FALL PREVIEW 2019: Wednesday

Here is my preview for Wednesday, a night with very few changes on any network.

ABC
8:00 The Goldbergs (7th season)
8:30 Schooled (2nd season)
9:00 Modern Family (11th season)
9:30 Single Parents (2nd season)
10:00 STUMPTOWN

ABC is keeping its comedy lineup entirely in tact and two sophomore shows will get another chance to air behind their anchor shows. One of those shows, Modern Family, is entering its 11th and final season. The one-time critical darling and ratings smash has waned a lot in recent years, but it still remains one of ABC's better performers in the demo. If The Big Bang Theory couldn't get a final year bump, I don't think that will happen here either but I still would have tried to do something to spark the night while Modern is still in the mix. The 10pm show is Stumptown starring Cobie Smulders. It seemed to be the only drama developed by ABC that they actually liked and has gotten a lot of promotion, but I'm still skeptical of its success chances.

CBS
8:00 Survivor (39th edition)
9:00 SEAL Team (3rd season)
10:00 S.W.A.T. (3rd season)

CBS is playing it very safe on Wednesday nights as they overhaul Mondays and Thursdays. Survivor returns to the same slot it has had since 2010. For the first time since 2004, Criminal Minds will not air on Wednesday nights in the fall. It will return for a short final season at some point. Instead, we have SEAL Team returning to 9pm. This makes absolutely no sense as the military drama has shown time and time again that it can't get a big audience. It got benched to 10pm in the spring but now it's back and I don't understand why. S.W.A.T. moves over from 10pm Thursday to 10pm Wednesday. It was a steady but low performer on Thursdays and that seems likely to continue here.

NBC
8:00 Chicago Med (5th season)
9:00 Chicago Fire (8th season)
10:00 Chicago PD (7th season)

NBC finally bit the bullet and went with an all-Chicago themed night they dubbed #OneChicago. It was a smashing success for them. Chicago Fire, the centerpiece to the night, was one of the few shows on all of broadcast to be up in ratings from the season before while Chicago Med and Chicago PD were down just ever so slightly. There was a definite synergy to the night for them and the many Chicago fans out there seemed quite happy with this programming. The night will return in tact for a second year even as the Chicago franchise ages another year (it's hard to believe Fire is already heading into Season 8). I would expect the shows to be down a little bit from last season but still be among the top drama performers on TV.

FOX
8:00 The Masked Singer (2nd season)
9:00 ALMOST FAMILY

The biggest surprise hit last season was The Masked Singer. FOX's competition show only aired through January and February, but was a smash and they are going all in on the show this year with a fall edition and then a spring edition starting immediately after the Super Bowl. We'll see if this was a flash in the pan and it might be a short-lived sensation but I do think the sensation will continue this fall and it will be a strong performer. It is followed by the drama Almost Family, which has gotten a better title than Not Just Me, which was its name at Upfronts. If this is like the early days of American Idol or The Voice, Almost Family could benefit just by being near The Masked Singer.

CW
8:00 Riverdale (4th season)
9:00 NANCY DREW

The CW is leaning in on the teen genre night with Riverdale, now entering its fourth season, and the new Nancy Drew. A few years ago when Riverdale surprisingly broke out after a summer airing on Netflix, this might have been a great pairing. But now Riverdale is not much of a draw anymore (maybe it still is on Netflix, but it's not on the CW) so I don't think Nancy Drew can be helped that much. I'm surprised the CW didn't give Nancy the 8pm slot to get the local lead-in and then slide the admittedly compatible Riverdale back to 9pm.

New Wednesday Show Survival Chances
Stumptown (ABC) - Fair. I like this show's chances better than Emergence, but I still don't feel great about it. I think ABC could be looking to a big development season considering the state of their lineup and pilots this fall.

Almost Family (FOX) - Good. I like this one's chances more because of The Masked Singer than because of this show. I'm high enough on Masked to think this will get enough of a halo to get a second season, unless they move it elsewhere at some point.

Nancy Drew (CW) - Fair. Never say never with the CW. They renewed In the Dark after all. So I could see this getting a second season but not because it's doing well in the ratings.

Check back tomorrow for Thursday!