ABC is the last of the big five broadcast networks to unveil their fall plans. They are adding three new series to the schedule (the most of any of the networks) and are following the ABC and CBS lead of not really coronavirus-proofing their schedule. None of their shows on the schedule have episodes in the can so they are banking on being able to resume filming in time to air new episodes at some point in the fall. Like the other networks, they readily admitted fall might not mean September this year. So time will tell which networks ended up being smarter - ABC/CBS/NBC or FOX/CW because they went with very different plans.
MONDAYS
8:00 Dancing with the Stars (29th edition)
10:00 The Good Doctor (4th season)
ABC Mondays look the same for a fourth consecutive year with Dancing with the Stars and The Good Doctor. These are shows that probably can find a way to go into production. Dancing with the Stars, like all competition shows, can be creative in how its presented and The Good Doctor won't look weird with a bunch of masks and social distancing because they can easily incorporate coronavirus into their plot if they choose to. It remains to be seen if Dancing will ever go back to two cycles a year.
TUESDAYS
8:00 The Bachelorette (16th edition)
10:00 BIG SKY
ABC had plans to air The Bachelorette this summer but that was obviously derailed so it will now air in the fall for the first time in its history (the first three editions aired in the winter before it became a summer franchise). They already have plans to begin filming in July with the cast and crew quarantining together. It will be followed by Big Sky, a dark David E. Kelley drama that received a series order ahead of time and therefore was not contingent on completing a pilot. At midseason, there are tentative plans for the return of Black-ish and Mixed-ish to the night and I wouldn't be surprised to see For Life return here as well.
WEDNESDAYS
8:00 The Goldbergs (8th season)
8:30 American Housewife (5th season)
9:00 The Conners (3rd season)
9:30 CALL YOUR MOTHER
10:00 Stumptown (2nd season)
For the first time since the 2008-09 season, the 9pm Wednesday slot does not belong to Modern Family as the iconic comedy came to an end this spring. Replacing it will be The Conners, which moves over from Tuesdays. It will lead into the one new comedy on the schedule, Call Your Mother starring Kyra Sedgwick. It was picked up without completing its pilot and was able to get a spot on the fall schedule over existing entries like Black-ish and Mixed-ish. The 8pm hour is The Goldbergs and American Housewife, which are well into their runs. The Goldbergs will be another interesting show to watch because there's no way they can incorporate coronavirus things into their story being set in the 80s. Ending the night is Stumptown, which struggled this year but still got a second season pickup and return to the same slot.
THURSDAYS
8:00 Station 19 (4th season)
9:00 Grey's Anatomy (17th season)
10:00 A Million Little Things (3rd season)
The three returning shows that aired on Thursday nights this past season are back. Station 19 has been held for midseason twice in its three year run but it will return in the fall after its strongest season yet in the ratings. It is followed by Grey's Anatomy, entering its 17th season. Grey's returns to the 9pm slot and will air at the same time as the other extremely long running drama, Law & Order: SVU on NBC. A Million Little Things returns at 10pm. This night might have been shaken up in a normal year but with everything going on, status quo is the popular choice.
FRIDAYS
8:00 Shark Tank (12th season)
9:00 20/20 (39th season)
ABC has tried comedies on Friday nights the past couple seasons but they are going back to their old formula of Shark Tank and 20/20, which has been the lineup since March. When Shark Tank moved back to the night just in time for everyone being quarantined, it saw the best ratings it had in awhile so it's no surprise that they chose to keep it on Friday and not send it back to Sundays.
SATURDAYS
8:00 College Football
... if there's college football!
SUNDAYS
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (31st season)
8:00 SUPERMARKET SWEEP
9:00 Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? (2nd season)
10:00 The Rookie (3rd season)
ABC is going mostly unscripted on Sunday with shows that are easily to replace with American Idol at midseason. America's Funniest Home Videos remains at 7pm while the new 8pm entry is the reboot of Supermarket Sweep hosted by Leslie Jones. It seems like it could be a better option than this past fall's failed Kids Say the Darndest Things. At 9pm is Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? which had a good quarantine run this spring and will go to a slot that use to house Millionaire many years ago. The Rookie returns at 10pm after a pretty strong second season in the ratings. It has already said it will address police brutality in its third season.
MIDSEASON: American Idol, The Bachelor, Black-ish, For Life, Mixed-ish
It is likely that ABC will add a few of their uncompleted pilots to this list once they are able to resume filming. Having read most of the ABC pilots, I have hopes for Prospect, Rebel, and Thirtysomething(else).
CANCELLED/ENDED: The Baker and the Beauty, Bless This Mess, Emergence, Fresh Off the Boat, How to Get Away with Murder, Kids Say the Darndest Things, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Modern Family, Schooled, Single Parents
MONDAYS
8:00 Dancing with the Stars (29th edition)
10:00 The Good Doctor (4th season)
ABC Mondays look the same for a fourth consecutive year with Dancing with the Stars and The Good Doctor. These are shows that probably can find a way to go into production. Dancing with the Stars, like all competition shows, can be creative in how its presented and The Good Doctor won't look weird with a bunch of masks and social distancing because they can easily incorporate coronavirus into their plot if they choose to. It remains to be seen if Dancing will ever go back to two cycles a year.
TUESDAYS
8:00 The Bachelorette (16th edition)
10:00 BIG SKY
ABC had plans to air The Bachelorette this summer but that was obviously derailed so it will now air in the fall for the first time in its history (the first three editions aired in the winter before it became a summer franchise). They already have plans to begin filming in July with the cast and crew quarantining together. It will be followed by Big Sky, a dark David E. Kelley drama that received a series order ahead of time and therefore was not contingent on completing a pilot. At midseason, there are tentative plans for the return of Black-ish and Mixed-ish to the night and I wouldn't be surprised to see For Life return here as well.
WEDNESDAYS
8:00 The Goldbergs (8th season)
8:30 American Housewife (5th season)
9:00 The Conners (3rd season)
9:30 CALL YOUR MOTHER
10:00 Stumptown (2nd season)
For the first time since the 2008-09 season, the 9pm Wednesday slot does not belong to Modern Family as the iconic comedy came to an end this spring. Replacing it will be The Conners, which moves over from Tuesdays. It will lead into the one new comedy on the schedule, Call Your Mother starring Kyra Sedgwick. It was picked up without completing its pilot and was able to get a spot on the fall schedule over existing entries like Black-ish and Mixed-ish. The 8pm hour is The Goldbergs and American Housewife, which are well into their runs. The Goldbergs will be another interesting show to watch because there's no way they can incorporate coronavirus things into their story being set in the 80s. Ending the night is Stumptown, which struggled this year but still got a second season pickup and return to the same slot.
THURSDAYS
8:00 Station 19 (4th season)
9:00 Grey's Anatomy (17th season)
10:00 A Million Little Things (3rd season)
The three returning shows that aired on Thursday nights this past season are back. Station 19 has been held for midseason twice in its three year run but it will return in the fall after its strongest season yet in the ratings. It is followed by Grey's Anatomy, entering its 17th season. Grey's returns to the 9pm slot and will air at the same time as the other extremely long running drama, Law & Order: SVU on NBC. A Million Little Things returns at 10pm. This night might have been shaken up in a normal year but with everything going on, status quo is the popular choice.
FRIDAYS
8:00 Shark Tank (12th season)
9:00 20/20 (39th season)
ABC has tried comedies on Friday nights the past couple seasons but they are going back to their old formula of Shark Tank and 20/20, which has been the lineup since March. When Shark Tank moved back to the night just in time for everyone being quarantined, it saw the best ratings it had in awhile so it's no surprise that they chose to keep it on Friday and not send it back to Sundays.
SATURDAYS
8:00 College Football
... if there's college football!
SUNDAYS
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (31st season)
8:00 SUPERMARKET SWEEP
9:00 Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? (2nd season)
10:00 The Rookie (3rd season)
ABC is going mostly unscripted on Sunday with shows that are easily to replace with American Idol at midseason. America's Funniest Home Videos remains at 7pm while the new 8pm entry is the reboot of Supermarket Sweep hosted by Leslie Jones. It seems like it could be a better option than this past fall's failed Kids Say the Darndest Things. At 9pm is Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? which had a good quarantine run this spring and will go to a slot that use to house Millionaire many years ago. The Rookie returns at 10pm after a pretty strong second season in the ratings. It has already said it will address police brutality in its third season.
MIDSEASON: American Idol, The Bachelor, Black-ish, For Life, Mixed-ish
It is likely that ABC will add a few of their uncompleted pilots to this list once they are able to resume filming. Having read most of the ABC pilots, I have hopes for Prospect, Rebel, and Thirtysomething(else).
CANCELLED/ENDED: The Baker and the Beauty, Bless This Mess, Emergence, Fresh Off the Boat, How to Get Away with Murder, Kids Say the Darndest Things, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Modern Family, Schooled, Single Parents
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