A few weeks ago, we posted our predictions for the ABC Fall 2013 schedule… and now that the official schedule has been announced, we’re going to look at that schedule, night by night, to see what we think works, what we think doesn’t, and how we did with our predictions.
The “we” in this case, as before, are KSiteTV’s Craig Byrne and TVHackr and TVOvermind writer Shilo Adams.
You can read our CW analysis here, with more coming throughout the week.
SUNDAY
Craig’s Picks: 7PM America’s Funniest Home Videos, 8PM Once Upon a Time, 9PM Gothica, 10PM Revenge
Shilo’s Picks: 7PM America’s Funniest Home Videos, 8PM Once Upon a Time, 9PM Gothica, 10PM Revenge
Actual Schedule: 7PM America’s Funniest Home Videos, 8PM Once Upon a Time, 9PM Revenge, 10PM Betrayal
SHILO: Given that Revenge has lost pretty much all of its pop culture cool factor, along with over 25% of its ratings from season one, I assumed that ABC would move it to the troubled 10PM slot in hopes of launching a new show at 9PM. Revenge is down but it has enough audience to where it might have survived the move and steadied itself in the process, but ABC opted to keep things status quo and debut limited series Betrayal at 10PM instead. They did announce that the Sunday shows will be aired in blocks of 10-12 episodes, staving off the erratic scheduling that aided in the declines of Once Upon a Time and Revenge; I’m just not sure that’ll be enough to keep the night afloat.
CRAIG: Oops… Gothica didn’t happen, did it? That would send our predictions for a loop.
I still think Revenge would fit better at 10PM. When looking at the trailers; Resurrection really jumped out at me; a Once/Resurrection/Revenge night might have been a lot of fun. As it stands, I think whatever is on at 10PM might face the same fate as 666 Park Avenue and Red Widow did.
MONDAY
Craig’s Picks: 8PM Dancing with the Stars, 10PM Castle
Shilo’s Picks: 8PM Dancing with the Stars, 10PM Castle
Actual Schedule: 8PM Dancing with the Stars, 10PM Castle
SHILO: ABC decided to not back down from its crumbling reality franchise this season. Although the results show was axed, there’s still the two-hour bloc on Mondays leading into Castle, which we both got right. The key now, since they didn’t want to rest the show for the fall, is to freshen the show up from the inside and hope that word spreads of the (positive) alterations. With Christina Aguilera and Cee-Lo Green returning to The Voice in the fall, NBC’s singing competition might be able to stave off the ratings declines its been suffering, meaning that Dancing might not be able to regain some of its lost audience just yet.
CRAIG: I do think it was a wise move to get rid of the results show, though I do think DWTS needs a break, because it’s getting to the point of saturation where people don’t seem to care as much anymore. I’m glad Castle is staying in its usual spot, though.
TUESDAY
Craig’s Picks: 8PM Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., 9PM Dancing with the Stars Results, 10PM Castle
Shilo’s Picks: 8PM Dancing with the Stars Results, 9PM Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., 10PM Murder in Manhattan
Actual Schedule: 8PM Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., 9PM The Goldbergs, 9:30PM Trophy Wife, 10PM Lucky 7
SHILO: An all-new night is quite risky for ABC, but it might be just what they need for Tuesdays to become a relevant night for them again. Although rumors of the Tuesdays at 8PM slot abounded before Upfronts, I still think that 9PM would’ve been the better option, as it’d boost their 10PM show and keep their affiliates happy. However, this isn’t a bad schedule – they should be comfortably in first place at 8PM with Agents of SHIELD, which could provide enough of a cushion for the family comedies to still be alright even if they drop quite a bit facing The Voice. 10PM, though, will be a potential danger. Lucky 7′s unusual concept, unflashy trailer, and starless cast will be receiving diluted lead-in support and facing two strong procedurals, in addition to FX’s Sons of Anarchy. Could it be ABC’s first cancellation of the season?
CRAIG: Although it looks like I scheduled Castle for two different nights, remember that we did a Dancing-included and a Dancing-free schedule… and then they went and cut off just one of the nights. I’m not crazy, I promise!
I’m very happy with the time slot Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. is getting, but at the same time, the 9:00 hour is interesting to me. Counter-programming, I guess? All I know is that I really, really, REALLY liked The Goldbergs and I’m glad it gets such a high-profile lead-in… though I do think it’d be better served in that “after Modern Family” slot. I hope people sample it and don’t just turn the channel to NBC and The Voice.
Lucky 7 seems like a “lottery windfall” show I’ve seen dozens of times before. Maybe seeing the actual pilot will change my impressions, but for right now, I think Person Of Interest will destroy it.
Another thought: Tuesday at 8 is going to be very fragmented, audience wise, and it will be interesting to see who gravitates toward what. Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., obviously, is going for the multi-generational, and both genders. NCIS will surely keep the older folks. The Biggest Loser will also target the 18-49’s, and The Originals will cater to the young females. FOX’s comedies… well, good luck there.
WEDNESDAY
Craig’s Picks: 8PM The Middle, 8:30PM Suburgatory, 9PM Modern Family, 9:30PM How to Live with Your Parents, 10PM Nashville
Shilo’s Picks: 8PM The Middle, 8:30PM Suburgatory, 9PM Modern Family, 9:30PM How to Live with Your Parents, 10PM Nashville
Actual Schedule: 8PM The Middle, 8:30PM Back in the Game, 9PM Modern Family, 9:30PM Super Fun Night, 10PM Nashville
SHILO: The most perplexing decision of upfronts, perhaps from all five networks, is ABC cancelling How to Live with Your Parents and replacing it with Rebel Wilson’s Super Fun Night. How to Live wasn’t going to get them massive amounts of online coverage or anything, but it was the best fit of all the shows they’ve tried behind Modern Family and only had a few episodes before getting the ax. It deserved another season, especially since they shot themselves in the foot and slotted in a young-skewing comedy in Super Fun Night that seems destined to follow the same path that Happy Endings, Cougar Town, and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23 did. Rebel Wilson is wonderful and I think Super Fun Night could survive on ABC, but it doesn’t fit behind three family comedies and might end up dragging down Nashville in the process.
CRAIG: Why aren’t they letting Rebel Wilson use her natural accent? I really like Rebel Wilson, but I’m not sure from the trailers how much I like Super Fun Night. As I said up above, I think The Goldbergs might have been a better timeslot fit.
Glad they’re keeping Nashville and the other Wednesday anchors in their usual spots, though.
THURSDAY
Craig’s Picks: 8PM Shark Tank, 9PM Grey’s Anatomy, 10PM Scandal
Shilo’s Picks: 8PM Shark Tank, 9PM Grey’s Anatomy, 10PM Scandal
Actual Schedule: 8PM Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, 9PM Grey’s Anatomy, 10PM Scandal
SHILO: ABC’s strategy for next season seems to rely on leaving their known quantities where they are, scheduling smarter, and plugging in holes with new shows. All pre-upfront talk about Once Upon a Time in Wonderland pointed to the spin-off filling time between bursts of Once Upon a Time episodes, but I have to say, I’m not mad at them using it on Thursdays. It’s got brand recognition (both in terms of its mothership and main character), will stick out in the hour due to its visuals, and should skew noticeably female, the latter of which being one of the main problems of several former Thursdays at 8PM ABC shows. Airing along with Once Upon a Time could backfire and leave the spin-off dead in the water while damaging the original, and I’m not sure what goes here come midseason, but for now, I’m in.
CRAIG: Once Upon A Time In Wonderland (that title is still way too long) being on Thursdays was the biggest surprise of the ABC schedule for me, and I think a very wise one – a strong female lead, running into other strong female shows. Yes, it’s on at the same time as The Vampire Diaries, but as a show approaches Season 5, there is bound to be some viewer loss anyway.
My big questions about OUATW: Will they keep up the level of quality from that presentation that was cut into a trailer? And, yes, will it damage the parent show? It doesn’t help that Once is coming off of an only so-so premiere; maybe people will want to jump ship and try out some new fairy tales on Thursday night.
I also can’t help but be amused that ABC rushed their Wonderland onto the air before NBC could film anything. I wonder now if NBC will even bother. If they don’t, can OUATIW take the shorter title of just Wonderland? It’d help my lazy fingers.
I’m glad they’re keeping the rest of their Thursday nights as they are. Grey’s may be getting older but Scandal can always grow.
FRIDAY
Craig’s Picks: 8PM The Neighbors, 8:30PM King John, 9PM Last Man Standing, 9:30PM Malibu Country, 10PM 20/20
Shilo’s Picks: 8PM The Neighbors, 8:30PM King John, 9PM Last Man Standing, 9:30PM Malibu Country, 10PM 20/20
Actual Schedule: 8PM Last Man Standing, 8:30PM The Neighbors, 9PM Shark Tank, 10PM 20/20
SHILO: ABC must have hated its comedy development, because I figured that a 2013 TGIF lineup was all but guaranteed. Instead, Malibu Country was booted, Shark Tank stays put, and The Neighbors moves over from Wednesdays. Although I think Shark Tank should have been used during a weekday (ideally, Tuesdays at 9PM as a lead-in to Lucky 7), the network should continue to do well on Fridays, particularly since The Neighbors seems like a better match with Last Man Standing than Malibu Country.
CRAIG: I still want a new TGIF one of these years. This line-up is safe, and it works, though.
SO, HOW DID WE DO?
Craig: 11/22
Shilo: 10/22
SHILO: Most of my points came from ABC keeping shows like The Middle, Nashville, and Scandal where they aired this season. Before I made my ABC schedule, I knew that they would be the most unpredicatble in terms of new shows and that turned out to be true, to the detriment of my point total. The schedule has its strong points and I’m glad they kept stable what they did, but there are enough question marks to where their fall could go either way. Wonderland could break out, the block scheduling could stop ratings declines, and Agents of SHIELD could provide enough of a boost to make their entire Tuesday lineup strong. Or Super Fun Night could arrive DOA, 2/3 of their Tuesday hours could disappoint, and Revenge could continue falling, dragging Betrayal (and Resurrection, slated to appear midseason) along with it.
CRAIG: Even with all that was said up above, ABC’s schedule for the coming season is one of my favorites. There were definitely some surprises, and definitely some head-scratchers, like the whole Revenge still at 9 thing. I still think some of the Tuesday comedies should/could be traded for the ones that are on Wednesdays, but that’s just me. Overall, I think ABC had a very strong development year, and I’m very excited for SEVERAL of their new shows.
