Home Economics has had a three-season run so far as the sitcom that brought former That ‘70s Show star Topher Grace back to ongoing network television, but the show’s future is currently uncertain. ABC has yet to renew or cancel despite the Season 3 finale airing months ago, and the only recent development was a move that the network made about the cast. That development could give reason to hope for more news soon, however!
Home Economics isn’t the only ABC project with an uncertain future at this point, as The Rookie: Feds is still waiting on news of whether it will receive a Season 2 and the legal spinoff of The Good Doctor hasn’t received or been denied a series order at this point. That said, Home Economics Season 3 wrapped after thirteen episodes all the way back in mid-January of 2023, so fans have been waiting almost half a year for news. Now, TVLine reports that production studios ABC Signature and Lionsgate have extended the main cast members’ options past the deadline of this week.
While that’s still not news of a renewal, it’s also a good reason to be optimistic, even with the WGA writers strike to take into account. An unclear future is better than a cancellation, right? Besides, Magnum P.I. over on NBC was reportedly a victim of the network cancelling a show rather than renewing cast options to continue considering another season, and that's not how ABC is handling Home Economics. It’s not clear what’s delaying a decision from ABC about the future of the sitcom, but I would say that this is the first positive sign in months.
In fact, arguably the biggest previous reason to remain positive came back in January, when co-showrunner Michael Colton spoke with TVLine about whether Home Economics had a future beyond the Season 3 finale that had just aired. Colton said:
We hope it’s a season finale. We’re optimistic. We know the network is very happy with the show. And we have a very devoted fan base. We’re just waiting for the right people to weigh in. It’s a process. But we’re planning to come back. We have a lot more stories to tell. We’re hopeful.
Fellow co-showrunner John Aboud commented that they “designed this episode to either be the midway point of a 22-episode season, a season finale or a series finale” and they “planned for every eventuality.” So, back when Season 3 finished, the showrunners were optimistic about the future but also delivered an episode that could serve as a series finale.
Personally, I can’t help but wonder: could the end of The Goldbergs help Home Economics’ odds of returning for Season 4? ABC said goodbye to the long-running comedy at the end of the spring 2023 TV schedule, so perhaps now isn’t the time to lose another sitcom with an established fanbase. Plus, The Goldbergs ended far more recently than Home Economics Season 3 with its series finale back in May, so I can imagine that as a reason for the long delay in the wait for news on the Topher Grace series.
I can only speculate at this point, however, and I’m more inclined to expect news on The Rookie: Feds before Home Economics. If you want to revisit the first three seasons or are just a fan hoping that ABC keeps an eye on streaming numbers, you can find the full series so far with a Hulu subscription.
