Television news lately has been a bloodbath with networks deciding to cancel a shocking number of series now that the 2017-2018 season is coming to an end. ABC recently cancelled a large number of its shows, including some that once seemed destined for a long life on the small screen. The good news is that the fall schedule for ABC in the 2018-2019 TV season has been announced, and plenty of new series are in the lineup, including Nathan Fillion's The Rookie. Some big changes are in store for the comedy lineup as well. So, without further ado, check out the full fall schedule!
Note: specific premiere dates have not yet been released, and all freshman premieres are marked in all caps.
MONDAY8 p.m. - Dancing With the Stars10 p.m. - The Good DoctorTUESDAY8 p.m. - Roseanne8:30 p.m. - THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT9 p.m. - black-ish9:30 p.m. - Splitting Up Together10 p.m. - THE ROOKIEWEDNESDAY8 p.m. - The Goldbergs8:30 p.m. - American Housewife9 p.m. - Modern Family9:30 p.m. - SINGLE PARENTS10 p.m. - A MILLION LITTLE THINGSTHURSDAY8 p.m. - Grey's Anatomy9 p.m. - Station 1910 p.m. - How to Get Away With MurderFRIDAY8 p.m. - Fresh Off the Boat8:30 p.m. - Speechless9 p.m. - Child Support10 p.m. - 20/20SATURDAY8 p.m. - Saturday Night FootballSUNDAY7 p.m. - America's Funniest Home Videos8 p.m. - DANCING WITH THE STARS: JUNIORS9 p.m. - Shark Tank10 p.m. - THE ALEC BALDWIN SHOW
The biggest changes to ABC's lineup for the fall are certainly in its comedies. Last year, ABC shifted Agents of S.H.I.E.LD. and Once Upon a Time to Fridays to try and build a destination for fantasy fans, and Last Man Standing (which will move to Fox for the fall) got the axe because of it. Now, following the cancellation of Once Upon a Time and the delay of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 6 until summer 2019, the network is returning Friday nights to comedy. Fresh Off the Boat, Speechless, and Child Support will air in new times on Friday. American Housewife is switching times as well, although it will remain on Wednesdays.
Thursdays will continue to be dominated by Shondaland, with Grey's Anatomy spinoff Station 19 filling in for the now-ended Scandal. Of the new series to hit the airwaves in the fall, the biggest may be The Rookie. The new show will bring Nathan Fillion back to primetime in a starring role for the first time since Castle ended back in 2016. Fillion is a popular actor, and the first footage for The Rookie indicates that Fillion will stretch his dramatic muscles despite a rather comedic premise. Castle proved that he can handle comedy and drama alike as well as hold his own in a police-based series; The Rookie could be a major hit for the network.
Who knows? Perhaps The Rookie will be able to snap ABC out of its unfortunate streak with the Tuesday 10 p.m. time slot. Shows that air in that slot don't always fare well. Maybe Fillion is what the network needs for an audience to tune in. We'll have to wait and see.
The Dancing with the Stars: Juniors spinoff of Dancing with the Stars will mean ABC delivers double the dancing per week in the fall, although details are still scarce about how exactly the kids-centric spinoff will compare to the original. Hopefully fans of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be able to find something to occupy them during the long hiatus between Season 5 (which ends on May 18) and Season 6 next summer.
For more of what will hit the airwaves in the fall, take a look at Fox's 2018-2019 schedule and NBC's 2018-2019 rundown. You can find what you can watch sooner than fall on our summer TV premiere guide, and be sure to check back with our breakdown of network TV renewals and cancellations.
