ABC is going to test out one of its midseason entries after the Oscars, hoping that the big awards show will give it a boost. Whiskey Cavalier, starring Scott Foley & Lauren Cohan, will preview its pilot after the star-studded event.
The Oscars fall on February 24 which will allow the series to get a big preview before its official series launch on February 27. This is the first time ABC will premiere a drama series behind the Oscars and is believed to be the first time ABC has showcased a scripted drama following the awards telecast. For years, Jimmy Kimmel hosted a live post-Oscar show on ABC when he did not host the ceremony. In 2017 and 2018, when Kimmel was Oscar emcee, ABC aired an aftershow hosted by Anthony Anderson in 2017 and previewed Alec Baldwin’s talk show last year.
ABC is the only one of the Big 4 networks that do not carry the Super Bowl, often used by the networks to launch new series. For ABC, the Oscars is its equivalent of the Super Bowl as its highest-rated telecast of the season, so it is not surprising the network would start using it the same way. Even as ratings slip, it’s bound to give a new series some kind of boost.
Whiskey Cavalier follows the adventures of secret agents Will Chase (codename: “Whiskey Cavalier”), played by Scott Foley, and Frankie Trowbridge, played by Lauren Cohan, as they lead an inter-agency team of flawed, funny and heroic spies who periodically save the world. The series also stars Ana Ortiz, Tyler James Williams & Vir Das.
As of now, the Whiskey Cavalier pilot will rebroadcast in the show’s regular premiere slot three nights after the Oscars.
