I am still in the dark on “Samantha Who?,” but by more than one account, the only thing “Suburbia” will be surviving… is suburbia.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/

A source close to the show said that if picked up, the comedy will be filmed with three cameras simultaneously to cut down on production time. In its first three seasons, “Samantha” employed two cameras.

Despite rumors that the show may switch to a multi-camera format, “Samantha” does not plan to move to filming on stage, keeping its current sets and its single-camera look.
Even if “Samantha” stays single-camera, ABC’s entertainment chief Stephen McPherson has been looking to get multi-camera comedies back on the network that once dominated the genre with shows like “Roseanne.”

Another ABC series exploring the idea is veteran “Scrubs.”

“Scrubs” coming back as a multi-cam would be lolarious after that rancid episode they did with Clay Aiken that mocked the entire format.

“If ABC’s comedy “Samantha Who” returns for a third season, it will be made a little differently.

Sources said the network is looking to add cameras when filming the amnesia comedy starring Christina Applegate.

As a renewal condition for “Samantha,” the network has asked the show’s producers at ABC Studios to slash $500,000 from its per-episode budget.

A source close to the show said that if picked up, the comedy will be filmed with three cameras simultaneously to cut down on production time. In its first three seasons, “Samantha” employed two cameras.

Despite rumors that the show may switch to a multi-camera format, “Samantha” does not plan to move to filming on stage, keeping its current sets and its single-camera look.

The networks have been very cost-conscious this year amid the economic downturn and softening ratings. Once a hot prospect when it launched in 2007 after “Dancing with the Stars,” “Samantha” has cooled off this season. Its recent trial run in the Thursday 8 p.m. time slot was cut short because of low ratings.

The show was created by novelist Cecelia Ahern and TV writer Don Todd, who is running the series.

Even if “Samantha” stays single-camera, ABC’s entertainment chief Stephen McPherson has been looking to get multi-camera comedies back on the network that once dominated the genre with shows like “Roseanne.”

Another ABC series exploring the idea is veteran “Scrubs.”

I think its stupid for ABC to save Scrubs! I mean only 4 million people watch the show what do you expect next season! 2-3 million viewers!

According to insiders, the Alphabet net and sister ABC Studios are considering shooting “Samantha” much like 20th Century Fox TV produces “How I Met Your Mother” for CBS.

In the case of “Mother,” the show is shot on a soundstage with multiple cameras, but over the course of four days and sans a studio audience. That way, “Mother” can still employ some of the tricks of a single-camera comedy – but on a multi-camera budget.

By shifting to multi-camera, and making other changes, ABC is hoping to shave as much as $500,000 off the “Samantha Who” budget.

Other sources said ABC had been tossing around the same idea for “Scrubs,” which is expected to also return next season – potentially in a different form.

“Samantha Who” performed decently for ABC on Monday nights, particularly when it was sandwiched between reality hits “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Bachelor.” But the show saw its audience diminish greatly once it moved to Thursdays this midseason.

ABC still has seven episodes in the can for “Samantha,” which means the net also wouldn’t have to pick up a full 22 episodes for next season. Show was yanked two weeks earlier than expected this spring.

“Samantha Who” stars Christina Applegate as a woman whose outlook on life changes after she develops amnesia. Jennifer Esposito, Kevin Dunn, Melissa McCarthy, Tim Russ, Barry Watson and Jean Smart star.

Show, which recently finished its second season, was created by Cecelia Ahern and Donald Todd; Todd and Peter Traugott are exec producers.

Several episodes of Castle are up at ABC.com

@bob, who said they’re putting Castle on Fridays? I seriously doubt that. They’d probably cancel it first.

Im thinking mid season on Wednesdays at 8 or 9, considering Wednesdays is a deadzone for ABC anyway, it cant make wednesdays any worse, so ABC might as well try it, but NOT FRIDAY! PLEASE!

CASTLE 100% (for 13 episodes initially)
SAMANTHA WHO? 50%
SCRUBS 50%
BETTER OFF TED 40%
SURVIVING SUBURBIA 0% (ABC doesn’t own it, and they can slot any comedy here and get same numbers)
CUPID 0%
THE UNUSUALS 0%
IN THE MOTHERHOOD 0%

Basically, Castle is a lock, and the three ABC comedies all have good shots of getting 13 episode initial orders to fill scheduling cracks.

Though if I were personally scheduling the net, I’d cancel the whole damn list – I doubt any of these end up on the 10/11 schedule.

CASTLE 100%
SAMANTHA WHO? 95%
SURVIVING SUBURBIA 65%
BETTER OFF TED 75%
CUPID 0%
THE UNUSUALS 0%
IN THE MOTHERHOOD 0%
SCRUBS 50%

Castle and Samantha Who are definitely coming back. Surviving Suburbia is likely to return too in my opinion. Also while Ted’s ratings are garbage, a number of websites have reported that along with Scrubs (unfortunately), Ted is a top contender for renewal. The Unusuals, Cupid and In the Motherhood have 0 chance of returning, and if 1 were to come back out of the 3 it would be Unusuals, but its definitely gone.

As a viewer, I’d hate to see just 13 episodes a season of Desperate Housewives, Gossip Girl, Ugly Betty, etc.

I’m glad Castle is probably going to be renewed, it’s a fun show. I wish Scrubs would just die, that was a great finale and I’m not interested in watching a next generation type thing.

Anyway, go Castle, go! I so hope they renew it.

As for Castle, I’ve been impressed by it all the way through and have been very pleased it’s done so well in the last two weeks because for a while, it did look like it was “one and done”. So I’m very pleased that both Bill and Robert have put it top of the list. As for Samantha Who, I have no idea what’s going with it in terms of when ABC are showing it. It went on hiatus, then they showed a few episodes and it’s gone again. Doesn’t look good.

Castle’s decent enough, not compelling but watchable at a pinch: it’ll probably come back. Cupid’s toast. They’ll probably renew Scrubs, and fans will wish they hadn’t. Ted’s probably gone. Samantha Who? is the sprightliest of the bunch, and even if it’s expensive, it’s the closest thing to a successful comedy in ABC’s arsenal. Suburbia? Let’s just say that Sagat can be kept busy on HIMYM.

My guess is another limited run behind The Bachelor inbetween the fall and spring DWTS.

Why mess with success?

“Castle” and “True Beauty” are no-brainer renewals. ABC launched no hits this season. These two were the closest things to hits they did launch. I guess that just shows that Monday 10:00 is a good time slot for them.

“Better Off Ted” pleased the “Scrubs” audience and scored all the same demos with the same appeal to advertisers. ABC has gone so many years without a funny comedy. It’s time to fix that. They’re not better off without Ted.

“Scrubs”… ugh. Well, whatever. As long as “Ted” comes back with it.

“Samantha Who?” is the network’s second-best comedy (which is saying little), but I’ve heard they’re paying through the nose for it. Treating it as badly as they did this season (20 episodes but 13 aired, with a nearly 4 month hiatus in the middle of the season) doesn’t exactly send me the message that they’re looking to bring it back. Maybe if McPherson develops amnesia or something.

“Surviving Suburbia” is complete trash. It’s my understanding that ABC got it for a bargain basement price, but you get what you pay for. As noted in the comedies already, ABC does seem to agree with us that it’s complete trash. I thought it would get a 13-episode pickup a month ago. I don’t now.

“Cupid” I don’t think is a bad show for its particular genre (rom com), but ABC clearly cancelled it before it premiered. (And it’s bombed.)

“The Unusuals” is a bad show for any genre. It took me 4 sittings to make it through 1 episode. I don’t think there is one single thing in this show that works. (And it’s bombed.)

“In the Motherhood”… let’s just say no-talent writing producers Jennifer Konner and Alexandra Rushfield and no-talent non-writing producer Stu Bloomberg should all send personal notes of apology to David Lang for screwing up his web series this badly. And then all of them should have their careers aborted. A stillborn waste of airtime.

“Homeland Security USA” was an OK show but didn’t perform well (obviously, since it was “American Idol” cannon fodder). One season is sufficient.

“According to Jim” is… finally done.

I think it would be amusing if Bill and Robert were running ABC. They would of course renew “Surviving Suburbia” and cancel “Better Off Ted” — and then every critic in the country would have a field day with them.

Samantha Who?
—75% My feeling is that they will pick this up because they seem to like it, and they don’t have anything better.

Better Off Ted
—55% This makes the least sense, but it got numbers close to Scrubs, and they *seemed* to want that one back with cast departures, so…

Surviving Suburbia
—35% Decent ratings, but they don’t seem to be behind it. Could they realize its another ATJ? They finally cut the cord with that one, so I doubt they want to relive a situation like that again so soon.

The Unusuals
—0% ABC may want a cop drama as many suggest… but this ain’t it.

Cupid
—0% Retention doesn’t help when your demo is mid 1s… or when you can brag about beating The Unusuals retention.

In The Motherhood
—0% Nope.