‘Roseanne’ and Alec Baldwin Will Find a Way to Co-Exist on ABC’s Fall Schedule
Hot on the heels of its biggest debut in years, ABC will bring back its “Roseanne” reboot in the fall, sticking on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Perhaps providing a little balance to its schedule, the network will also bring back Alec Baldwin’s talk show, now titled “The Alec Baldwin Show,” this fall.
Originally titled “Sundays with Alec Baldwin,” the show got a sneak peek — to mixed reviews — after the Oscars in March. Based on his podcast “Here’s the Thing,” the show features Baldwin’s interviews with various personalities.
By including two such outspoken personalities on its fall schedule — a Donald Trump fan (Roseanne Barr) and the man who plans him for laughs on “Saturday Night Live” (Baldwin) — might give the network a little bit of cover, by invoking their schedule’s “balance” if one or the other says or does something politically controversial outside of their shows. (Which they probably will.)
In another move, ABC is dusting off “TGIF” — sort of. The network will bring family comedy back to Fridays at 8 p.m., moving established half-hours “Fresh off the Boat” and “Speechless” there. ABC hasn’t had comedy there in over a year, since it ended the runs of “Last Man Standing” and “Dr. Ken.” Of course, “Last Man Standing” has been revived by Fox and will air back on Fridays at 8 p.m., providing comedy competition in the hour.
Meanwhile, ABC will air two versions of “Dancing with the Stars” simultaneously: The regular competition on Mondays, and a special “Juniors” version on Sundays. ABC is leaning into its “family” brand, with shows like “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors,” “Child Support,” and loads of family comedies, including newbies “The Kids Are Alright” and “Single Parents.”
“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” has been pushed to summer, but ABC isn’t ready yet to reveal whether this is the show’s final season.
“We enter the new season bolstered by success and the stability that it affords us,” said ABC Entertainment Channing Dungey, clearly enjoying the “Roseanne” windfall. “We have a lot of stability coming into the season, with little to no change on four nights of the week.”
Here’s ABC’s fall 2018 schedule:
Monday
8 p.m. — “Dancing with the Stars”
10 p.m. — “The Good Doctor”
Tuesday
8 p.m. — “Roseanne”
8:30 p.m. — “The Kids Are Alright” (new comedy)
9 p.m. — “Black-ish”
9:30 p.m. — “Splitting Up Together”
10 p.m. — “The Rookie” (new drama)
Wednesday
8 p.m. — “The Goldbergs”
8:30 p.m. — “American Housewife”
9 p.m. — “Modern Family”
9:30 p.m. — “Single Parents” (new comedy)
10 p.m. — “A Million Little Things” (new drama)
Thursday
8 p.m. — “Grey’s Anatomy”
9 p.m. — “Station 19”
10 p.m. — “How to Get Away with Murder” / “For the People” (midseason)
Friday
8 p.m. — “Fresh off the Boat”
8:30 p.m. — “Speechless”
9 p.m. — “Child Support”
10 p.m. — “20/20”
Saturday
8 p.m. — Saturday Night Football
Sunday
7 p.m. — “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8 p.m. — “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors”
9 p.m. — “Shark Tank”
10 p.m. — “The Alec Baldwin Show”
Midseason
“The Fix” (new drama), “Grand Hotel” (new drama), “Whiskey Cavalier” (new drama), “Schooled” (new comedy), “For The People,” “American Idol,” “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” and “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”
New Show Descriptions
DRAMAS
“A MILLION LITTLE THINGS”
They say friendship isn’t one big thing, it’s a million little things; and that’s true for a group of friends from Boston who bonded under unexpected circumstances. Some have achieved success, others are struggling in their careers and relationships, but all of them feel stuck in life. After one of them dies unexpectedly, it’s just the wake-up call the others need to finally start living. Along the way, they discover that friends may be the one thing to save them from themselves.
“A Million Little Things” stars David Giuntoli as Eddie, Ron Livingston as Jon, Romany Malco as Rome, Allison Miller as Maggie, Christina Moses as Regina, Christina Ochoa as Ashley, James Roday as Gary, Stephanie Szostak as Delilah and Lizzy Greene as Sophie.
DJ Nash is writer and executive producer; Aaron Kaplan and Dana Honor are executive producers; and James Griffiths is the director on the pilot and an executive producer, from ABC Studios/Kapital Entertainment.
“THE FIX”
Attorney and author Marcia Clark co-writes and executive produces a new legal drama about Maya Travis, an L.A. district attorney who suffers a devastating defeat when prosecuting an A-list actor for double murder. With her high-profile career derailed, she flees for a quieter life in Washington. Eight years later when this same celebrity is under suspicion for another murder, Maya Travis is lured back to the DA’s office for another chance at justice. This legal thriller is executive produced/co-written by Clark, Liz Craft and Sarah Fain, and is from Mandeville TV and ABC Studios.
“The Fix” stars Robin Tunney as Maya Travis, Adam Rayner as Matthew Collier, Merrin Dungey as CJ, Breckin Meyer as Alan Wiest, Marc Blucas as Riv, Mouzam Makkar as Loni Kampoor, Alex Saxon as Gabriel Johnson, with Scott Cohen as Ezra Wolf and Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje as Sevvy Johnson.
Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain and Marcia Clark are writers and executive producers. David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Laurie Zaks are executive producers (Mandeville). Larysa Kondracki directed the pilot.
“GRAND HOTEL”
Eva Longoria executive produces this bold, provocative drama set at the last family-owned hotel in multicultural Miami Beach. Charismatic Santiago Mendoza owns the hotel, while his glamorous second wife, Gigi, and their adult children enjoy the spoils of success. The hotel’s loyal staff round out a contemporary, fresh take on an upstairs/downstairs story. Wealthy and beautiful guests bask in luxury, but scandals, escalating debt and explosive secrets hide beneath the picture-perfect exterior. The show is based on the Spanish series.
The series stars Demian Bichir as Santiago Mendoza, Roselyn Sanchez as Gigi Mendoza, Denyse Tontz as Alicia Mendoza, Bryan Craig as Javi Mendoza, Wendy Raquel Robinson as Mrs. P, Lincoln Younes as Danny, Shalim Ortiz as Mateo, Anne Winters as Ingrid, Chris Warren as Jason, Feliz Ramirez as Carolina and Justina Adorno as Yoli.
Brian Tanen is the writer and executive producer; Eva Longoria and Ben Spector (UnbeliEVAble), Ramon Campos and Teresa Fernandez-Valdes (Beta) are executive producers of the series. Ken Olin directed the pilot. The series is produced by ABC Studios.
“THE ROOKIE”
Starting over isn’t easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being an LAPD officer. As the force’s oldest rookie, he’s met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis. If he can’t keep up with the young cops and the criminals, he’ll be risking lives including his own. But if he can use his life experience, determination and sense of humor to give him an edge, he may just become a success in this new chapter of his life.
The series stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Wade Grey, Titus Makin as Jackson West, Mercedes Mason as Captain Zoe Andersen, Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen, Afton Williamson as Talia Bishop and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford.
Alexi Hawley is writer and executive producer; Mark Gordon, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman and Jon Steinberg are executive producers on the series. Liz Friedlander directed and executive produced the first episode. Entertainment One (eOne) is the lead studio on “The Rookie,” a co-production with ABC Studios.
“WHISKEY CAVALIER”
“Whiskey Cavalier” is a high-octane, hour-long action dramedy that follows the adventures of tough but tender FBI super-agent Will Chase (codename: “Whiskey Cavalier”), played by Scott Foley. Following an emotional breakup, Chase is assigned to work with badass CIA operative Francesca “Frankie” Trowbridge (codename: “Fiery Tribune”), played by Lauren Cohan. Together, they lead an inter-agency team of flawed, funny and heroic spies who periodically save the world (and each other) while navigating the rocky roads of friendship, romance and office politics. The series is from writer/executive producer Dave Hemingson and executive producer Bill Lawrence with Warner Bros. Television.
The series stars Scott Foley as Will Chase, Lauren Cohan as Francesca “Frankie” Trowbridge, Ana Ortiz as Susan Sampson, Tyler James Williams as Edgar Standish and Vir Das as Jai Datta.
Dave Hemingson is writer and executive producer; Bill Lawrence and Jeff Ingold (Doozer Productions) are executive producers; Peter Atencio is director and executive producer (pilot), and Scott Foley is producer of the series from Warner Bros. Television.
COMEDIES
“THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT”
Set in the 1970s, this ensemble comedy follows a traditional Irish-Catholic family, the Clearys, as they navigate big and small changes during one of America’s most turbulent decades. In a working-class neighborhood outside Los Angeles, Mike and Peggy raise eight boisterous boys who live out their days with little supervision. The household is turned upside down when oldest son Lawrence returns home and announces he’s quitting the seminary to go off and “save the world.” Times are changing and this family will never be the same. There are 10 people, three bedrooms, one bathroom and everyone in it for themselves.
The series stars Michael Cudlitz as Mike Cleary, Mary McCormack as Peggy Cleary, Sam Straley as Lawrence, Caleb Martin Foote as Eddie, Sawyer Barth as Frank, Christopher Paul Richards as Joey, Jack Gore as Timmy, Andy Walken as William and Santino Barnard as Pat.
The series is inspired by the childhood of writer/executive producer Tim Doyle. Randall Einhorn directed and was an executive producer on the pilot. The series is from ABC Studios.
“SCHOOLED”
This spinoff of the hit series “The Goldbergs” will be set in 1990-something and follow the hilarious teachers of William Penn Academy – led by Tim Meadows (Principal Glascott), Bryan Callen (Coach Mellor) and AJ Michalka (Lainey Lewis) – who, despite their eccentricities and crazy personal lives, are heroes to their students.
Story by Marc Firek and Adam F. Goldberg. Teleplay by Marc Firek. The series is from Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios. Adam F. Goldberg, Doug Robinson and Marc Firek are executive producers.
“SINGLE PARENTS”
This ensemble comedy follows a group of single parents as they lean on each other to help raise their 7-year-old kids and maintain some kind of personal lives outside of parenthood. The series begins when the group meets Will, a 30-something guy who’s been so focused on raising his daughter that he’s lost sight of who he is as a man. When the other single parents see just how far down the rabbit hole of PTA, parenting and princesses Will has gone, they band together to get him out in the dating world and make him realize that being a great parent doesn’t mean sacrificing everything about your own identity.
The series stars Taran Killam as Will, Leighton Meester as Angie, Kimrie Lewis as Poppy, Jake Choi as Miggy, Marlow Barkley as Sophie, Tyler Wladis as Graham, Devin Trey Campbell as Rory, Grace Hazelett as Emma, Sadie Hazelett as Amy and Brad Garrett as Douglas.
The series is from 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios. JJ Philbin and Liz Meriwether are creators and executive producers, and Katharine Pope is executive producer. The pilot was directed by Jason Winer, who is also an executive producer.
