ABC needs to dig its way out of 4th place next season, and no one can say they’re not putting in the effort. Every night of the week in the fall will have be changed except Mondays, and the network is introducing a whopping 8 new series, which will definitely put a strain on its Marketing department. Here’s the new line-up and some initial thoughts.
MONDAY
8PM: DANCING WITH THE STARS
10PM: CASTLE
Although the Monday schedule is unchanged, the format for Dancing reduces to one airing per week, with the Monday episode including both competition and results. That’s not going to drastically change Dancing‘s ratings decline, but it should limit the damage. Castle remains in its comfortable perch.
TUESDAY
8PM: AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
9PM: THE GOLDBERGS
9:30PM: TROPHY WIFE
10PM: LUCKY 7
Agents of SHIELD is as presold as any new series can be, and ABC is confident enough that the show lives up to its hype that the network is using it to launch an entirely new night–a very ballsy move. The family comedy The Goldbergs should provide a fairly smooth segue for the SHIELD audience, although it remains to be seen how that flows into the brassier Trophy Wife. Reports are that the network is very high on lottery-winner drama Lucky 7, which could have a strong opportunity against the only moderately successful Chicago Fire on NBC.
WEDNESDAY
8PM: THE MIDDLE
8:30PM: BACK IN THE GAME
9PM: MODERN FAMILY
9:30PM: SUPER FUN NIGHT
10PM: NASHVILLE
Back In the Game seems like a fit with The Middle and Modern Family. Super Fun Night continues ABC’s tack of following Family with younger-oriented sitcoms like Happy Endings and Suburgatory, and the network clearly thinks that with this lead-in, Rebel Wilson can be a big-time TV star. Nashville will remains where it is and hope for some growth in Season 2 as it faces Ironside on NBC.
THURSDAY
8PM: ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND
9PM: GREY’S ANATOMY
10PM: SCANDAL
The new Thursday gives ABC two nights with a Once Upon A Time fantasy leading into 2 hours of soaps (and dispels the buzz that Wonderland would air between the bookends of its parent’s season). ABC has failed repeatedly in the 8PM slot with adult-oriented dramas, so maybe this will work. The network might have chosen to break up its two Shonda Rhimes hits, but decided instead to keep the powerhouse duo intact for now.
FRIDAY
8PM: LAST MAN STANDING
8:30PM: THE NEIGHBORS
9PM: SHARK TANK
10PM: 20/20
It’s a bit disappointing to see the sly comedy of The Neighbors paired with the very middle-of-the-road sitcom Last Man Standing, but Neighbors is probably lucky to be back on the air at all. Shark Tank and 20/20 work very well for ABC later in the evening.
SUNDAY
7PM: AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS
8PM: ONCE UPON A TIME
9PM: REVENGE
10PM: BETRAYAL
Another Sunday, another attempt to find a 10PM soap that works. Betrayal isn’t going to get much of a lead-in from Revenge, and will need to generate some buzz of its own.
ABC TBDs include dramas KILLER WOMEN, MIND GAMES and RESURRECTION, along with comedy MIXOLOGY (as well as the return of Suburgatory) and reality show THE QUEST.
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