Most Surprising (Possible) Renewal: Even though a Galavant renewal would arguably be the most surprising renewal possible from all five broadcast networks, given the ratings hit it took this year, how expensive the show is, and how it directly clashes against what ABC is trying to do in its post-Paul Lee era, let me talk about Quantico some. Considering its fast ratings start and the large amount of buzz it created in a difficult time slot, I wasn’t surprised that the show was renewed, as ABC hasn’t had much luck with its freshman dramas this year and that they want to keep Priyanka Chopra around for as long as they can. What I was more surprised about was that it got renewed before returning from hiatus and before ABC could see how its ratings trended; granted, it’s been very steady since returning, even in the face of another underperforming lead-in, so I think it’s more than earned its renewal. And frankly, I think it should stay where it is because it gives ABC a pulse on an extremely difficult night and I don’t know if they have any other shows in development that could do that; since they’re still trying on Sundays, it makes sense to keep it there and attempt to figure out 9:00.
Show That Likely Won’t Be Renewed But Should Be: The only doubtful ABC renewal that might have a decent argument for renewal is The Catch. After an underwhelming premiere, it’s been fairly steady and seems to already possess its own audience; granted, its audience is likely older than ABC wants, but that type of autonomy is good for a new show. And this is the type of show that could flourish under ABC’s new regime, given that it has procedural bones, a strong female lead, and a whole lot of style. Plus, it comes from Shonda Rhimes, which one would think would give it a leg up when it comes to bubble conversations. But have the behind the scenes troubles, as well as the show’s own lack of buzz, doomed it from a second season?
Possible Scheduling Disaster: I don’t really have one particular disaster in mind; what I think could be disastrous, though, is if ABC stands pat too much. I know that you can’t rebuild a schedule in 20 minutes, and that they might not want to upset the nights/shows that are doing the best for them, but if they’re too conservative like they were last year, they’re not going to get any closer to where they want to be. As long as the moves they make are thoughtful and backed by strong marketing, I think they could stand to do a fair amount of maneuvering without too much detriment to their overall schedule.
Possible Biggest Surprise: I really think Secrets & Lies could be a good replacement for Scandal. Instead of just filling time before the political drama can return, it might have some ratings muscle of its own considering its compatibility with TGIT, the continued strength of Grey’s Anatomy, and the fact that Secrets & Lies is an anthology with a diverse cast. While it might not have the same power in sub-demos that Scandal does, I think it could hold down the fort just fine and keep one of ABC’s strongest nights from collapsing just when they need it the most.
Safest Bet: Something from the Wednesday comedy lineup will move. There’s no feasible way for them to rebuild their schedule without using the assets that they have; holding pat on Wednesday and hoping that dumb luck strikes you is, well, dumb and way too conservative for a network that needs all the help it can get. I would also bet that SHIELD moves just because they haven’t been able to find anything to stick by it and it could be a decent (temporary) fix for Tuesdays at 10:00.
Project I’m Rooting For: ABC’s development is always the most interesting to me and this year, while a touch underwhelming, is no exception. On the drama side, I think Notorious could be a lot of smart, incisive fun not unlike before Scandal flew off the rails, while The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez is very 2016 Revenge and The Jury could once again show that ABC is capable of making great, substantive drama in addition to its stable of frothier offerings. On the comedy side, I’m mostly rooting for Square Roots, just because I think it would be great to have an Indian family comedy, but I’m intrigued by what Chunk & Bean, The Second Fattest Wife in Westport, and Dream Team promise.
ESSENTIAL LINKS
Upfronts 2016: What Each Network Needs
ABC’s 2015-2016 Schedule: Thoughts & Predictions
Analyzing the 2015-2016 Schedule: ABC
More Schedule Prediction Articles
