Deadline is reporting that ABC has given dramedy Kevin (Probably) Saves the World a 3-episode back order, bringing its first season episode total to 15. Meanwhile, praised comedy The Mayor has been given an order for three scripts as the network continues to weigh its fate.
Kevin (Probably) has produced soft results in its 10:00 slot but seems to have found its floor for the time being, as it upticked for the first time the week after facing both the World Series and Halloween. While the series seems to have ABC’s backing, with a repeat planned for Thanksgiving to give it extra exposure, a fall freshman getting a partial back order isn’t a good sign, not when they’re on a network with as many shows as ABC and not when ratings are already fairly low.
The Mayor is an interesting case, as it came into the fall with strong reviews and a compatible lead-in in black-ish. However, the series is off-brand for ABC, which traffics in family comedies, and has aired out of order, two things that have influenced its sluggish start. The Mayor is currently pacing behind The Real O’Neals and is decisively ABC’s lowest rated comedy, but as with Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, ABC seems to be behind it, to the point where Deadline mentions the possibility of an earlier time slot should the three-episode script order turn into actual episodes. Where a script order is simply a stall tactic from networks who want more time to decide on the fate of a bubble show they like whose performance hasn’t made the decision for them, it’s as yet unclear whether The Mayor‘s initial 13-episode order will actually be extended.
With decisions in on Kevin (Probably) and The Mayor, ABC has made calls on every new show it premiered this fall, as The Good Doctor was given a 5-episode back order, Ten Days in the Valley was pulled from the schedule after underwhelming results, and Marvel’s Inhumans went into this season with a limited order. The deadline for fall freshmen to either get a back order, get pulled from the schedule, or get their episode order capped is rapidly approaching, as the likes of 9JKL, Wisdom of the Crowd, and The Brave have yet to have decisions about their fates announced.
From Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters (Reaper), Kevin (Probably) Saves the World tells the story of Kevin Finn (Jason Ritter), a down-on-his-luck man who moves in with his sister after a failed suicide attempt. After a visit from a celestial being named Yvette (Kimberly Hebert Gregory), who tasks him with finding the other 35 righteous souls in his generation who can help save the world, Kevin finds a sense of purpose that he was missing and sets about finding himself once again.
From Jeremy Bronson (The Mindy Project), The Mayor follows aspiring rapper Courtney Rose (Brandon Michael Hall) as he gets involved in a local mayoral election in order to promote his music career. However, when he unexpectedly wins the election, taking down favored Councilman Ed Gunt in the process, Courtney is forced to confront his new reality and attempt to use this as an opportunity for growth and positive social change.
Kevin (Probably) Saves the World airs Tuesdays at 10:00 on ABC, with The Mayor airing at 9:30.
