With the networks doing their upfronts this week and trying to stay relevant in the age of Peak TV (something they’re failing at horribly), ABC is the latest network to release their 2017-18 primetime schedule. Unsurprisingly, they’re keeping their biggest hits—Modern Family, Scandal—and the surrounding lineups intact. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. However, they’re shuffling up their critically acclaimed comedies Fresh Off the Boat and black-ish to new time periods.
The biggest surprise on the schedule is that Marvel’s Inhumans, a show that’s likely to be somewhat expensive and is debuting in IMAX, is being relegated to a 9pm slot on Friday behind the struggling Once Upon a Time. That’s not much of a lead-in, and it’s definitely not a timeslot people want, especially in 2017. Perhaps they’re hoping that the show will catch-on with DVRs and downloads.
As for their other new shows, it doesn’t look like ABC is really taking any chances. There’s The Crossing, which sounds like the ‘Goo-backs’ episode of South Park, a medical show about an usual doctor from the creator of House, M.D., and then there’s Deception, which sounds like the kind of show you come up with when you want to parody network television:
When his career is ruined by scandal, superstar magician Cameron Black has only one place to turn to practice his art of deception, influence and illusion — the FBI. Using every trick in the book and inventing new ones, he will help the government catch the world’s most elusive criminals while staging the biggest illusions of his career.
Check out the full schedule below (new series are in bold) followed by descriptions for ABC's new series.
MONDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
10:00 p.m. “The Good Doctor
TUESDAY:
8:00 p.m. “The Middle”
8:30 p.m. “Fresh Off the Boat” (new time period)
9:00 p.m. “black-ish” (new day and time period)
9:30 p.m. “The Mayor”
10:00 p.m. “The Gospel of Kevin”
WEDNESDAY:
8:00 p.m. “The Goldbergs”
8:30 p.m. “Speechless”
9:00 p.m. “Modern Family”
9:30 p.m. “American Housewife” (new day and time period)
10:00 p.m. “Designated Survivor”
THURSDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
9:00 p.m. “Scandal”
10:00 p.m. “How to Get Away with Murder”
FRIDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Once Upon a Time” (new day and time period)
9:00 p.m. “Marvel’s Inhumans”
10:00 p.m. “20/20”
SATURDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night Football”
SUNDAY:
7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “To Tell the Truth” (new day and time period)
9:00 p.m. “Shark Tank” (new day and time period)
10:00 p.m. “Ten Days in the Valley”
Dramas
THE CROSSING
Refugees from a war-torn country seek asylum in a small American fishing town, only the country these people are from is America – and the war they are fleeing hasn’t happened yet. As the government tries to uncover the truth behind this mysterious migration only one thing is certain: The lives of the people here — both the townspeople and these newcomers — will never be the same. Writers Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie executive produce with Jason Reed.
“The Crossing” stars Steve Zahn as Jude Miller, Natalie Martinez as Reece, Sandrine Holt as Emma Ren, Rick Gomez as Nestor, Jay Karnes as Craig Lindauer, Marcuis Harris as Caleb, Simone Kessel as Rebecca, Kelly Missal as Hannah, Rob Campbell as Paul, Grant Harvey as Roy, Bailey Skodje as Leah, Jon D’Leo as Will, Luc Roderique as Bryce and Tommy Bastow as Marshall.
The pilot is directed by Rob Bowman. The series is from ABC Studios.
Like and Follow THE CROSSING:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCrossingABC/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheCrossingABC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecrossingabc/
Hashtag: #TheCrossing
DECEPTION
When his career is ruined by scandal, superstar magician Cameron Black has only one place to turn to practice his art of deception, influence and illusion — the FBI. Using every trick in the book and inventing new ones, he will help the government catch the world’s most elusive criminals while staging the biggest illusions of his career. The series is from writer/executive producer Chris Fedak (“Chuck”) and executive producers Greg Berlanti, Martin Gero and Sarah Schechter. Illusionist David Kwong (“Now You See Me”) will co-produce.
“Deception” stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Cameron Black/Jonathan Black, Ilfenesh Hadera as Kay Daniels, Lenora Crichlow as Dina Clark, Amaury Nolasco as Mike Alvarez, Justin Chon as Jordan Kwon, Laila Robins as Special Agent Deakins and Vinnie Jones as Gunter Gustafsen
The series is from Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House in association with Warner Bros. Television. “Deception” is directed by David Nutter, who is also executive producer.
Like and Follow DECEPTION:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DeceptionABC
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeceptionABC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deceptionabc/
Hashtag: #Deception
FOR THE PEOPLE
Set in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, aka “The Mother Court,” this new Shondaland drama follows brand-new lawyers working for both the defense and the prosecution handling the most high-profile and high-stakes federal cases in the country – all as their lives intersect in and out of the courtroom. The series is created by Shondaland’s Paul William Davies and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers.
The series, from ABC Studios, stars Ben Rappaport as Seth Oliver, Susannah Flood as Kate Littlejohn, Wesam Keesh as Jay Simmons, Regé-Jean Page as Leonard Knox, Ben Shenkman as Roger Gunn, Hope Davis as Jill Carlan, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Judge Nicholas Byrne and Anna Deavere Smith as Tina Krissman.
Like and Follow For the People:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForThePeopleABC/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/forthepeopleabc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forthepeopleabc/
Hashtag: #ForThePeople
THE GOOD DOCTOR
Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, “Bates Motel”), a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join a prestigious hospital’s surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, Shaun uses his extraordinary medical gifts to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues. The series is from David Shore (“House”), and “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-O” star Daniel Dae Kim.
The series stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Brown, Nicholas Gonzalez as Dr. Neal Melendez, Chuku Modu as Dr. Jared Kalu, Beau Garrett as Jessica Preston, Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews and Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman.
The series is from Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios. David Shore is writer and executive producer. Daniel Dae Kim, David Kim and Sebastian Lee are also executive producers. Seth Gordon directed the pilot and is also an executive producer.
Like and Follow THE GOOD DOCTOR:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheGoodDoctorABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GoodDoctorABC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegooddoctorabc/
Hashtag: #TheGoodDoctor
THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN
Kevin Finn (Jason Ritter, “Parenthood”), a cluelessly self-serving person, is on a dangerous path to despair. In a downward spiral, Kevin returns home to stay with his widowed twin sister (JoAnna Garcia Swisher, “Once Upon a Time”) and niece. On his first night there, an unlikely celestial being named Yvette appears to him and presents him with a mission – to save the world. A light drama from executive producers Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters (“Marvel’s Agent Carter,” “Resurrection,” “Reaper”).
“The Gospel of Kevin” stars Jason Ritter as Kevin Finn, JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Amy, J. August Richards as Nate, Chloe East as Reese, Dustin Ybarra as Tyler and India de Beaufort as Kristin.
The pilot is directed by Paul McGuigan. The series is from ABC Studios.
Like and Follow THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GospelOfKevin/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GospelOfKevin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gospelofkevin/
Hashtag: #TheGospelOfKevin
MARVEL’S INHUMANS
“Marvel’s Inhumans” explores the never-before-told epic adventure of the royal family including Black Bolt, the enigmatic, commanding King of the Inhumans, with a voice so powerful that the slightest whisper can destroy a city. After the Royal Family of Inhumans is splintered by a military coup, they barely escape to Hawaii where their surprising interactions with the lush world and humanity around them may prove to not only save them, but Earth itself. The legendary comic book series will be brought to life in a way that has never been done before, as a version of the first two episodes will be shown globally in IMAX theaters for a two-week period beginning September 1, 2017. ABC will then air the entirety of the series on the network, with additional exclusive content that can only been seen on ABC.
“Marvel’s Inhumans” stars Anson Mount as Black Bolt, Iwan Rheon as Maximus, Serinda Swan as Medusa, Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, Isabelle Cornish as Crystal, Ken Leung as Karnak, Ellen Woglom as an undisclosed character, Sonya Balmores as Auran and Mike Moh as Triton.
The series is executive produced by Scott Buck, along with Marvel’s Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory with Buck serving as showrunner. Roel Reiné will direct the first two episodes. This series is a Marvel and IMAX project and is co-produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios.
Like and Follow MARVEL’S INHUMANS:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Inhumans/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinhumans
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inhumans/
TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY
“Ten Days in the Valley” stars Kyra Sedgwick as Jane Sadler, an overworked television producer and single mother in the middle of a separation whose life is turned upside down when her young daughter goes missing in the middle of the night. Just like her controversial police TV show, everything is a mystery, everyone has a secret and no one can be trusted.
“Ten Days in the Valley” stars Kyra Sedgwick as Jane Sadler, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as John Bird, Kick Gurry as Pete Greene, Erika Christensen as Ali Petrovich, Felix Solis as David Gomez, Josh Randall as Tom Petrovich, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Matt Abigail Pniowsky as Lake and Francois Battiste as Gus.
“Ten Days in the Valley” is from Skydance Television. It is created and written by Tassie Cameron. Executive producers are Tassie Cameron, Kyra Sedgwick, Jill Littman, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison and Marcy Ross.
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Facebook: www.facebook.com/TenDaysintheValley
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendaysinthevalley/
Hashtag: #TenDaysintheValley
Comedies
ALEX, INC.
Based on the podcast StartUp, Alex Schuman (Zach Braff, “Scrubs”) is a brilliant radio journalist, husband and father of two who is about to do something crazy – quit his job and start his own company. He quickly discovers it’s going to be a lot harder than he thought. Zach Braff stars, directs and is executive producer with Matt Tarses (“Scrubs”) and Davis Entertainment (“Dr. Ken,” “Blacklist”).
Matt Tarses is writer and executive producer. Zach Braff is director and executive producer. John Davis and John Fox are executive producers of the series, from Davis Entertainment, as are Alex Blumberg, Chris Gilberti and Matt Lieber (Gimlet Media) in association with Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios.
Like and Follow ALEX, INC.:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexIncABC/
Twitter: @AlexIncABC
Instagram: @alexinc_abc
Hashtag: #AlexInc
THE MAYOR
Young rapper Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall) needs his big break. For years he’s toiled away in a small inner-city apartment, making music in his junk-filled bedroom closet. Tired of waiting for opportunity, Courtney cooks up the publicity stunt of the century – running for mayor of his hometown in California to generate buzz for his music career. Unfortunately for Courtney, his master plan goes wildly awry, ending in the most terrifying of outcomes: an election victory. With the help of his mother (Yvette Nicole Brown, “Community”) and friends, including Valentina (“Glee’s” Lea Michele), Courtney will have to overcome his hubris if he wants to transform the struggling city he loves.
The series stars Brandon Micheal Hall as Courtney Rose, Lea Michele as Valentina, Bernard David Jones as Jermaine Hardaway, Marcel Spears as TK and Yvette Nicole Brown as Dina.
From executive producer Daveed Diggs (Tony winner for Broadway’s “Hamilton”), writer/executive producer Jeremy Bronson (“Speechless,” “The Mindy Project,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”) and executive producer Jamie Tarses (“Happy Endings”), the series is from ABC Studios. The pilot is directed by executive producer James Griffiths (“black-ish”).
Like and Follow THE MAYOR:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMayorABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheMayorABC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themayorabc/
Hashtag: #TheMayor
SPLITTING UP TOGETHER
Based on the Danish series, “Splitting Up Together” is the story of a couple (Jenna Fischer, “The Office,” Oliver Hudson, “Scream Queens”) whose marriage is reignited by their divorce. Emily Kapnek (“Suburgatory”) writes and serves as executive producer of this new comedy, along with Ellen DeGeneres.
The series stars Jenna Fischer as Lena, Oliver Hudson as Martin, Bobby Lee as Arthur, Diane Farr as Maya, Lindsay Price as Camille, Olivia Keville as Mae, Van Crosby as Mason and Sander Thomas as Milo.
Jeff Kleeman, Mette Heeno, Mie Andreasen and Hella Joof are also executive producers of “Splitting Up Together,” which is based on the original series created by Heeno. It is produced by A Very Good Production and Piece of Pie Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Dean Holland directed the pilot.
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SplittingUpTogether/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/splittingupabc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/splittinguptogether/
Hashtag: #SplittingUpTogether