HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - ABC is moving David E. Kelley's Sunday stalwart "The Practice" to 9 p.m. Mondays as part of a rejiggered midseason schedule that will also see Dick Wolf's new "Dragnet" bow on Sundays and "Alias" get a coveted post-Super Bowl push.

The shift shift starts Jan. 26 with the post-pigskin "Alias," ABC's critically hailed 9 p.m. Sunday series has been getting decent -- but not spectacular -- numbers. The stand-alone segment will guest star Ethan Hawke and serve as the introduction to a major story arc for the second half of the season.

In a surprise, "The Practice" will shift to 9 p.m. Monday the day after the Super Bowl, Jan. 27; it leads into new drama "Miracles." "Dragnet," which had been set to air Mondays, will instead move into the 10 p.m. Sunday slot now occupied by "The Practice," starting Feb. 2. The father-and-son archaeological drama "Veritas: The Quest" is still set to air Mondays at 8 p.m.

In addition, it looks as if ABC will schedule the reality special "Celebrity Mole" Wednesdays at 10 p.m. following "The Bachelor," starting next month. The network is looking at other time slots for rookie drama "MDs," which now airs in the slot.

The moves mean Wolf will now control two hours of primetime on Sundays (NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Dragnet"), while Kelley takes command again of two hours on Monday (Fox's "Boston Public" and "The Practice").

It also gives ABC a solid Monday anchor. Until now, the network had planned to launch an all-new block of dramas on the night -- a risky proposition for any broadcaster, but particularly for ABC, which is just starting to emerge from a Nielsen slump.

"We had a very long meeting (Tuesday) afternoon ... and took another hard look at Monday night," said ABC Entertainment Television Group chairman Lloyd Braun. "Ultimately, we were not comfortable launching three brand new dramas on one night."

Not surprisingly, the Kelley camp wasn't thrilled about ABC's decision to shift "The Practice" just as the show has regained momentum on Sunday nights.

"We are very concerned about this move," a spokeswoman for David E. Kelley Prods. said. "We are hoping that ABC will do everything in its power to support the show, which has garnered critical acclaim since its inception and has continually won its time slot."

What's more, it's known that Kelley's deal with ABC for "The Practice" includes a clause giving him the right to be consulted about any schedule shifts, with the network retaining the right to make changes even over Kelley's objections. However, Kelley apparently wasn't told about the decision until Tuesday evening -- after it was made and just hours before it was announced to the press, industry insiders said.

Braun said ABC had met its contractual obligations and noted that "'The Practice' is an incredibly important asset for us. We've treated it with great care in the past, and we'll continue to treat it with great care in the future."

Nonetheless, Braun added that "at the time in the life of 'The Practice,' we think it's strong enough to bring its audience over to Mondays at 9. It would be nice if we lived in a world where we didn't have to move shows that are working. But we live in a time where we want to rebuild the network quickly, and we want to be a very profitable business quickly."

By moving "The Practice," ABC assures itself "a very competitive position on Monday night," Braun said. "And from what we've seen of 'Dragnet,' that show has a huge upside on Sundays."

Indeed, the move gives "Dragnet" a much better chance to find an audience. It now faces the critically acclaimed but modestly performing "Boomtown," as well as the final hour of the struggling CBS Sunday Movie. It had been set to square off against "Everybody Loves Raymond" on CBS and NBC's resurgent "Third Watch."

"I am thrilled down to my toes," said "Dragnet" executive producer Dick Wolf. "As one of the great complainers about time slots, I have no complaints."

Still, the plan is risky since ABC could end up weakening two nights -- Sunday and Monday -- if any one element goes wrong. It also will have to move "The Practice" in the fall once Monday Night Football returns and reclaims the 9 p.m. slot.

As for "Alias," Braun said series creator J.J. Abrams "has come up with one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen.