What’s Up With ABC?

Wow, they’re really on the ball this season.

In case you missed the news, the alphabet network has given full season go aheads to freshman shows How To Get Away With Murder, and black-ish. Both were really no brainers as they’ve garnered strong critical acclaim, and more importantly – ratings.

What is surprising though, is that this happened three weeks into the new fall season. No, there’s no time frame on when networks pick up shows, or cancel shows – it goes more on how they feel that day I feel. In past years though, ABC in particular has been slow on the uptake when renewing/cancelling/picking up shows – so perhaps it’s more their sudden burst of enthusiasm, or money to burn that’s got me a little surprised. Just to give you a little perspective, ABC’s ONLY freshman comedy to return this season – The Goldbergs – was left hanging until early November before getting a back 9 script order, and  they didn’t find out about a renewal until the late hours of Friday before UpFronts.

Hell, ACB just announced additional script orders for Selfie, Manhattan Love Story, and Forever – the former two not doing anything particularly great ratings wise.

So what’s with this sudden encouragement of new shows? I do like it, don’t get me wrong. I’ve always said new shows need time to find their feet, and an audience – hence why I try to give all new shows at least three viewings before solidly making up my mind. But seriously? A month into the new schedule?

Has Paul Lee decided he’s going to take a note from former FOX chief Kevin Reilly, and let things play the course? Perhaps. Has the network secretly committed to several pacts with stars, and production companies? That is possibly. A conspiracy theory more likely, but still possible. Or, is it because they simple have nothing to replace these shows with, should they shove them off to television purgatory? I’d say it’s more the latter.

All the networks have bought fewer shows this year – the majority of shows from the 2013-2014 schedule are no more – so there fore have nothing to fill time with. You can do your best jigging of schedules to hide this fact, but we all know what’s happening.

I personally find it refreshing to see shows given a fighting chance, the only problem is – some of them aren’t worth lacing up the boxing gloves for.

What do you all think? Should shows be given the chance to grow? How soon is too soon to renew/cancel?