RENEWAL ALERT: Modern Family, The Middle, Grey's Anatomy, Castle, Suburgatory, Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Shark Tank, Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor

After NBC and FOX dominated the week with renewals, pickups, and cancellations, ABC is now getting in the game ahead of next week's pickups. None of these pickups were surprising and have been rumored for weeks but made official today.

Up first are existing tentpole shows - Modern Family, The Middle, Grey's Anatomy, and Castle. Family and Middle are back for a fourth season, Castle for a fifth, and Grey's for a ninth. All these shows are cornerstones to ABC's lineup and Family, Middle, and Grey's are 99% certain to return exactly where they are. We'll see if Castle continues to hold down the Monday 10pm slot or if ABC will opt to give that to a new show and move Castle to another night.

Also renewed were three freshman hits - Suburgatory, Once Upon a Time, and Revenge. Suburgatory fit so perfectly into ABC's Wednesday lineup and seems to be the absolute perfect partner to The Middle that ABC was looking for over the last two years. Once Upon a Time emerged as one of the top dramas on any network as it surprised many by starting and then especially by staying hot all season. With this, ABC has a new Sunday anchor show just as Desperate Housewives is ending. Revenge inherited a death slot for ABC (Wednesday at 10pm) and not only performed respectably but became one of the buzziest shows of the year. Some think it may move to another night but I think ABC should keep it exactly where it is.

Also renewed was an unscripted trio Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor, and Shark Tank. Dancing and Bachelor have been big players on Mondays for a long time as The Bachelor annually splits the two editions of Dancing. Shark Tank has been a success on Friday nights by Friday standards as it skews young and repeats decently. It is now picked up for a full season as ABC is almost certainly planning to keep it on Fridays.

Still on the bubble are Happy Endings, Last Man Standing, Scandal, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Body of Proof, Private Practice, and GCB. There has been positive buzz on all those shows for renewals today except GCB. TBS announced yesterday that it will pick up Cougar Town for a fourth season, ending its ABC tenure.

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