Back in 2004, ABC reinvented themselves and topped the ratings with new shows such as Desperate Housewives and Lost, but in recent years the network has struggled to stay afloat as the ratings continued to plunge. This past season alone, ABC canceled 8 dramas, leaving 5 returning series -- and big gaps to fill in the primetime schedule. Can they recover in the 2011-12 season? You may be surprised to hear that I believe the answer is yes!

From the Charlie's Angels reboot and Once Upon a Time, to the chilling midseason dramas The River and Missing, an ambitious season awaits TV fans as ABC presents an impressive variety of new dramas.

Canceled Dramas:Brothers & Sisters, Detroit 1-8-7, No Ordinary Family, Off the Map and V. Previously canceled dramas include: The Gates, My Generation, The Whole Truth

Meet the New Dramas

Charlie's Angels
Bosley, Charlie and those lovely angels are back in this reboot of the classic '70s crime drama series. The three detectives working for the faceless Charlie in this version are: Abby, a trust fund baby who became world-class thief; Kate, a former Miami cop who lost her job and her fiancé all at once; Eve, a street racer with a mysterious past who joins the other two after their partner is murdered. They may all come from very different backgrounds, but these lovely ladies always get the job done and always have each other's backs.
Cast: Annie Ilonzeh as Kate Prince, Minka Kelly as Eve, Rachael Taylor as Abby Sampson and Ramon Rodriguez as Bosley.

Once Upon a Time
We all loved those fairy tales where in the end, the characters all lived happily ever after, but what if they didn't? In this imaginative new drama, Emma Swan, who was abandoned at birth, is contacted by Henry, the son she gave up for adoption years ago because he needs her help. Henry believes that Emma may actually be the missing daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, whom according to his fairytale book sent her away to protect her from the Evil Queen's curse. Although she doesn't believe Henry's theory, she finds herself drawn to Storybrooke, the town where her son lives. In Storybrooke, the magic has been forgotten, but these fairytale characters are alive and well -- under a curse and forced to live in this modern-day world and have no memory of their former lives. An epic battle between good vs. evil gets underway and Emma will have to accept who she really is in order to save those she loves from a fate worse than death.
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Sister Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold, Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina, Jamie Dornan as Sheriff Graham, Jared Gilmore as Henry, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/John Doe and Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie.

Pan Am
Welcome to the Jet Age! Travel back to the '60s where flying the friendly skies was considered a luxury and Pan Am had the biggest and best birds in the sky. Stewardesses were considered to be some of the most desirable women in the world, while pilots were considered the rock stars of the sky. In order to work for Pan Am, these lovely ladies were expected to be educated, cultured, refined, and trained to handle any situation. This drama centers around a group of pilots and stewardesses trying to stay afloat in this highly competitive world.
Cast: Christina Ricci as Maggie, Kelli Garner as Kate, Karine Vanasse as Colette, Margot Robbie as Laura, Jonah Lotan as Dean and Michael Mosley as Ted.

Revenge
The Hamptons represents extreme wealth and privilege, but behind those glossy mansions, skeletons have taken residence in every closet in the area. When her family loses everything, Emily Thorne takes up residence in the Hamptons and is looking to exact revenge on every single person responsible for ruining her life -- and she's going to enjoy every single moment.
Cast: Madeleine Stowe as Victoria Grayson, Emily Van Camp as Emily Thorne, Gabriel Mann as Nolan Ross, Henry Czerny as Conrad Grayson, Ashley Madekwe as Ashley Davenport, Nick Wechsler as Jack Porter, Josh Bowman as Daniel Grayson, Christa B. Allen as Charlotte Grayson and Connor Paolo as Declan Porter.

Good Christian Belles - Midseason
Amanda Vaughn was once the high school "mean girl," but when she is forced to move back to the town she terrorized as a teenager after a scandal rocks her marriage. Although Amanda is nothing like the girl she was in high school, old habits die hard and memories never fade away. Will her old friends appear to welcome her back with open arms, or are they secretly plotting revenge?
Cast: Leslie Bibb as Amanda Vaughn, Kristin Chenoweth as Carlene Cockburn, Annie Potts as Gigi Stopper, Jennifer Aspen as Sharon Peacham, Miriam Shor as Cricket Caruth-Reilly, Marisol Nichols as Heather Cruz, Brad Beyer as Zack Peacham, Mark Deklin as Blake Reilly and David James Elliott as Ripp Cockburn.

Missing - Midseason
When former CIA agent Becca Winstone learns that her son has gone missing while studying abroad, she heads overseas to begin a search for her missing son. As she races against time to locate her son, we soon realize that Becca will stop at nothing and leave no stone unturned to locate her son... no matter how dangerous her mission becomes or how many rules she must break.
Cast: Ashley Judd as Becca Winstone, Sean Bean as Paul Winstone, Cliff Curtis as Dax, Adriano Giannini as Giancarlo, Nick Eversman as Michael Winstone and Tereza Voriskova as Oksana.

The River - Midseason
Wildlife expert and TV personality Dr. Emmet Cole went in search for magic deep in the uncharted Amazon, but never returned. When Dr. Cole's emergency beacon goes off, his wife and son, along with a television crew, go hunting for answers about Cole's mysterious disappearance and wind up on the adventure of their lives as they go deep into the unknown.
Cast: Bruce Greenwood as Emmet Cole, Joe Anderson as Lincoln Cole, Paul Blackthorne as Clark, Paulina Gaitan as Jahel, Leslie Hope as Tess Cole, Eloise Mumford as Lena, Shaun Parkes as Adjay, Thomas Kretschmann as Captain Kurt Brynildson and Daniel Zacapa as Emilio.

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