LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- ABC has locked in its scripted commitments for the 2009-10 season.
The news, which was confirmed to the site exclusively by network and studio sources, includes some adjustments to its previously indicated episode orders.
Newcomers "V" and "FlashForward" are set to film 12 and 23* total hours, respectively, both one episode shy of numbers reported earlier this fall. Come 2010 then the Alphabet will have eight new episodes of "V" (returning March 30) while "FlashForward" (returning March 4) will offer up 13* fresh installments.
At midseason, seven episodes of "The Deep End" and "Romantically Challenged" as well as eight hours of "Happy Town" are on tap.
As for its returning slate, "Grey's Anatomy" is set to film 24 episodes while "Desperate Housewives" and "Private Practice"* are booked for 23 hours.
The rest of its lineup - including "Castle," "The Middle," "Modern Family," "Cougar Town," "Ugly Betty" and "Brothers & Sisters" - currently have the standard full seasons of 22 episodes.
Rounding out the bunch then are "Lost" with 18, "The Forgotten" with 17* and "Scrubs" and "Better Off Ted" with 13 episodes apiece.
Sources however were quick to note that the option still exists to order additional episodes of several of the aforementioned series.
* [UPDATES: "Private Practice" will actually run 22 weeks with its two-hour presentation on December 3 counting as two episodes. "The Forgotten" will end up shooting 18 hours however only 17 will air. The original pilot, featuring Rupert Penry-Jones and Reiko Aylesworth, counts against its episodic commitment. And finally, "FlashForward" previously had a 24-episode commitment, not 25 as Daily Variety's erroneously reported back in October.]
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