The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition have joined fellow ABC reality shows Supernanny and Wife Swap in receiving early renewals for the 2007-2008 television season. The renewals were announced as part of a Thursday announcement in which the network disclosed that it had given early 2007-2008 season pick-ups to 14 television series.
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"We have had a strong year," said ABC entertainment president Stephen McPherson. "We are pleased that viewers have invested in new favorites along with our returning series. These shows provide us with a substantial foundation to make 2007-2008 our best schedule yet."
In addition to the five reality shows, ABC also announced early 2007-2008 pickups for America's Funniest Home Videos, Boston Legal, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Lost, Men In Trees, and Ugly Betty.
ABC had already previously announced America's Funniest Home Videos, Supernanny and Wife Swap's renewals in January. While The Bachelor's early renewal is somewhat unexpected given the show's spring edition has yet to even premiere, Dancing with the Stars and Extreme Makeover's renewals come as little surprise.
Monday night's premiere of Dancing with the Stars' fourth edition delivered the reality show's best-ever season premiere ratings, keeping the show on pace to remain as one of television's most popular programs. During this past fall's third season, Dancing with the Stars was the second most-watched program on television and the No. 1 unscripted series in both total viewers and the Adults 18-49 demographic (of course, it has however since lost both titles to American Idol). Its November finale was Dancing with the Stars' most-watched telecast ever, with an average audience of 27.5 million.
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Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has ranked No. 1 in its Sundays at 8PM time slot for the fourth season in a row in the Adults 18-49 demographic.
The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman -- starring Andy Baldwin, a 30-year-old U.S. Navy Lieutenant and undersea medical officer stationed in Pearl Harbor, HI -- is scheduled to premiere on Monday, April 2 at 9:45PM ET/PT and represents the series tenth installment. It hopes to build on the success of The Bachelor: Rome, which ranked second to NBC's Heroes among Adults 18-34, Women 18-34 and Teens 12-17 demographics when it aired last fall.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio