ABC Upfront/General News and Discussion: 2019-20

[Pavan]

Blog story: http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2019/0...-schedule.html

ABC UNVEILS 2019-2020 PRIME-TIME SCHEDULE

Strength and Consistency Key to Fall Lineup, With Only Three New Scripted Series Added – ‘Emergence,’ ‘mixed-ish’ and ‘Stumptown’

Most Stable Schedule in Over a Decade

In the Great Tradition of ABC, All New Series Have Broadly Appealing Concepts
With Strong Female Points of View

New Dramas ‘The Baker and the Beauty,‘ ‘For Life’ and New Comedy ‘United We Fall’
Set for Midseason

‘America’s Funniest Home Videos,’ ‘American Housewife,’ ‘American Idol,’ ‘The Bachelor,’ ‘black-ish,’ ‘Bless This Mess,’ ‘The Conners,’ ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ ‘Fresh Off the Boat,’ ‘The Goldbergs,’ ‘The Good Doctor,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘How to Get Away with Murder,’ ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,’ ‘A Million Little Things,’ ‘Modern Family,’ ‘The Rookie,’ ‘Schooled,’ ‘Shark Tank,’ ‘Single Parents,’ and ‘Station 19’ Also Set to Return Next Season

In her inaugural upfront presentation as president of ABC Entertainment, Karey Burke will unveil a slate of programming for the 2019-2020 season that is bolstered by the strength of established, fan-favorite shows and captivating new programs energized by bold characters and storytelling. Burke will present her plan to the advertising and media communities this afternoon as part of the first Disney Upfront Experience, which brings together the networks of Walt Disney Television and ESPN at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City.

“Since the beginning of the year, ABC has been the No. 1 network with a schedule that is working, and we are going to nurture it,” said Burke. “Going into next season, our priorities are stability and launching shows in a way our audience will know we are committed to them. Add to that some of the most buzzed-about titles and top talent of the recent pilot season, and we have an enviable combination that sets the stage for us to win with women and grow our overall reach.”

Only three new scripted series will debut in the fall – dramas “Emergence” and “Stumptown”; and the “black-ish” comedy spinoff “mixed-ish” – a remarkably fewer number, thanks to the consistent viewership that many of ABC’s current shows continue to offer. In the current season, ABC claims six of the Top 20 broadcast entertainment shows, including two of the top four dramas – “Grey’s Anatomy” and “The Good Doctor” – and the No. 1 new comedy, “The Conners” – all of which will return in the fall.

“A Million Little Things,” which grew viewership following its move to Thursday nights and ranks No. 17 among the Top 20, will also return in the fall, along with the highly anticipated 11th and final season of one of TV’s most celebrated comedies, “Modern Family,” which rounds out ABC’s entries on the Top 20 list at No. 19.

Additionally, fan favorites “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “American Housewife,” “American Idol,” “The Bachelor,” “black-ish,” “Bless This Mess,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Fresh Off the Boat,” “The Goldbergs,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “The Rookie,” “Schooled,” “Shark Tank,” “Single Parents” and “Station 19” will return next season, as previously announced.

New dramas “The Baker and the Beauty” and “For Life,” along with the new comedy, “United We Fall,” will debut midseason.
On average since the start of the year, ABC is the No. 1 TV network among Adults 18-49 (entertainment only). For the entire 2018-2019 season, ABC ranks a strong No. 2 in entertainment programming, pacing within 175,000 Adults 18-49 of tying NBC for No. 1.
Fall premiere dates will be announced at a later time. Please note that shows picked up to series but not listed on the schedule below will debut later in the 2019-2020 season.

ABC’s fall prime-time schedule is as follows (all times listed are Eastern/Pacific). New shows are in bold.


MONDAY
8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
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”
9:30 p.m. “black-ish” (new time)
10:00 p.m. “Emergence” (NEW)

WEDNESDAY
8:00 p.m. “The Goldbergs”
8:30 p.m. “Schooled”
9:00 p.m. “Modern Family”
9:30 p.m. “Single Parents”
10:00 p.m. “Stumptown” (NEW)

THURSDAY
8:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
9:00 p.m. “A Million Little Things”
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)
9:00 p.m. “20/20” (two hours)

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" (NEW)
9:00 p.m. “Shark Tank”
10:00 p.m. “The Rookie” (new day)

Show descriptions for new ABC series are below. For information about returning ABC shows, visit www.wdtvpress.com

NEW FALL AND MIDSEASON SERIES

DRAMAS

THE BAKER AND THE BEAUTY
Daniel Garcia is working in the family bakery and doing everything that his loving Cuban parents and siblings expect him to do. But on a wild Miami night he meets Noa Hamilton, an international superstar and fashion mogul, and his life moves into the spotlight. Will this unlikely couple upend their lives to be together and pull their families into a culture clash?
Dean Georgaris writes and executive produces with Becky Hartman Edwards and director David Frankel. In addition, Keshet’s Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan are executive producers, along with Assi Azar. Based on a hit Israeli show created by Assi Azar originally for Keshet Broadcasting, the series is produced by Universal Television and ABC Studios in association with Keshet Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, a collection of studios comprised of 20th Century Fox Television, ABC Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.
Cast: Victor Rasuk as Daniel, Nathalie Kelley as Noa Hamilton, Carlos Gómez as Rafael Garcia, Dan Bucatinsky as Lewis, Lisa Vidal as Mari Garcia, David Del Rio as Mateo Garcia, Belissa Escobedo as Natalie and Michelle Veintimilla as Vanessa.
Follow “The Baker and the Beauty” (#TBATB) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

EMERGENCE
A character-driven genre thriller, “Emergence” is about a police chief who takes in a young child she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation draws her into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined, and the child’s identity is at the center of it all.
Written and executive produced by Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters, Paul McGuigan directs the pilot and is an executive producer. “Emergence” is produced by ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, a collection of studios comprised of 20th Century Fox Television, ABC Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.
Cast: Allison Tolman as Jo, Alexa Swinton as Piper, Owain Yeoman as Benny, Ashley Aufderheide as Bree, Robert Bailey Jr. as Officer Chris, Zabryna Guevara as Abby with Donald Faison as Alex and Clancy Brown as Ed.
Follow @EmergenceABC (#Emergence) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

FOR LIFE
Inspired by the life of Isaac Wright Jr., “For Life” is a fictional serialized legal and family drama about a prisoner who becomes a lawyer, litigating cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. His quest for freedom is driven by his desperate desire to get back to the family he loves and reclaim the life that was stolen from him. The show will also, through the window of his ferocious struggle and his complicated relationship with a progressive female prison warden, examine the flaws and challenges in our penal and legal systems.
From Hank Steinberg, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson via G-Unit Film & Television, Doug Robinson and Alison Greenspan of Doug Robinson Productions and Isaac Wright Jr. The pilot is directed and executive produced by George Tillman Jr. (“The Hate U Give”). “For Life” is a co-production of Sony Pictures Television Inc. and ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, a collection of studios comprised of 20th Century Fox Television, ABC Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.
Cast: Nicholas Pinnock as Aaron, Indira Varma as Safiya, Joy Bryant as Marie, Glenn Fleshler as Frank, Dorian Missick as Jamal, Tyla Harris as Jasmine with Mary Stuart Masterson as Anya and Boris McGiver as DA Maskins.
Follow @ForLifeABC (#Forlife) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

STUMPTOWN
Based on the “Stumptown” graphic novel series, “Stumptown” follows Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders) – a strong, assertive and sharp-witted army veteran with a complicated love life, gambling debt and a brother to take care of in Portland, Oregon. Her military intelligence skills make her a great PI, but her unapologetic style puts her in the firing line of hardcore criminals and not quite in alliance with the police.
Writer Jason Richman produces the series with Ruben Fleischer and David Bernad (The District), Greg Rucka (author of the “Stumptown” graphic novel series), Matthew Southworth, and Justin Greenwood (illustrators of the “Stumptown” graphic novel series).
James Griffiths is an executive producer and directed the pilot. The series is produced by ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, a collection of studios comprised of 20th Century Fox Television, ABC Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.
Cast: Cobie Smulders as Dex Parios, Tantoo Cardinal as Sue Lynn Blackbird, Cole Sibus as Ansel Parios, Adrian Martinez as Tookie with Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Cosgrove and Michael Ealy as Detective Miles Hoffman.
Follow “Stumptown” (#Stumptown) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

COMEDIES

MIXED-ISH
In “mixed-ish,” Rainbow Johnson recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the ‘80s and the constant dilemmas they had to face over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves. Bow’s parents Paul and Alicia decide to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family. As her parents struggle with the challenges of their new life, Bow and her siblings navigate a mainstream school in which they’re perceived as neither black nor white. This family’s experiences illuminate the challenges of finding one’s own identity when the rest of the world can’t decide where you belong.
Peter Saji and Kenya Barris are writers and executive producers along with Tracee Ellis Ross, Randall Winston, Artists First (Brian Dobbins), Cinema Gypsy (Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland) and Anthony Anderson. Anton Cropper directed the pilot. The series is produced by ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, a collection of studios comprised of 20th Century Fox Television, ABC Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.
Cast: Arica Himmel as Bow Johnson, Tika Sumpter as Alicia Johnson, Gary Cole as Harrison Johnson, Christina Anthony as Denise, Mykal-Michelle Harris as Santamonica Johnson and Ethan Childress as Johan Johnson.
Follow “mixed-ish” (#mixedish) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

UNITED WE FALL
“United We Fall” is a profoundly realistic family sitcom that follows the trials and tribulations of Jo (Christina Vidal) and Bill (Will Sasso), parents of two young kids, as they try to make it day to day as a functioning family. Bill’s very judgmental live-in mother and Jo’s large, Latinx Catholic family will never hesitate to let our couple know they’re seemingly screwing up, but Bill and Jo will always have each other’s backs, united against everyone – other parents, teachers, doctors, specialists, coaches, co-workers and, especially, their kids.
Julius “Goldy” Sharpe (“Making History”) wrote and executive produced the pilot. Seth Gordon and Julia Gunn are also executive producers. Mark Cendrowski directed the pilot, which was produced by Sony Pictures, Exhibit A Film and ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, a collection of studios comprised of 20th Century Fox Television, ABC Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.
Cast: Will Sasso as Bill Ryan, Christina Vidal as Jo Ryan, Jane Curtin as Sandy Ryan and Ella Grace Helton as Emily Ryan.
Follow @UnitedWeFallABC (#UnitedWeFall) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

[icecream]

The only show I will be watching on this lousy network is The Good Doctor. Even with keeping 20/20 two hours, there would have been room to keep TKAA (ABC's least expensive scripted show from this season) with an hour of comedies Sundays at 8:00, no need for it to be a permanent reality wasteland. American Housewife finally gets sent to Fridays like it deserves. It is too bad that did not happen last year instead of Speechless. Speechless did better after The Goldbergs than AH did, but the Friday move ruined it. Bless This Mess totally did not deserve renewal over TKAA. I had assumed new comedies would air after The Conners and Modern Family, ABC wasted opportunities there.

[TMC]

ABC Entertainment was overshadowed at its upfront, thanks to sharing the stage with ABC News, ESPN, Freeform, FX Networks and Nat Geo

ABC Entertainment's 2019-20 schedule was supposed to be the main attraction at Tuesday afternoon's ABC upfront presentation. But Disney's recent acquisition of FX Networks and Nat Geo made the nearly two-and-a-half hour presentation all the more bloated, with ABC lost in the shuffle. ABC followed presentations by ABC News, ESPN, Freeform, FX Networks and Nat Geo. After two hours, it was up to Jimmy Kimmel to save the presentation.

[James28]

Originally Posted by catsrule

The only show I will be watching on this lousy network is The Good Doctor. Even with keeping 20/20 two hours, there would have been room to keep TKAA (ABC's least expensive scripted show from this season) with an hour of comedies Sundays at 8:00, no need for it to be a permanent reality wasteland. American Housewife finally gets sent to Fridays like it deserves. It is too bad that did not happen last year instead of Speechless. Speechless did better after The Goldbergs than AH did, but the Friday move ruined it. Bless This Mess totally did not deserve renewal over TKAA. I had assumed new comedies would air after The Conners and Modern Family, ABC wasted opportunities there.

Well, even though a show being moved to Fridays means its network is burying it, at least American Housewife (the network's pet) still gets an anchor slot this season, so both it and The Conners are happy. It's a shame about the network dumping The Kids Are Alright and Speechless; plus I had no idea that TKAA was ABC's cheapest scripted show of last season. I also don't understand that Mixed-Ish getting a series order resulted in Black-Ish getting bumped to an hammock slot. Does the network want to bury Black-Ish? Wouldn't it make more sense for Black-Ish to lead into Mixed-Ish? And I wasn't expecting anything close to a full season of The Conners because of the cast's commitments to any other projects. Does ABC want a good-sized syndication package for The Conners? I also hate that both 20/20 (and Dateline on NBC) are kept at two hours this fall when the Fridays-at-9pm hour could easily have been used for scripted programming.

[icecream]

Speechless getting cancelled after season 3 could mean the start of the end of the 3rd season syndication rule for fully owned shows. I had assumed it was safe because of that rule, but Speechless went anyway. TKAA was treated like dirt all year, easily the least advertised of their rookie scripted shows. It kept most of its audience after going from a strong lead-in to a lot weaker one. Meanwhile Single Parents not only kept its Modern Family lead-in all season, but is even keeping it for season 2 instead of trying a new comedy there in MF's final season. Yes it has Brad Garrett, who was great in Everybody Loves Raymond. I watched the pilot because of him, but it was bloody awful and not worth coming back for more of. I am highly unlikely to watch anything from the awful creator of Single Parents and Bless This Mess again. I had not known the Mess garbage was from the same creator until recently, but it explains the lousy combo being a package deal at the expense of the much superior TKAA. Bless This Mess got me to try the pilot from the ads. I didn't care for it much but kept it on my schedule for episode 2. After around five minutes of episode 2, I was disgusted and dropped it for good. While it has a Green Acres concept, the similarity ends there. No catchy theme song, the GA cast was a lot stronger, and Paul Henning wouldn't have dreamed of making his classic that raunchy. TKAA is a fantastic show that deserved nurturing like The Middle was. The Middle got under promoted as well, but at least became a long running show. I hope ABC has an absolutely terrible season next year.

[James28]

Originally Posted by catsrule

Speechless getting cancelled after season 3 could mean the start of the end of the 3rd season syndication rule for fully owned shows. I had assumed it was safe because of that rule, but Speechless went anyway.

Really? This statement has got me thinking that Speechless's second season being just 18 episodes in comparison to the 22 for its other two seasons is what did its syndication prospects in. And apparently, another reason why Speechless was cancelled is because ABC felt like they could shore up Friday nights more strongly with Fresh Off the Boat (This according to ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke at the Disney press upfront last May, and despite the controversial tweets by FOtB star Constance Wu). If that's true, then maybe they should have gone with a two-hour comedy block on Fridays with AH, FOtB, Speechless, and TKAA.

[icecream]

I wish Constance Wu had revealed her true disdain for Fresh Off the Boat a few months earlier. Then it would have ended this year and TKAA could have still gotten renewed.

[TMC]

ABC boss: Broadcast networks still matter in the streaming age

"We know the stakes are high because broadcast really matters,” ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said at the TV press tour, adding that major networks can “move culture at a scale no other platform can.” Burke said ABC attracts 150 million monthly viewers across all of its platforms. “And that is why brands still pay us a big premium to advertise on our air, and why competing streamers want to advertise on our air – we just won’t let them," she said.

[icecream]

The season or series finale of Reef Break has been postponed a day because of another Democratic presidential debate. Reef Break will still be new this Thursday for the penultimate episode, but what would have aired on September 12 will now air on Friday, September 13. The now Friday finale will also be an hour earlier at 9PM eastern. ABC could have at least rescheduled the finale for Wednesday, September 11 at 8:00 instead (ABC is a sea of repeats that night that could easily be pulled) so it would still be available on demand and other platforms the originally scheduled day. They also could have doubled up again this week for a 2 hour finale from 9:00-11:00, like two new episodes aired there last week. ABC screwed over Reef Break from the start sticking it with a very weak Family Food Fight lead-in and giving Grand Loser Hotel a lot more advertising during May sweeps. I am hoping despite the terrible ratings Reef Break becomes ABC's Ransom, an international production that if renewed outside the US would automatically air on ABC again.

https://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2019/...harper-tv.html

[TMC]

Mixed-ish and Emergence see their viewership decline in Week 2

ABC's acclaimed drama Emergence saw its total viewership fall 12% from its series premiere, matching the lowest numbers The Rookie performed in the same timeslot last year

[James28]

Breaking News: Fresh Off the Boat has given its notice to ABC Network and will let its contract expire after its current sixth season, which will have only 15 episodes. An hour-long series finale will air on February 21, at 8 PM.

https://deadline.com/2019/11/fresh-o...bc-1202781378/

[James28]

* New Thursday lineup starts January 23, with Station 19 at 8 pm, Grey's Anatomy at 9 pm, and A Million Little Things at 10 pm. Once AMLT ends its sophomore season, How to Get Away with Murder will reclaim the 10 pm timeslot on April 2 for the remainder of its final season.

* For Life, a new legal drama executive-produced by 50 Cent, will take over the Tuesdays-at-10PM timeslot beginning February 11 after Emergence ends its 13-episode first season.

* American Idol's next season will premiere on February 16. The Rookie returns from its hiatus on February 23, and The Good Doctor on January 13.

https://deadline.com/2019/11/abc-mid...fe-1202792051/

[James28]

Who is going to take the Wednesday-at-9 timeslot next season once Modern Family ends?

I am not sure if any of the current shows on ABC's comedy division is strong enough: The Goldbergs and Black-Ish are too old (unless ABC still wants to have Black-Ish at an anchor slot). The cast and crew of The Conners isn't willing to work more than 20 episodes (I guess Conners will probably keep its current slot). American Housewife is being dragged to syndication right now, so it can stay on Fridays. I was thinking it would be Single Parents, but CatsRule just flat-out hates anything created by the same person who created New Girl over at FOX-TV for some reason. I don't know about Schooled.

I am of the belief that shows on TV have to start out at an X:30 "hammock" slot before it becomes strong enough to get an "anchor" slot. Modern Family and Mixed-Ish proved to be the exceptions: MF started out its run already at an anchor shot because ABC's comedy division was at its worst shape ever. And I still don't know why ABC was going to have Mixed-Ish start at an anchor slot and bump Black-Ish to a hammock slot. It's always risky to put a freshman show on an anchor slot. The Crazy Ones is one example of a freshman show put on an anchor timeslot from the get-go and would up failing.

And frankly, if ABC had not cancelled The Kids Are Alright and went with an all-single-camera TGIF instead of two-hour editions of 20/20 this season, they'd be grooming TKAA to take MF's timeslot right now.

[icecream]

I hate Liz Meriwether because her package deal of Single Parents and Bless This Mess renewal are a big reason TKAA got screwed over.

[James28]

Midseason Schedule Changes Announced at ABC's Presentation at TCA Winter Press Tour

* The dates for the series finales for two ABC veterans have been unveiled: Modern Family will finish its 11-season run on April 8, while How to Get Away with Murder will air its own series-conclusion episode on May 14.

* Shark Tank will return to Fridays, airing in the 8:00 pm hour, starting February 28.

* American Housewife returns to Wednesdays starting March 18, at first airing on 9:30 PM while Single Parents goes on hiatus, and then moving up to the 9 PM anchor slot on April 15 after MF ends the week prior. ABC must really, really love American Housewife so much, and want it to be their new flagship as I've suspected from the beginning, so it's their best choice right now to succeed MF in that Wednesdays at 9 slot (despite CatsRule's past objections). So much for an all-single-camera TGIF and trying to screw-over AH.

* The Baker and The Beauty, a “modern-day fairy tale” about an “unlikely couple [who] upend their lives to be together”, which is based on an Israeli format, will take over the Mondays-at-10 timeslot once The Good Doctor ends its current third season.

https://deadline.com/2020/01/midseas...ca-1202824384/