Sports, Alternative Shows Dominate ABC Fall Schedule with Just One Comedy

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HOLLYWOOD (CNS) - ABC's fall prime-time schedule will be dominated by sports and alternative programming with just 3 1/2 hours of scripted series programming including two new dramas and only one comedy.

Series not returning include the dramas "Station 19" and "The Good Doctor," which both ran for seven seasons, and the comedy "Not Dead Yet," which ran for two.

The new dramas are:

-- "Doctor Odyssey," billed by ABC as a "high-octane procedural" starring "Dawson's Creek" alum Joshua Jackson as the new on-board doctor "for a luxury cruise ship where the staff works hard and plays harder." The cast also includes "Miami Vice" star Don Johnson. Its producers include Ryan Murphy, the creator of such series as "Glee" and "9-1-1"; and;

-- "High Potential," based on a popular French series and starring Kaitlin Olson from the FX comedy "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," as a single mother "with an exceptional mind whose unconventional knack for solving crimes leads to an unusual and unstoppable partnership with a by-the-book seasoned detective," according to ABC.

The new alternative series is "The Golden Bachelorette," with 61- year-old grandmother and school administrator Joan Vassos as the bachelorette.

The other new series on the schedule unveiled Tuesday is the ABC News Studios documentary series "Scamanda," based on the podcast of the same name about Amanda Riley, described as ABC as "a wife, mother, blogger and Christian whose tragic cancer tale captivates thousands," but who "has a secret that she's dying to keep, and after an anonymous tip to an investigative reporter, her own words may prove to be her downfall."

The 22-hour weekly schedule includes 5 1/2 hours of alternative programming -- a two-hour edition of "Dancing with the Stars," the 90-minute "The Golden Bachelorette" and "Shark Tank" and "America's Funniest Home Videos," which are both an hour.

Two nights will be devoted to sports -- "Monday Night Football" "on select Mondays this fall" along with other programming to be announced, according to ABC and college football on Saturdays.

On Sundays from 8-11 p.m. opposite NBC's "Sunday Night Football," prime-time television's most-watched program, ABC will air what it described as "popular films under `The Wonderful World of Disney' umbrella."

"Abbott Elementary" is the lone comedy on ABC's fall schedule. A second comedy, "The Conners" will begin its final season at midseason.

The dramas "The Rookie" and "Will Trent" will also begin their seasons as midseason, as will the alternative series "American Idol," "The Bachelor," "Celebrity Jeopardy!," "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" and "What Would You Do?"

A new version of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," produced  by Reese Witherspoon and hosted by the organizing duo Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin will premiere at midseason. The original version ran on ABC from 2004- 2012 and a revival on HGTV in 2020.

Here is the fall ABC prime-time schedule:

-- Sunday: "America's Funniest Home Videos"; "The Wonderful World of Disney";

-- Monday: "Monday Night Football"/Other programming to be announced;

-- Tuesday: "Dancing with the Stars"; "High Potential";

-- Wednesday: "The Golden Bachelorette"; "Abbott Elementary"; "Scamanda";

-- Thursday: "9-1-1"; "Doctor Odyssey"; "Grey's Anatomy";

-- Friday:  "Shark Tank"; "20/20"; and

-- Saturday: College Football.


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