Continuing my week of schedule suggestions, today is ABC!
ABC is continuing to have a pretty modest run and the instant future doesn't look all that promising. Its biggest hit is Grey's Anatomy, which will be entering Season 16. Their entire comedy block is starting to crumble. Modern Family is ending next year, The Goldbergs is aging, and the Tuesday comedy block except for The Conners is a mess. On the positive side, The Conners did not fall on its face even if it didn't reach Roseanne heights, A Million Little Things became a decent performer once it moved to Thursdays at 9pm, and American Idol is still capable of being a player. But it's been a long time since ABC had a breakout hit. They need that desperately.
Past ABC suggestions: 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
For a list of ABC pilots, click here
MONDAYS
8:00 THE BAKER AND THE BEAUTY
9:00 The Good Doctor
10:00 The Rookie
I think it's time to get some more prime drama slots on ABC and I think that means moving their reality night to Sunday at least for fall and spring (I'm not quite sure what to do about The Bachelor because that really should stay on Mondays in the winter). I read the script to The Baker and the Beauty and I really liked it. I think it could be an interesting starter on Monday if marketed well. I think The Good Doctor should move to 9pm but rather than lead into a new drama, I would lead into the new season of The Rookie in Nathan Fillion's old Castle timeslot. The Rookie has good DVR numbers and could benefit from a better lead-in.
TUESDAYS
8:00 The Conners
8:30 NANA
9:00 UNTITLED HANK STEINBERG/50 CENT
10:00 NYPD BLUE
Tuesdays have been a mess all season, but especially since The Conners ended its season. Aside from The Conners, I think they should go back to the drawing board. Multi-cam comedy Nana starring Katey Sagal seems like a good companion. I would try another new drama at 9pm, maybe the 50 Cent drama? It's not a match with the comedies but it would be gritty like the show I'm proposing to follow it, the reboot of NYPD Blue in the slot it occupied from 1993-2005.
WEDNESDAYS
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 Schooled
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 HAPPY ACCIDENT
10:00 Station 19
Wednesdays are less of a problem than Tuesdays, but impending problems are coming with Modern Family entering its final season and The Goldbergs getting up there in age. My thought is though to worry about Tuesdays and let Wednesdays be next season's problem. I would try a new comedy after Modern one more time, maybe Happy Accident. Station 19 should not be getting back the 9pm slot on Thursday but I also don't think it deserves to be cancelled. I would try it at 10pm Wednesdays.
THURSDAYS
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 A Million Little Things
10:00 UNTIL THE WEDDING
This move leans more into A Million Little Things than the old TGIT brand. Million absolutely deserves to come back to the 9pm slot after its January move there improved its ratings significantly from its previous Wednesday home. I can't imagine ABC wouldn't do that. I would follow it with another dramedy. The Baker and the Beauty is certainly an option here, but I would try Until the Wedding, which seems like it might be less of a self-starter but compatible with Million.
FRIDAYS
8:00 Fresh Off the Boat
8:30 American Housewife
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 Bless This Mess
10:00 20/20
I'm not sure about this one and contemplated Shark Tank returning to Fridays, but I think they should try one time to do a full TGIF block with four family-friendly comedies. They might be able to market it better than the one hour block they did this year. None of these shows have done all that well, but let's put them together on a different night for one year and see what happens. Maybe it will work on a lower pressure night.
SATURDAYS
8:00 College Football
SUNDAYS
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
10:00 Shark Tank
I'm OK with ABC leaning into Sunday as an unscripted night and I think it's time for Dancing with the Stars to move away from The Voice and air on Sundays leading into Shark Tank. It should be a seamless transition to American Idol in the spring. But what to do about The Bachelor?
MIDSEASON: THE HYPNOTIST'S LOVE STORY, NEW YORK UNDERCOVER, UNTITLED LESLIE ODOM JR. PROJECT, WOMAN UP, American Idol, The Bachelor, The Great American Baking Show, The Great Christmas Light Fight, How to Get Away with Murder, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Single Parents
As always, ABC has a ton of shows. Some of these are limited winter runs while others like Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. could be held for summer again. I think How to Get Away with Murder should get a shortened final season announcement and run uninterrupted starting in February or March. The Untitled Leslie Odom Jr. project could take over when The Conners ends its 13 episode season.
CANCELLED/ENDED: The Alec Baldwin Show, Child Support, Dancing with the Stars Junior, The Fix, For the People, The Kids Are Alright, Speechless, Splitting Up Together, Whiskey Cavalier
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