Here are my midseason thoughts for ABC! ABC has American Idol coming in March and a lot of shows on the bench. I think they could go a lot of ways but this is my suggestion.
MONDAY
(Jan)
8:00 (Jan) The Bachelor/(Mar) Dancing with the Stars
10:00 The Good Doctor
(Apr)
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
9:30 American Idol
10:00 Deception
I know American Idol is going to dominate the midseason schedule but I think ABC needs to hedge its bets with that show. I'm not convinced it will be the hit ABC is hoping for because I don't think anyone is ready for or excited about a return of Idol, it's just too soon. So I think ABC's main Monday focus should be fall hit The Good Doctor by having it paired first with The Bachelor then with Dancing with the Stars. Then in April, after The Good Doctor's season is complete, I would air just half an hour of Idol results shows and lead that into the new Deception.
TUESDAY
8:00 The Middle
8:30 (Jan) Fresh Off the Boat/(Feb) Alex, Inc.
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 (Jan) The Mayor/(Feb) Fresh Off the Boat
10:00 (Jan) Kevin (Probably) Saves the World/(Mar) Shark Tank
I would leave Tuesdays alone in January, but then in February I would cancel The Mayor and move Fresh Off the Boat to 9:30pm to make room for Alex, Inc. I would also eventually cancel Kevin (Probably) Saves the World and move Shark Tank temporarily here since Sundays will be tied up.
WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 (Jan/May) Speechless/(Mar) Roseanne
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 American Housewife
10:00 (Jan) Designated Survivor/(Apr) Quantico
I would leave Wednesdays alone until March when I would run Roseanne for eight weeks in the 8:30pm slot. Yes it's a revival but why not give it a protected slot? It's not like Speechless is doing boffo numbers. Designated Survivor is Quantico 2.0 with its ratings so why not eventually replace it with a very late spring start for Quantico, which was inexplicably renewed for a third season.
THURSDAY
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 (Jan) Scandal/(Apr) Untitled Grey's Anatomy Spinoff
10:00 (Jan) How to Get Away with Murder/(Mar) For the People
Thursdays will and should remain a Shonda night while Shonda is still making shows for ABC (this is it with her Netflix move). I would replaced How to Get Away with Murder with For the People in March. I would then replace Scandal with the Grey's Anatomy spinoff in April.
FRIDAY
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
10:00 20/20
This is the hole ABC has dug itself into and I don't think there's anything they can do this season about it. So they'll have to keep Once Upon a Time and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (returning in December). They'll have to tackle this night in 2018-19.
SUNDAY
(Jan)
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 Shark Tank
9:00 Specials/Encores
(Mar)
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 American Idol
10:00 The Crossing
I would not do much with Sundays in January but then after the Oscars, premiere American Idol and following it with high concept new drama The Crossing at 10pm. This seems like a pretty likely scenario.
DURING OLYMPICS: The Bachelor: Winter Games
ENDING/CANCEL: Ten Days in the Valley, Marvel's Inhumans, The Toy Box
SAVE FOR SUMMER: Splitting Up Together, Dancing with the Stars Junior
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