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GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: October 19, 2013

GOOD WEEK: FRESHMAN COMEDIES
In a fall where 13 new comedies premiered, it has been tough for any to break through but a number of them got good news this week. Mom, The Crazy Ones, and The Millers got full season orders. Brooklyn Nine-Nine got a full season order AND the much coveted post-Super Bowl slot. The Goldbergs, Sean Saves the World, and Trophy Wife got additional script orders, and Dads, and Back in the Game were up week-to-week (along with The Millers and Sean). Aside from Welcome to the Family, which was cancelled on Friday and The Michael J. Fox Show, every new comedy had at least one thing to be happy about this week.

BAD WEEK: ABC THURSDAY AT 8PM
Since Ugly Betty in the mid 2000s, this slot has been a huge disaster for ABC. Just since Fall of 2009, FlashForward, The Deep End, My Generation, Charlie's Angels, Missing, Last Resort, and Zero Hour have failed here. Now the new Once Upon a Time in Wonderland had a middling 1.7 demo debut that fell hard to a 1.2 this week so it looks like it will join the list. ABC has tried remakes, spinoffs, procedurals, thrillers, and event shows in this slot. But one constant is they've all been dramas. CBS and NBC already have comedies in the hour and FOX has The X Factor so I think ABC needs to either move an existing and established drama like Castle to the hour or try a new dramedy or reality show. Another drama off the line including any of their midseason options will not cut it.

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