Having just solidified its position as the No. 1 network in entertainment among Adults 18-49 for the first time in four years, ABC is announcing its 2020-2021 programming slate, which includes renewals for 19 series and two straight-to-series orders from its current crop of pilots – David E. Kelley’s thriller “Big Sky” and the comedy “Call Your Mother” (formerly “My Village”) from Kari Lizer (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”) – as well as the previously announced alternative series “Supermarket Sweep” with Leslie Jones.
“At a time when we are physically apart and shared experiences matter more than ever, these shows will build on the strategy that has made us No. 1 this season – bringing people together, creating cultural moments, and making content that entertains and inspires across generations and demographics,” said Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment. “Our top priority now is to work with our studio partners to ensure a safe return to production so that we can build on the strong momentum of a winning lineup with measured bets on new series that will invigorate our air and continue to deliver the quality programming that our viewers have come to expect and love.”
Among the network’s ratings highlights this season:
- Excluding sports programming, ABC ranks as the No. 1 entertainment network of the season among Adults 18-49 (1.1/6), tying Fox (1.1/5) and NBC (1.1/5). Based on Adult 18-49 viewers (1.452 million), ABC moves ahead of Fox (1.443 million) and NBC (1.368 million) to rank as the season’s No. 1 entertainment network outright. In fact, this season marks the first time ABC has ranked No. 1 outright in 4 years – since the 2015/2016 season.
- ABC ranked or tied as the No. 1 entertainment network in 16 of the 34 weeks of the season to date in Adults 18-49, up from its 8 weekly wins last season. In fact, ABC delivered the longest winning streak of the season, ranking or tying for No. 1 on 10 consecutive weeks – from week of 2/3/20 through week of 4/6/20.
- ABC claims 2 of the season’s Top 5 entertainment programs with Adults 18-49 – more than any other network: “The Bachelor” (2.4/12) – No. 4 and “Grey’s Anatomy” (2.3/12) – No. 5 (tie).
- ABC has 3 of the Top 4 comedies of the season in Adults 18-49, including the No. 1 comedy: “Modern Family” (1.6/8) – No. 1 (tie), “The Conners” (1.5/8) – No. 3 and “The Goldbergs” (1.3/6) – No. 4 (tie).
- Among Adults 18-49, ABC delivers the season’s No. 1 entertainment program on Monday with “The Bachelor” (2.4/12); the Top 2 entertainment programs on Thursday with “Grey’s Anatomy” (2.3/12) and “A Million Little Things” (1.6/8-tie), respectively; and the Top 2 entertainment broadcast programs on Sunday with “American Idol” (1.5/7) and “The Rookie” (1.2/6-tie), respectively.
- “The Good Doctor” ranked as the No. 1 entertainment program in the Monday 10:00 p.m. hour this season with Adults 18-49 (1.6/8). With 9.8 million viewers this season, “The Good Doctor” stood as the No. 1 show in the hour in Total Viewers.
- ABC ranks as the No. 1 entertainment network on 3 of 7 nights of the week this season among Adults 18-49: Monday (1.4/7-tie), Thursday (1.5/7) and Sunday (1.1/5).
- ABC holds 8 of the season’s Top 10 highest-rated entertainment specials in Adults 18-49: “The Oscars®” (5.5/25), “The Wonderful World of Disney Presents The Little Mermaid Live!” (3.4/16), “The Disney Family Singalong” (3.4/16), “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2020: Part Two” (3.3/17), “JEOPARDY! The Greatest of All Time”- Night 1 (2.8/13), “JEOPARDY! The Greatest of All Time” – Night 2 (2.8/14), “JEOPARDY! The Greatest of All Time” – Night 3 (2.6/13) and “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards” (2.3/11).
- After 35 days of delayed viewing on linear and digital platforms, ABC has 8 shows that average at least 10 million Total Viewers this season: “Grey’s Anatomy” (15.7 million), “The Good Doctor” (15.2 million), “The Bachelor” (11.6 million), “Station 19” (11.2 million), “American Idol” (11.0 million), “The Rookie” (10.8 million), “A Million Little Things” (10.2 million) and “Modern Family” (10.0 million).
- Among Adults 18-49, ABC has 4 programs that average at least a 3.00 rating this season after 35 days of multiplatform viewing: “Grey’s Anatomy” (5.91 rating), “The Bachelor” (4.57 rating), “The Good Doctor” (3.79 rating) and “Modern Family” (3.53 rating).
- “American Idol” (+22%) and “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (+15%) are improving by double digits over their year-ago averages after 35 days of multiplatform viewing among Adults 18-49, with “Station 19” (+8%), “The Bachelor” (+8%) and “20/20” (+6%) also growing year over year. In fact, “The Bachelor” delivered its highest-rated season in 3 years with Adults 18-49 in multiplatform delayed viewing (4.57 rating).
- Since April 13, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is up over the comparable weeks last year by 25% in Total Viewers and by 12% in Adults 18-49.
- ABC is the most social network of the season with over 164 million total social interactions (164,554,872), leading runner-up NBC by 88% (87,729,908), while more than doubling Fox (+137% – 69,374,742) and more than tripling CBS (+226% – 50,480,831).
Source: The Nielsen Company, National Most Current program ratings for 2019/2020 Season=9/23/19-5/19/20 and National Live+7 Day program ratings for previous seasons, excludes sports programming, sustainers and programs < 5 minutes. Series rankings based on regularly scheduled programming. ABC multiplatform ratings, 9/23/19-4/5/20. Nielsen social content, 9/23/19-5/18/20, excludes sports programming.
NEW SERIES:
BIG SKY
From visionary storyteller David E. Kelley (“Big Little Lies”) comes “Big Sky,” a thriller created by Kelley, who will write multiple episodes and serve as showrunner in its premiere season. Private detectives Cassie Dewell and Cody Hoyt join forces with his estranged wife and ex-cop, Jenny Hoyt, to search for two sisters who have been kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana. But when they discover that these are not the only girls who have disappeared in the area, they must race against the clock to stop the killer before another woman is taken. Based on the series of books by C.J. Box, “Big Sky” is executive produced by David E. Kelley, Ross Fineman, Matthew Gross, Paul McGuigan and C.J. Box and is produced by A+E Studios in association with 20th Century Fox Television. A+E Studios is the award-winning studio unit of the global media company A+E Networks, LLC. 20th Century Fox Television is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside ABC Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.
Cast: Katheryn Winnick as Jenny Hoyt, Kylie Bunbury as Cassie Dewell, Brian Geraghty as Ronald Pergman, Dedee Pfeiffer as Denise Brisbane, Natalie Alyn Lind as Danielle Sullivan, Jesse James Keitel as Jerrie, with John Carroll Lynch as Rick Legarski and Ryan Phillippe as Cody Hoyt.
CALL YOUR MOTHER
From Kari Lizer (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”), this multicamera comedy follows an empty-nester mom who wonders how she ended up alone while her children live their best lives thousands of miles away. She decides her place is with her family and as she reinserts herself into their lives, her kids realize they might actually need her more than they thought. “Call Your Mother” is produced by Sony Pictures Television & ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.
Cast: Kyra Sedgwick as Jean Raines, Rachel Sennott as Jackie Raines, Joey Bragg as Freddie Raines, Patrick Brammall as Danny, Emma Caymares as Celia and Austin Crute as Lane.
RETURNING SERIES:
AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE (SEASON 5)
“American Housewife” follows Katie Otto, a confident, unapologetic wife and mother of three, who is raising her flawed family in the wealthy town of Westport, Connecticut, filled with “perfect” mommies and their “perfect” offspring. Joining Katie in her perfectly imperfect world is her husband, Greg Otto, who supports her in every way possible but with a dash of reality thrown in as they work to raise their three children. Despite her flaws and unconventional ways, Katie ultimately only wants the best for her kids and will fight tooth and nail to instill some good old-fashioned values in them. “American Housewife” stars Katy Mixon as Katie Otto, Diedrich Bader as Greg Otto, Meg Donnelly as Taylor Otto, Daniel DiMaggio as Oliver Otto, Julia Butters as Anna-Kat Otto, Carly Hughes as Angela and Ali Wong as Doris. The series was created by Sarah Dunn (“Spin City,” “Bunheads”) and is produced by ABC Studios and Kapital Entertainment. Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz are showrunners of the series. Sarah Dunn, Aaron Kaplan, Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz are executive producers. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.
THE BACHELOR (SEASON 25)
Monday’s No. 1 broadcast program this season in Adults 18-49, “The Bachelor” is the original prime-time romance reality series that dominates TV ratings and has become a pop-culture phenomenon. The hit series will feature its 25th edition this landmark season. Hosted by Chris Harrison, “The Bachelor” is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. Mike Fleiss, Martin Hilton, Nicole Woods, Bennett Graebner, Peter Gust, Tim Warner, Louis Caric and Peter Geist are the executive producers
BLACK-ISH (SEASON 7)
ABC’s Emmy® Award and Golden Globe®-nominated comedy series “black-ish” takes a fun yet bold look at one man’s determination to establish a sense of cultural identity for his family. The series stars Anthony Anderson as Andre “Dre” Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson, Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Marcus Scribner as Andre Johnson Jr., Miles Brown as Jack Johnson, Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson, Laurence Fishburne as Pops, Jenifer Lewis as Ruby, Peter Mackenzie as Mr. Stevens, Deon Cole as Charlie Telphy and Jeff Meacham as Josh. ABC’s “black-ish” was created by Kenya Barris and is executive produced by Barris, Courtney Lilly, Laura Gutin Peterson, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, E. Brian Dobbins and Michael Petok. The series is produced by ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.
THE CONNERS (SEASON 3)
TV’s No. 1 program in the Tuesday 8:00 p.m. half-hour this season in Adults 18-49, “The Conners” follows America’s favorite family as they continue to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford. Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky and D.J. will continue to grapple with parenthood, dating, financial pressures and aging in working-class America. Through it all – the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns – with love, humor and perseverance, the family prevails. The series stars John Goodman as Dan Conner, Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris, Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner, Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner-Healy, Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner, Emma Kenney as Harris Conner-Healy, Ames McNamara as Mark Conner-Healy and Jayden Rey as Mary Conner. “The Conners” is executive produced by Tom Werner, along with Sara Gilbert, Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan, Bruce Rasmussen and Tony Hernandez. Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan and Bruce Rasmussen are also writers. The series is from Tom Werner and Werner Entertainment.
DANCING WITH THE STARS (SEASON 29)
“Dancing with the Stars” is the hit series in which celebrities perform choreographed dance routines that are judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts and voted upon by viewers at home. The competition begins with an all-new cast of celebrities who are paired up with the show’s pro dancers and brave the dance floor for the very first time. Each week these celebrities will endure hours of grueling rehearsals to master new dance styles and technical choreography to perform a dance. In the end, only one star will rise above the rest to be crowned champion and win the coveted Mirrorball trophy. “Dancing with the Stars” is produced by BBC Studios. Andrew Llinares is executive producer.
THE GOLDBERGS (SEASON 8)
Despite the challenges, ups, downs, twists and turns of life together, everyone’s favorite ’80s family “The Goldbergs” proves that life will be sweet. “The Goldbergs” stars Wendi McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg, Sean Giambrone as Adam Goldberg, Troy Gentile as Barry Goldberg, Hayley Orrantia as Erica Goldberg, Sam Lerner as Geoff Schwartz, with George Segal as Al “Pops” Solomon and Jeff Garlin as Murray Goldberg. Adam F. Goldberg, Doug Robinson, Alex Barnow, Chris Bishop, Annette Davis and Mike Sikowitz are executive producers. “The Goldbergs” is produced by Happy Madison, Doug Robinson Productions and Adam F. Goldberg Productions, in association with Sony Pictures Television.
A MILLION LITTLE THINGS (SEASON 3)
Friendship isn’t a big thing. It’s a million little things. When our gang’s dear friend Jon – a man perfect on paper – took his own life, his family and friends were left to pick up the pieces. Each of these friends is not living the version of life they thought they’d be living. And their friend’s death forces them to take a look at the choices they’ve made and to solve the unanswerable mystery of a man they thought they knew. “A Million Little Things” stars David Giuntoli as Eddie Saville, Romany Malco as Rome Howard, Allison Miller as Maggie Bloom, Christina Moses as Regina Howard, Grace Park as Katherine Saville, James Roday as Gary Mendez, Stephanie Szostak as Delilah Dixon, Tristan Byon as Theo Saville, Lizzy Greene as Sophie Dixon and Chance Hurstfield as Danny Dixon. DJ Nash is the creator and executive producer; Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor and David Marshall Grant are executive producers; and Nina Lopez-Corrado serves as co-executive producer/director on the series, from ABC Studios/Kapital Entertainment. ABC Studios is part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.
MIXED-ISH (SEASON 2)
From the creators of “black-ish,” “mixed-ish” follows the beloved Rainbow Johnson as she recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the ’80s and the dilemmas they face to acclimate in the suburbs while staying true to themselves. As her parents struggle with the challenges of their new life outside of the hippie commune, Bow and her siblings navigate a world where they are perceived as neither black nor white. This family’s experiences illuminate the challenges of finding one’s own identity when the rest of the world can’t decide where you belong. ABC’s “mixed-ish” stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Paul Johnson, Tika Sumpter as Alicia Johnson, Christina Anthony as Denise, Arica Himmel as Bow Johnson, Ethan William Childress as Johan Johnson, Mykal-Michelle Harris as Santamonica Johnson and Gary Cole as Harrison Jackson. Executive producers are Kenya Barris, Peter Saji, Tracee Ellis Ross, Randall Winston, Brian Dobbins, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland and Anthony Anderson. The series is produced by ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.
THE ROOKIE (SEASON 3)
John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD, has used his life experience, determination and sense of humor to keep up with rookies 20 years his junior. Nolan is continually put to the test by a host of new challenges, romantic relationships and deadly criminals, as he looks to figure out what kind of cop he ultimately wants to be. “The Rookie” became Sunday’s No. 1 scripted broadcast series in its second season with Adults 18-49. “The Rookie” stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Wade Grey, Titus Makin as Jackson West, Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford. Alexi Hawley is writer and executive producer. Mark Gordon, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman, Jon Steinberg, Bill Norcross and Terence Paul Winter are executive producers on the series. “The Rookie” is a co-production with Entertainment One (eOne) and ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.
SHARK TANK (SEASON 12)
The recipient of the 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 Emmy Award for Outstanding Structured Reality Program, “Shark Tank” features The Sharks – tough, self-made, multimillionaire and billionaire tycoons – as they invest in America’s best businesses and products. The Sharks will give people from all walks of life the chance to chase the American dream and potentially secure business deals that could make them millionaires. Mark Burnett, Clay Newbill, Yun Lingner, Max Swedlow and Phil Gurin, Brandon Wallace, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary are the executive producers of “Shark Tank,” which is based on the Japanese “Dragons’ Den” format, created by Nippon Television Network Corporation. The series is produced by MGM Television in association with Sony Pictures Television.
STUMPTOWN (SEASON 2)
Based on the graphic novel series, “Stumptown” follows Dex Parios – a strong, assertive and sharp-witted veteran with a complicated love life, gambling debt and a brother to take care of in Portland, Oregon. Her military intelligence skills make her a great PI, but her unapologetic style puts her in the firing line of hardcore criminals and not quite in alliance with the police. “Stumptown” stars Cobie Smulders as Dex Parios, Jake Johnson as Grey McConnell, Tantoo Cardinal as Sue Lynn Blackbird, Cole Sibus as Ansel Parios, Adrian Martinez as Tookie, with Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Cosgrove and Michael Ealy as Detective Miles Hoffman. “Stumptown” is produced by creator and executive producer Jason Richman. David Bernad, Ruben Fleischer, Greg Rucka (author of the “Stumptown” graphic novel series), Matthew Southworth and Justin Greenwood (illustrators of the “Stumptown” graphic novel series) are executive producers. The series is produced by ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.
20/20 (SEASON 43)
ABC News’ “20/20” is an award-winning prime-time program anchored by David Muir and Amy Robach. A proven leader in the long-form newsmagazine for over 40 years, “20/20” features hard-hitting investigative reports, in-depth coverage of high profile trials, unforgettable character-driven stories and exclusive newsmaker interviews.
WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE (SEASON 2)
Emmy Award-winning host Jimmy Kimmel returns as host of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” 20 years after the prime-time series debuted on ABC in the U.S. The series features celebrity contestants playing for charity, bringing a guest of their choice along to help them answer questions: a relative, a beloved teacher or a famed trivia expert – anyone they want. “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” is produced by Sony Pictures Television’s Embassy Row, Kimmelot and Valleycrest Productions Ltd. The iconic game show is a Sony Pictures Television format that has been adapted in over 120 countries and has won over 65 awards worldwide, including a BAFTA, an Emmy and seven National Television Awards in the UK.
Schedule to be announced at a later date.
ABC programming can also be viewed on demand and on Hulu.
