ABC doubles down on comedy

UPFRONTS: US broadcast network ABC has revealed its fall slate, which includes more than 10 hours of comedy across the week and a Sunday night talkshow fronted by Alec Baldwin.

Channing Dungey

After the success of its Roseanne reboot, ABC is bringing fellow half-hour comedy The Kids Are Alright, from ABC Studios, into its Monday night schedule to follow it. Returning shows Black-ish and Splitting Up Together will come next, before new one-hour police drama The Rookie follows at 22.00.

Another clutch of half-hour comedies dominates Wednesday, with new commission Single Parents, from 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios, slotting in at 21.30 following Modern Family, The Goldbergs and the re-timed American Housewife. Freshman drama A Million Little Things again follows at 22.00.

Thursday remains untouched but Friday has had major surgery, with returners Fresh Off the Boat and Speechless moving days and drama Child Support changing time before 20/20 airs at 22.00.

The Alec Baldwin Show will make its bow on Sunday at 22.00 – the first time a broadcast network has gone with a new talkshow in primetime for nearly a decade. The new junior version of Dancing with the Stars from BBC Studios will precede it at 20.00, with the returning Shark Tank sandwiched in between.

A total of eight new series have been announced for 2018/19, with dramas The Fix, Grand Hotel and Whiskey Cavalier plus comedy Schooled premiering in mid-season alongside returning series Agents of SHIELD.

Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, said: “We enter the new season bolstered by success and the stability that it affords us. The new shows we unveil today strengthen an already-vibrant schedule of some of the best television has to offer. These shows, with their compelling characters and aspirational storytelling, will keep our momentum going.”

ABC fall schedule 2018 (new shows in caps)

MONDAY
20.00-22.00 Dancing with the Stars
22.00-23.00 The Good Doctor

TUESDAY
20.00-20.30 Roseanne
20.30-21.00 THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
21.00-21.30 Black-ish
21.30-22.00 Splitting Up Together
22.00-23.00 THE ROOKIE

WEDNESDAY
20.00-20.30 The Goldbergs
20.30-21.00 American Housewife (new time)
21.00-21.30 Modern Family
21.30-22.00 SINGLE PARENTS
22.00-23.00 A MILLION LITTLE THINGS

THURSDAY
20.00-21.00 Grey’s Anatomy
21.00-22.00 Station 19
22.00-23.00 How to Get Away with Murder

FRIDAY
20.00-20.30 Fresh Off the Boat (new day and time)
20.30-21.00 Speechless (new day and time)
21.00-22.00 Child Support (new time)
22.00-23.00 20/20

SATURDAY
20.00-23.00 Saturday Night Football

SUNDAY
19.00-20.00 America’s Funniest Home Videos
20.00-21.00 DANCING WITH THE STARS: JUNIORS
21.00-22.00 Shark Tank
22.00-23.00 THE ALEC BALDWIN SHOW