ABC sets 'Ugly Betty' return, season finales

By Rick Porter, Zap2It.com | March 16, 2009
America Ferrera of 'Ugly Betty'
America Ferrera of 'Ugly Betty'
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'Lost,' 'Grey's,' 'Housewives' all get two-hour finales

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)

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