CRAIG’S PREDICTIONS: 8:00 The Middle; 8:30 Fresh Off the Boat; 9:00 black-ish; 9:30 The Real O’Neals; 10:00 Quantico
SHILO’S PREDICTIONS: 8:00 Fresh Off the Boat; 8:30 The Real O’Neals; 9:00 Designated Survivor; 10:00 Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD
ACTUAL SCHEDULE: 8:00 The Middle; 8:30 American Housewife; 9:00 Fresh Off the Boat; 9:30 The Real O’Neals; 10:00 Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD
CRAIG: First off, go ABC for doing something right in renewing The Real O’Neals. Secondly, go ABC again for letting The Middle lead off what might be another good night of comedy.
While the second hour of this lineup might not be as strong – though I do think Fresh Off the Boat has been near being a hit for a while there – I do think it’ll be stronger than the previous year’s first two hours. As for SHIELD? It’s really a shame that a Marvel-branded TV series, which should be something the whole family can enjoy, is relegated to a 10PM timeslot, but it truly is where it can do the least damage. It’s just a shame. I’d get it if, say, a broadcast Daredevil or Punisher show aired at 10, but a spy show? Meh.
Note to ABC development people and Marvel: Create something fun, with characters people love. Who are NOT SPIES. If only the Miles Morales TV rights weren’t likely with Sony. And if you really, really want to do a Mockingbird TV show with Adrianne Palicki, there’s always the West Coast Avengers which might be fun. Off my nerdy Marvel fanboy soapbox now.
SHILO: I actually think that this is a really well-constructed night for ABC. The move to four comedies is necessary considering how solidly ABC’s comedy slate has been performing and how strong the ABC comedy brand is. With ABC bolstering their new Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday dramas with good scheduling, it makes sense to use Tuesday for comedies and keep four together considering that flow is what turned Wednesday into the powerhouse that it is. This is arguably more cohesive than anything they’ve done on Tuesday since 2011-2012 when the lineup included Last Man Standing, Dancing With the Stars, and Body of Proof, with SHIELD‘s sagging ratings being neutralized by A) being pushed to 10:00 and B) keeping ABC from having to program a troublesome slot this season.
I was a little surprised that The Middle was moved considering its age and the fact that it’s been in the same slot for almost its entire life, but it makes sense as The Goldbergs is younger and strong enough to regularly build at 8:30, so they likely won’t have to worry about Wednesdays with it at 8:00. The American Housewife trailer reminded me of Suburgatory, which built from The Middle during its first season, so if it can keep it together creatively in ways that its spirit animal didn’t, it should be a good pairing with The Middle. Lastly, natural pairing Fresh Off the Boat and The Real O’Neals will benefit from having a compatible lead-in and from being the only comedies in the hour, making the Tuesday lineup pretty promising for ABC. Again, this lineup likely won’t decimate the competition, but it’s a huge step up from what ABC was doing this past season and it’s a great opportunity for the network to continue growing their comedy slate by trying to recapture the magic that made Wednesdays so special for them.
