Tuesday, at ABC’s winter Television Critics Association panel, the network’s head honcho, Stephen McPherson, gave reporters some good news: they have officially picked up Modern Family, Cougar Town and The Middle for second seasons.

He also acknowledged that they were disappointed with Ugly Betty’s performance on Friday nights and they’re hoping it will do better in its new Wed. 10 p.m. time slot. He told reporters, “We still love that show.” Hopefully, that means that it won’t get canceled anytime soon.

Apparently, they feel the same way about Castle and also plan to keep that show, which has struggled as well, around. He added that Heat Wave, the second Nikki Heat book from Richard Castle, is planned for a September 2010 release.

As far as fan faves Scrubs and Better Off Ted, they aren’t dead yet. “I love those shows,” said McPherson. “I did resurrect Scrubs, so I would hope that there’s a potential that that could grow, but I’m not going to lie and say those numbers are working for us.” A decision on the fate of both Scrubs and B.O.T. will be made when the current string of episodes ends later this month. But don’t hold your breath for another season, my guess is, they’re both dead.

Better Off Ted premiered earlier this year on ABC and was renewed for a second season due to good ratings.  The second season kicked off this past week on December 8^th and the show is slated for a full thirteen more episodes.  The show follows Scurbs’ timeslot, a strategy that ABC hopes will bring in even more viewers.

The premise of the show deals with absurd and crazy interactions in the fake technology company of Veridian Dynamics.  The main character, Ted Crisp (Jay Harrington), is also the show’s narrator.  The show employs him breaking the fourth wall, speaking directly to viewers, offering funny comments and observations while the show continues around him.  While some might not like being talked to during a show, I think it’s a useful strategy, especially in a comedy.

The show also parodies commercials and puts them to use for Veridian.  These are often tied in with the show’s episodic themes, usually twisting the truth or spinning negative aspects to their own benefit.  It’s actually a very unique part of the show and plays well to the sarcastic viewers.

Cast members include Portia de Rossi as Veronica Palmer, Ted’s boss.  While she once had an office affair with Ted, her feelings for him are quite ambivalent.  De Rossi’s character has her own problems, constantly battling with her sister and father.

It’s a funny show and if you like sarcastic, satirical stuff, then this is for you.  Better Off Ted airs on ABC at 9:30/8:30 on Tuesdays.  If you miss the original airing of episodes, you can watch then at the following sites:

• ABC.com
  The official site to catch all the latest episodes of Better Off Ted (in HD) as well as other ABC shows. The first episode, which aired on December 8th, has already been uploaded.  Also you can find short clips and a cool segment called Lab Talk.
• Hulu.com
  Popular online site is like an online DVR. Subscribe to a wide array of shows and their player is also in HD. Hulu will post the episodes as soon as ABC does.  Unlike ABC, Hulu has the last five aired episodes uploaded, so one can feasibly go back and watch the season one finale then watch the season two premiere.
• Imdb.com
  Not only can you watch the latest few episodes but you can also find out exactly who the actors are. The video player is linked to Hulu so viewing is high quality.  Like Hulu, IMDB has the last five episodes online.
• Sling.com
  This site is like Hulu except a little younger. If you have a Slingbox account, you can stream content from the Slingbox to your computer.  Sling also has the last five aired episodes uploaded.

In last night’s season finale of Scrubs, J.D. (Zach Braff) ponders endings. “Endings are never easy,” he says. “I always build them up so much in my head, they can’t possibly live up to my expectations, and I just end up disappointed.”

My Finale takes us through J.D.’s last day at Sacred Heart before moving to be closer to his baby son. J.D. (and the audience) gets closure with all of the people in his life, his girlfriend Elliot, Dr. Cox Turk and even his nemesis the janitor. It was a fitting goodbye for a show that has struggled to stay alive since its first season at NBC.

As we’ve mentioned, even though Braff is moving on, that doesn’t necessarily mean the show is over. Show runners are in serious talks with ABC about continuing the series without Braff. The problem is that none of the other actors are under contract any longer and several have already been cast in new pilots for the fall season. There is speculation that if the show does return, it will focus on hostile intern Denise (Eliza Coupe). The reboot of the series may breathe new life into it and actually attract new viewers who never warmed up to Braff’s antics. Either way, fans will likely be satisfied with last night’s finale.

Scrubs was followed by the season finale of Better Off Ted, another sitcom whose future hangs in the balance. Better Off Ted is loved by critics but didn’t pick up the following ABC had hoped for (following Scrubs may have hurt the series more than it helped it).

In the episode, Get Happy, Veridian Dynamics conducts an employee survey that reveals a drop in morale. The survey also reveals that the employees find Veronica (Portia de Rossi) way too intimidating while most employees give Ted (Jay Harrington) an excellent rating. Upon receiving the news about Ted’s positive score, Veronica quips, “Oh brother, look out Jesus.” Veridian Dynamic also decides to “assign” personalities to their employees, dressing their cubicles in themes like cats and outer space. When Linda (a cat) decides to sit with the outer spacers, the other cats turn against her but of course, in the end, Ted helps the office resume some semblance of normalcy. Hopefully, ABC will have the sense to keep Ted but if not, I hope De Rossi at least gets an Emmy nom for her performance as Veronica, her deadpan portrayal as the uptight boss is spot on.

Better Off Ted premiered last night on ABC in the 8:30 timeslot after Scrubs.  As we had mentioned, the show received rave reviews from critics and as it turned out, it was all true! The series centers around Ted, played by Jay Harrington, who is the head of research and development for a huge corporation, Veridian Dynamics. Basically, the company’s philosophy is that no idea is too unethical as long as it will make the company money. Ted’s boss Veronica, played brilliantly by Portia de Rossi, is the personification of the company’s lack of morality. She lives to make Veridian Dynamic money, with a complete lack of sensitivity and morality.

The voice of reason, in an office that seems completely unreasonable, is Linda, one of ted’s employee’s, who is the only person in the office that seems to questions VD’s actions, like cryogenically freezing employees, creating itchy, uncomfortable chairs that increase worker productivity, and turning pumpkins into weapons. The other moral touchstone in Ted’s life is his 6-year-old daughter whom he is raising alone after her mother “left to go save the world”. As he tells her about his work dilemmas, she reminds him of the difference between right and wrong. The relationship between Ted and his daughter and his relationship with Linda (which borders on the romantic but Ted won’t go there because he already used his one allotted “office affair” with Veronica) keep the show centered. Like Pushing Daisies or Eli Stone, there is an absurd sensibility to Better Off Ted but there are also these touches of normal, found in his relationship with daughter and Linda, that may help Ted find a wider audience.

The series premiered to a decent audience of  5.6 million (and that was against American Idol). Hopefully, the show’s clever scripts and perfect casting will bring back viewers and Ted can avoid the fate of ABC’s other risky ventures.

So many mid-season TV shows debuting, so little time. This month kicks-off mid-season madness as the networks premiere a slew of new shows. Here’s a look at what is in store from ABC.

Wednesday, the alphabet network  debuts Better Off Ted, an office comedy set in a huge corporation. Star Portia de Rossi says, “Better Off Ted is kind of like a crazy [show] about a very moral guy who works in this very immoral, giant corporation.” The show is getting great reviews and will follow Scrubs which will hopefully give it a fighting chance to survive into next season.

Cupid, about a guy who claims he is actually Cupid, premieres on March 31st. The show, starring Bobby Cannavale and Sarah Paulson, is the second try at this concept by producer Rob Thomas whose first stab at the show lasted only 13 episodes back in the late 90s. The critics, so far, aren’t crazy about this update.

The Unusuals, premiering April 8th, is about “a motley crew of New York detectives split their time between solving crimes and working out their wacky personal problems.” The show has an impressive cast including Amber Tamblyn as a rookie detective just promoted from undercover-hooker work and Jeremy Renner (Angel) as her hot but unsympathetic new partner. So far the show has gotten a lot of positive buzz but its unclear how the audience will react to this offbeat cop drama.

Finally, the second episode of Castle is on tonight and if you missed last week’s don’t miss tonight. The show stars Nathan Fillon as a millionaire playboy mystery author and Stana Katic, as an edgy N.Y. detective. The two have great chemistry and the story is fresh, its definitely worth setting your Tivo!