UPFRONTS: ABC 2021-22 Schedule

Here's a look at the ABC schedule for 2021-22!

MONDAYS

8:00 Dancing with the Stars (30th edition)

10:00 The Good Doctor (5th season)

ABC is not making a lot of changes to its schedule overall and that includes Monday night where Dancing with the Stars and The Good Doctor are paired together for a fifth straight fall (and that of course follows Dancing paired with Castle for FOREVER with the one year flop Conviction in between).

TUESDAYS

8:00 The Bachelorette (17th edition)

10:00 QUEENS

Tuesdays has the only new fall drama premiere on the network with Queens following The Bachelorette. The Bachelorette had been a summer series for many years before it was thrust into the fall lineup thanks to production delays. Now it looks like it may become a permanent fixture again in the season like it was in its early days. After successfully launching Big Sky last year, it will serve as a lead-in for Queens, a drama starring Eve, Brandy, Naturi Naughton and Nadine Velazquez as a 90s hip hop group that reunites. It seems like a reasonable enough fit out of The Bachelorette. 

WEDNESDAYS

8:00 The Goldbergs (9th season)

8:30 THE WONDER YEARS
9:00 The Conners (4th season)

9:30 Home Economics (2nd season)

10:00 A Million Little Things (4th season)

ABC has just one new comedy to go with its one new drama but it's the comedy I'm most excited for. ABC will reboot The Wonder Years, its hit 1988-1993 show and this time it will focus on a black family. With Lee Daniels and original star Fred Savage behind the scenes and a cast including Dule Hill and Don Cheadle (as the narrator), I have high hopes for this one. It joins the ABC comedy lineup and will be sandwiched between long-running comedies The Goldbergs and The Conners. The current 8:30pm occupant Home Economics will move to 9:30pm. It has only done okay at 8:30pm and this is a tougher slot. A Million Little Things continues at 10pm. It started its run on Wednesdays at 10pm then got upgraded to a Thursday slot before being sent back to Wednesdays this spring.

THURSDAYS

8:00 Station 19 (5th season)

9:00 Grey's Anatomy (18th season)

10:00 Big Sky (2nd season)

The big news on Thursdays is that Big Sky is moving to the night and taking the place of the cancelled Rebel. Big Sky started out with pretty decent numbers on Tuesday nights but it ended its arc with a midseason finale and took a long break. When it came back, the buzz and the ratings took a dip. It's going to need a revitalized ad campaign to get people to come back to the show. It follows the reliable Station 19 and the 18th season of Grey's Anatomy, which could be the final one. It depends on star Ellen Pompeo.

FRIDAYS
8:00 Shark Tank (13th season)

9:00 20/20 (40th season)

Shark Tank continues to be a Friday night stalwart and while ABC used to try a scripted hour alongside Shark Tank, they have taken to just doing two hours of 20/20 in recent years. That will continue next fall.

SATURDAYS

8:00 College Football

SUNDAYS

7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (32nd season)

8:00 Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (2nd season)

9:00 Supermarket Sweep (2nd season)

10:00 The Rookie (4th season)

ABC seems to be turning the 8-10pm block on Sunday nights into an unscripted area as a placeholder for American Idol. I don't understand why they won't move Dancing with the Stars to the night in the fall now that it's down to one cycle. They could then use Monday as a scripted night. Oh well. The only scripted offering on Sundays will be The Rookie continuing at 10pm.

MIDSEASON: ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, MAGGIE, WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT, American Idol, Black-ish

ABC has two new comedies and a limited series drama in the wings along with Idol and the final season of Black-ish. Several projects remain in consideration for midseason including Kevin Costner's National Parks drama and fairy tale drama Epic. 

CANCELLED/ENDED: American Housewife, Call Your Mother, For Life, Mixed-ish, Rebel

TBD: The Bachelor, The Con, The Great Christmas Light Fight, Pooch Perfect, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire

Several unscripted shows have yet to be renewed. The Bachelor seems to be awaiting some announcement with host Chris Harrison still in hot water. The Great Christmas Light Fight will surely be back. As for the others, it could go either way. I think Millionaire will be back but I'm not sure about Pooch Perfect or The Con.