ABC Fall Annotated

[Mark Jeffries]

Under rumors that the new regime at the Alphabet (including former Fox chief Dana Walden, who came with the purchase of 20th) weren't happy with the development slate left them by Channing Duguey, so only three new scripted series are up for fall, including all of those single-cam family sitcoms that Marc Berman hates (which he would love if they were multi-cam).  The schedule from the Wrap--I've all-capped the new shows:

MONDAY

8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”--what may be the last paso doble for the aging franchise, unless "The Voice" continues to experience the ratings woes its current cycle is having.

10:00 p.m. “The Good Doctor”

TUESDAY

8:00 p.m. “The Conners”

8:30 p.m. “Bless This Mess” (new time)

9:00 p.m. “MIXED-ISH”--The second spinoff from "black-ish" ("grown-ish" is on Freeform) follows the mixed-race family childhood of Tracee Ellis Ross' Rainbow character from the parent series.  Arica Himmel is Rainbow as a child, with Ross narrating similar to Jim Parsons on "Young Sheldon."  Of course, series creator Kenya Barris is now at Netflix and won't be directly involved with the shows.  In-Mouse House, which is now known collectively as Disney Television Studios (although ABC Studios, 20th-Century Fox Television and cable shingle Fox 21 Television Studios will retain their identities--ABC's cable shingle ABC Signature seems to have been merged with one of the other labels).

9:30 p.m. “black-ish” (new time)

10:00 p.m. “EMERGENCE”--Police chief Allison Tolman finds a little girl near a mysterious accident who has no idea what happened.  Bring on the conspiracy theories.  Donald Faison and Clancy Brown are also in the cast, the pilot was made for NBC but turned down probably because it was made by ABC Studios instead of Universal Television.

WEDNESDAY

8:00 p.m. “The Goldbergs”

8:30 p.m. “Schooled”

9:00 p.m. “Modern Family”--The last season for the Pritchetts, Dunphys and Tuckers before a long and healthy syndication and streaming life (one of the few one-camera sitcoms that has succeeded in syndication).

9:30 p.m. “Single Parents”

10:00 p.m. “STUMPTOWN”--The graphic novel series (not from Marvel) comes to television with Robin Spar--uh, Cobie Smulders playing a hardass private eye in Portlandia taking care of her brother while catching heat from both the bad guys and the cops for her unconventional style.  Camryn Manheim's in the cast, but Mark Webber isn't after being in the pilot, claiming that ABC canned him for not being handsome enough.  In-Mouse House.

THURSDAY

8:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”

9:00 p.m. “A Million Little Things”--An encroacher in Shondaland--but she is now at Netflix.

10:00 p.m. “How to Get Away with Murder”

FRIDAY

8:00 p.m. “American Housewife” (new day)

8:30 p.m. “Fresh Off the Boat” (new time)--Despite the protests of Constance Wu.

9:00 p.m. “20/20” (two hours)--For all intents and purposes, ABC's newsmagazine is now another true crime wallow, just like "48 Hours" and "Dateline."

SATURDAY

8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night Football”

SUNDAY

7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”

8:00 p.m. “KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS"--The second reboot of the trademark segment of "Art Linkletter's House Party," last on CBS from 1998 to 2000 and hosted by someone named Cosby, with Tiffany Haddish now in charge of getting the little darlings to say things that will get them in trouble with their parents on the way home from the studio.  Haddish will probably get flack from the right for doing this show because she curses in her act and in the movies--and oh yes, because she's black.  From CBS, the owner of the "House Party" IP, using that term being ironic considering that one of the show's other segments featured Linkletter going through audience members' purses.

9:00 p.m. “Shark Tank”

10:00 p.m. “The Rookie” (new day)--The one thing keeping Sunday from being all-unscripted.

Speaking of unscripted, "Idol" will be back mid-season (although ABC may want to replace panelists or even Seacrest for people who will work cheaper), the "Bachelor" franchise shows will appear in the normal slots and the summer game show lineup is down one ("The Gong Show") and up three (the "Card Sharks" and "Press Your Luck" reboots and the mini-golf game "Holey Moley"--they're also including the reality comp "Family Food Fight" under the "Summer Fun & Games" brand).  As for mid-season:

DRAMA:

"THE BAKER AND THE BEAUTY"--Cuban working-class baker Victor Rasuk gets swept off his feet by fashion mogul Nathalie Kelley and drops right into a culture clash.  Based on an Israeli series and part-owned by Israeli net Keshet with Universal and ABC Studios.

"FOR LIFE"--Based on a true story and seemingly a black male "Proven Innocent," about a man convicted of a crime he didn't commit who becomes a lawyer, except that he doesn't have Frasier Crane trying to put him back in jail.  Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is trophy producer, with "The Hate U Give" director George Tillman, Jr., directing the pilot.  From Sony and ABC Studios.

COMEDY:

"UNITED WE FALL"--This multi-cam family sitcom about married couple Will Sasso and Christina Vidal trying to navigate their family lives is described by ABC as "profoundly realistic," as if we all spent our time sitting on the living room couch in flat lighting having 200 people laughing at you every 15 seconds (with the assistance of "I Love Lucy" or Red Skelton audience tapes).  At least Jane Curtin's back on television as Sasso's live-in mother.  From Sony and ABC Studios.

CBS without Les tomorrow.

[Kevin M.]

My biggest takeaway from the upfronts this year is now many series and programs I am blissfully unaware of. As I read the summaries and descriptions, it makes me kind of sad to see the medium of television is still so bland and formulaic after all these decades. There are a few standout shows and original concepts, but never for very long as the cookie-cutter knock-offs always follow.

I know some people don’t trust the invasion of privacy involved in companies actually tracking what we watch, but I cannot help but wonder whether we would have a very different slate of new shows if networks weren’t still dependent on the viewing habits of Nielsen families. 

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Kevin M. (RPCV)

[Bob Jersey]

Mark Jeffries, today (5/14):

Speaking of unscripted, "Idol" will be back mid-season (although ABC may want to replace panelists or even Seacrest for people who will work cheaper)

Contestant mentor / country-radio guy Bobby Bones filled in for him last season... nobody b!tched.

B