With the huge success of their Roseanne revival, it’s no surprise that ABC is leaning heavily on comedy for their new fall season. The network unveiled their new schedule for Upfronts and they will be programming 10 half-hour comedies, the most aggressive number for a Big Four network in recent memory.
Despite having multi-cam success with the return of Roseanne, they won’t be pairing with another multi-cam project. Instead, Roseanne is partnering with the 1970s single-cam comedy, The Kids Are Alright. Similar to Roseanne, it follows a working-class family. This will lead off the comedy lineup on Tuesdays, one of three nights where it’s spreading its variety of sitcoms. Black-ish and Splitting Up Together will also return to Tuesdays and will cap off with the Nathan Fillion drama, The Rookie.
The Wednesday comedy block is pretty much untouched. American Housewife moves to a new 8:30 PM slot where it will air between The Goldbergs and Modern Family. The new comedy, Single Parents starring Leighton Meester, gets the post Family slot and the night will cap off with the new drama, A Million Little Things.
Two comedies make a move to Friday nights where the network will go back to showcasing comedies rather than genre programming which didn’t quite work last season with Marvel’s Inhumans, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.LD. & Once Upon a Time. Fresh off the Boat and Speechless will be paired in the 8:00 PM hour on Friday nights and the rest of the night will go to the game show, Child Support and news program, 20/20.
Thursday night still belongs to Shondaland. The night will feature a trio of Shonda Rhimes dramas which is interesting since Rhimes left ABC for a lucrative Netflix deal. The Grey’s spinoff, Station 19, will air its second season between Grey’s Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder.
Monday night is also unmoved, with Dancing With the Stars anchoring the night before the return of the 2017-18 breakout, The Good Doctor.
Sunday night is abandoning scripted programming altogether. America’s Funniest Home Videos will be followed by a “Juniors” edition of Dancing With the Stars, a new Shark Tank & Alec Baldwin’s The Alec Baldwin Show.
Held for midseason are a few high profile pilot orders. The soapy Grand Hotel will launch midseason as well as The Fix, Whiskey Cavalier and Schooled. Also launching midseason are returning shows For the People and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Midseason will also see the return of reality show heavyweights, American Idol & The Bachelor.
Check out ABC’s full 2018-19 Fall schedule below:
8-10 p.m. — Dancing With the Stars
10-11 p.m. — The Good Doctor
Tuesday
8-8:30 p.m. — Roseanne
8:30-9 p.m. — The Kids Are Alright
9-9:30 p.m. — Black-ish
9:30-10 p.m. — Splitting Up Together
10-11 p.m. — The Rookie
Wednesday
8-8:30 p.m. — The Goldbergs
8:30-9 p.m. — American Housewife
9-9:30 p.m. — Modern Family
9:30-10 p.m. — Single Parents
10-11 p.m. — A Million Little Things
Thursday
8-9 p.m. — Grey’s Anatomy
9-10 p.m. — Station 19
10-11 p.m — How to Get Away With Murder
Friday
8-8:30 p.m. — Fresh off the Boat
8:30-9 p.m. — Speechless
9-10 p.m. — Child Support
10-11 p.m — 20/20
Saturday
8-11 p.m. — Saturday Night Football
Sunday
7-8 p.m. — America’s Funniest Home Videos
8-9 p.m. — Dancing With the Stars: Juniors
9-10 p.m. — Shark Tank
10-11 p.m. — The Alec Baldwin Show
