Here are my thoughts on ABC's midseason schedule!
MONDAYS
8:00 (Jan) The Bachelor/(Mar) Dancing with the Stars
10:00 (Jan) Still Star-Crossed/(Mar) Time After Time
Obviously The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars should and will continue to occupy 8-10pm. Conviction has been a big bomb and ABC is completely wasting the slot if it stays there when The Bachelor launches in early January. I don't love ABC's midseason offerings but I would give Still Star-Crossed a chance because it could get sampled after The Bachelor. When Dancing with the Stars comes back, I would try Time After Time which is a tough sell but needs to be given a chance.
TUESDAYS
8:00 The Middle
8:30 American Housewife
9:00 Fresh Off the Boat
9:30 Downward Dog/Imaginary Mary
10:00 (Jan) The Toy Box /(Mar) Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Tuesday comedy lineup is working for the most part but I am just not sold on The Real O'Neals at all and I think ABC needs to give new shows a chance somewhere even though Downward Dog is high concept and Imaginary Mary looks like a dud. I'd let them share the 9:30pm slot in some way during the spring (and I would give one or both Weds preview premieres). At 10pm, I would let Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have a break like they did last year and try reality show The Toy Box at 10pm. It will be a tough place to succeed but ABC should not be launching any new dramas in this slot so I think this is an option.
WEDNESDAYS
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 Speechless
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 Black-ish
10:00 Designated Survivor
Wednesdays are working well and I would leave them alone. Designated Survivor is a little bit tricky because I'm sure it wouldn't repeat well but I don't think an extended break would do this show any favors so I would rather seem them air a run of episodes then maybe two weeks of specials followed by another run, etc. This is a show that needs to have several weeks in a row airing together.
THURSDAYS
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 Scandal
10:00 (Jan) How to Get Away with Murder/(Mar) The Catch
We all know Scandal is coming back in January and it can't come soon enough for ABC following the failed run of Notorious in this slot. It's time to turn this into a Shonda night again and get the gang back together again. When How to Get Away with Murder ends its season, Still Star-Crossed is an option but I would go with The Catch's second season run instead because I think after The Bachelor is a better place to launch Still Star-Crossed but this should stay a Shonda night.
FRIDAYS
8:00 Last Man Standing
8:30 Dr. Ken
9:00 Shark Tank
10:00 20/20
Fridays have been fairly soft for ABC but I would leave it alone because they have made or need to make big changes on many other nights. They can address this night (particularly Dr. Ken) next season.
SUNDAYS
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 (Jan) Various Programming/(Mar) When We Rise
10:00 (Jan) Quantico/(Mar) American Crime
Sundays have been an epic disaster for ABC. I would burn through the Quantico episodes in January and February because that ship has sailed with the 0.6 demo last night. I guess I'd leave Once Upon a Time alone but the 2017-18 season should be an announced final one for the fantasy drama. I would launch the sweeping new When We Rise and the third season of American Crime on Sundays starting the week after the Oscars to see if ABC can come up with a "prestige" night.
CANCEL: Conviction, The Real O'Neals, Notorious
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