Grey’s Anatomy will switch from Sunday nights to Thursday nights in the US next season, ABC confirmed today at its upfronts presentation.

The bold move will see the acclaimed medical drama go head-to-head with ratings heavyweight CSI on CBS in the 9pm hour.

It will also serve as the lead-in to JJ Abrams’ hotly anticipated new drama Six Degrees - slotted for 10pm - but itself has a potentially shaky lead-in in the form of new comedies Big Day and Notes From The Underbelly.

Both Desperate Housewives and Lost stay put on Sundays and Wednesdays at 9pm respectively, although the latter will have a new, fan-pleasing scheduling model encompassing a first batch of seven new consecutive episodes in September and then the remaining number - again, airing consecutively - in Feburary or March.

New Ron Rifkin / Calista Flockhart drama Brothers & Sisters has landed Grey’s former slot – Sundays at 10pm, prime real estate with Housewives as a lead-in. The Nine replaces Invasion after Lost on Wednesdays.

Returning for a third season, Dancing With The Stars switches from Thursdays/Fridays to Tuesdays/Wednesdays while, as expected, Mondays remain an mostly unscripted affair. Wife Swap takes the 8pm slot, while The Bachelor and Supernanny share 9pm. What About Brian closes the night.

A risky strategy on Fridays sees new comedy Betty The Ugly in the 8pm hour and new drama Men In Trees at 9, both ahead of veteran newsmag 20/20.

More: Click here for the list of returning and axed shows, here for a preview of the new series in the lineup and here for a night-by-night breakdown of the new schedule.