The fall TV premiere season is off to a much slower start than usual due to the same production complications that ended the 2019-2020 season early for many shows, but ABC has some good news for viewers in need of some laughs. The Conners finally has a premiere date for its third season, and it's not the only comedy that returned to production in time for a fall premiere.
Joining The Conners in ABC's fall 2020 lineup are The Goldbergs Season 8, black-ish Season 7, and American Housewife Season 5. The Goldbergs, The Conners, and black-ish will all debut their new seasons on Wednesday, October 21, with The Goldbergs launching its eighth season with two back-to-back episodes. American Housewife will join the comedy lineup a week later, on October 28. Here's what to expect on ABC Wednesdays, starting October 28:
The Goldbergs - 8-8:30 p.m. ETAmerican Housewife - 8:30-9 p.m. ETThe Conners - 9-9:30 p.m. ETblack-ish - 9:30-10 p.m. ET
This marks a change from ABC's Wednesday night lineup to start the 2019 fall season. Last year, The Conners and black-ish aired on Wednesdays along with Bless This Mess and mixed-ish. Although mixed-ish somewhat surprisingly didn't get cancelled after its first season, Bless This Mess wasn't so lucky after ending its second.
The 10 p.m. ET hour last season was occupied by Emergence, but that drama was also cancelled. ABC has not announced just yet what will follow the two hours of comedy in the 2020 fall season. black-ish (which is getting yet another spinoff) is also returning ahead of its official Season 7 premiere date with back-to-back special election episodes on October 4.
These premiere dates put ABC on the calendar with some of its highest-profile scripted series, although reality competition shows are returning earlier, with Dancing with the Stars (complete with Tiger King's Carole Baskin) premiering on September 14, Celebrity Family Feud on September 24, and The Bachelorette Season 16 (reportedly featuring not one but two women looking for love) in mid-October. ABC's returning dramas are noticeably absent from the lineup so far.
With powerhouse scripted dramas like Grey's Anatomy, Station 19, and The Good Doctor renewed for the 2020-2021 season, among others, fans will undoubtedly be anxiously awaiting more news from ABC. The returning ABC comedies mean that ABC beats NBC when it comes to returning comedy premieres, as Superstore Season 6 will premiere on October 22. CBS is not yet on the map with its comedies, including the hit Young Sheldon. Fox will bring back its animated comedy block on September 27, which technically makes it the first network to bring comedy back to primetime.
There are still a lot of blanks when it comes to the fall lineup, however. NBC has packed its biggest drama premieres, including This Is Us and all three One Chicago series, into November, and CBS is expected to premiere NCIS and other shows in November as well. ABC's dramas are very much up in the air, although Grey's Anatomy has started production. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more on premiere dates and production returns, and be sure to check back with our 2020 fall TV premiere guide for the latest updates.
