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4 months ago
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For its record 21st season, Grey’s Anatomy is getting a new time slot, shifting from 9 PM to 10 PM on Thursday to make room for another medical drama, Ryan Murphy’s Doctor Odyssey. Meanwhile, fans of The Conners will have to wait until midseason to bid farewell to the family sitcom as well as get new episodes of The Rookie and Will Trent.
And ABC‘s signature Wednesday comedy block has shrunk to one half-hour, Abbott Elementary, at 9:30 PM, with the first hour and a half going to The Golden Bachelorette. Here is ABC’s fall schedule, followed by analysis with input from Disney TV Group President Craig Erwich.
(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET/PT)
MONDAY
8 PM — Monday Night Football on select Mondays this fall /TBA programming
TUESDAY
8 PM — Dancing with the Stars
10 PM — HIGH POTENTIAL
WEDNESDAY
8 PM — THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE
9:30 PM — Abbott Elementary
10 PM — SCAMANDA
THURSDAY
8 PM — 9-1-1
9 PM — DOCTOR ODYSSEY
10 PM — Grey’s Anatomy
FRIDAY
8 PM — Shark Tank
9 PM — 20/20 (two hours)
SATURDAY
7:30 PM — College Football
SUNDAY
7 PM — America’s Funniest Home Videos
8 PM — The Wonderful World of Disney
Ryan Murphy is expanding his footprint on ABC. After getting a foothold on Thursday this season with 9-1-1 at 8 PM, he is getting a two-hour block on the night with 9-1-1 and new drama Doctor Odyssey starring Joshua Jackson as the on-board doctor for a luxury cruise ship, which will be followed by Grey’s Anatomy at 10 PM.
“We know that among [Grey’s] viewers, they are not just sizable but very loyal audience, but the majority of those that audience, well over 80%, watches the show on multiple platforms, not specifically live, so we think the move is going to be minimal, as well as it will provide an incredible lead into our local news at 11,” Erwich said. “And in terms of 9-1-1, it felt like the perfect lead-in for what I think is a really high-octane and fun, unique spin on a medical drama in Doctor Odyssey. So we feel really good about Thursday nights.”
The other new scripted series on ABC’s fall schedule, Drew Goddard’s crime procedural High Potential, is getting one of ABC’s most proven launch pads in the form of a Dancing With the Stars lead-in on Tuesdays.
ABC’s breakout hit The Golden Bachelor was one hour, half of the length of typical Bachelor/Bachelorette episodes. Its spinoff, The Golden Bachelorette, will split that in the middle at 90 minutes on a new night, Wednesday.
“Golden Bachelor was probably the television event last year,” Erwich said. “The first Golden Bachelorette has an incredible story, and although we were thrilled with the results, last year we felt that there were still story elements, characters and aspects of the show that 90 minutes can really capture the full essence of, as well as it being a great leading to Abbott Elementary, which continues to be a huge priority for us.”
For the first time in while, a comedy won’t open Wednesday night for ABC, with Abbott Elementary as the only representative of the genre on the fall schedule. This does not signal a retreat, Erwich said.
“We are very invested in the combination genre. I haven’t seen a show break through the culture like Abbott Elementary in a long time,” he said. “We’re very bullish on getting more commies, I think Golden Bachelor delivers a huge, big-tent audience as a great lead-in for Abbott Elementary.”
Erwich noted that the network is in production on two multi-camera comedy pilots, Shifting Gears with Tim Allen and Forgive & Forget with Ty Burrell in addition to bringing back The Conners for its six-episode final season.
“There was some impact in terms of pilot development caused by the strikes, but come midseason, you’ll see how dedicated we are to bringing the best of family comedy to the ABC audience,” he said.
The Rookie‘s benching is not a sign that the veteran cop drama starring Nathan Fillion may be on its last legs or that Will Trent is in danger.
“The opposite,” Erwich said. “We held the return of these shows till midseason so they can have truly an uninterrupted run for that season, which I think is a very powerful weapon in terms of watching our shows. And with New Year’s Eve and all of our events that we have in December, January is one of the best time to launch new shows. So this idea of bringing back Will Trent and The Rookie and basically going without repeats, we felt was the best way to continue the strength of both of those shows. They both perform extraordinarily well and anticipate they’ll be on the schedule for a long time.”
NEW DRAMA SERIES
HIGH POTENTIAL
High Potential, from Oscar-nominated writer Drew Goddard and ABC Signature, is based on the popular French series. It follows Morgan (Kaitlin Olson), a single mom with three kids and an exceptional mind, who helps solve an unsolvable crime when she rearranges some evidence during her shift as a cleaner for the police department. When they discover she has a knack for putting things in order because of her high intellectual potential, she is brought on as a consultant to work with a by-the-book seasoned detective Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), and together they form an unusual and unstoppable team. Goddard and Sarah Esberg executive produce for Goddard Textiles. Rob Thomas serves as showrunner and executive produces alongside Dan Etheridge of Spondoolie Productions, as well as Pierre Laugier and Anthony Lancret of Itinéraire Productions, a UGC company and Jean Nainchrik of Septembre Productions, a Mediawan Company. Alethea Jones is director and executive producer. Kaitlin Olson serves as producer. ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios, is the studio.
DOCTOR ODYSSEY
From Ryan Murphy and 20th Television, Doctor Odyssey stars Joshua Jackson, who also executive produces. No details about the premise have yet been revealed. Believed to be a medical procedural and set on a cruise ship. Doctor Odyssey is written and executive produced by Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken. Paris Barclay directs and executive produces. Eric Paquette, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson and Nissa Diederich also executive produce.
SCAMANDA
From ABC Studios come documentary series Scamanda. Based on the No. 1 podcast of the same name, “Scamanda” tells the story of Amanda Riley — a wife, mother, blogger and Christian — whose tragic cancer tale captivates thousands. But Amanda has a secret that she’s dying to keep, and after an anonymous tip to an investigative reporter, her own words may prove to be her downfall.
THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE
The Bachelor franchise is expanding once again. After the success of the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor, ABC is giving a golden woman her own second chance at love on The Golden Bachelorette. Details to come on who will be the first leading lady.
