life to its fullest, or would you do everything in your power to change your destiny? When the world’s population is given a glimpse of their future, it forces everyone to come to grips with whether their destinies can be fulfilled or avoided.

The show ranks No. 1 in Adults 18-49, leading CBS’ time-period veteran “Survivor: Samoa.” On its series debut telecast, the drama became the first regular program since “Friends” in 2004 to beat “Survivor” in the key young adult sales demo. The ABC freshman is an exceptionally strong draw among Adults 18-34, dominating its time period and qualifying as TV’s No. 1 new drama series this season.

“The Middle” (Wednesdays 8:30-9:00 ET): Emmy-winner Patricia Heaton stars in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations. Frankie Heck is middle-aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country. This harried wife and working mother of three uses her wry wit and sense of humor to try to get her family through each day intact. Frankie has a job selling cars at the town’s only surviving car dealer; her husband, Mike, is a manager at the local quarry.

Building on its lead-in at 8:30 p.m. among viewers (+4%) and young adults (+26%), ABC’s “The Middle” qualifies as the most-watched TV show in its time period and a ranks a strong No. 2 in the half-hour to Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” among Adults 18-49. The new ABC comedy also holds the No. 1 position in its half-hour with Adults 25-54 and Men 18-49.

“Modern Family” (Wednesdays 9:00-9:30 ET): Takes an honest and often hilarious look at the composition and complexity of family life in 2009. Stars Ed O’Neill as Jay, Julie Bowen as Claire, Ty Burrell as Phil, Sofía Vergara as Gloria, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, Sarah Hyland as Haley, Nolan Gould as Luke, Ariel Winter as Alex and Rico Rodriguez as Manny.

The series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television in association with Levitan Lloyd Productions.