Roseanne Is Silenced. Working Class Families Are Not.

By now, many have heard of the sudden and tragic downfall of Roseanne. The show was one of the top shows on television both in its original run a few decades ago, and in its revival that aired this spring. Roseanne Barr's recent racist tweet led to the revival getting canceled, Barr being dropped by her talent agency, and even reruns of the original show pulled from the schedules of various syndicators.

Roseanne was an extremely important show in this landscape. At its core, it focused on a working-class family, something that is underrepresented on broadcast television. After the controversial cancelation of Last Man Standing and this being the final season of The Middle, this was the perfect time for ABC to demonstrate to audiences that they still support showing working-class families.

There is a high chance that Roseanne may never see airwaves again. This is certainly a blow to those who like to watch working class families on TV; after all, it's never a bad thing to laugh along and realize the situations in these shows could be similar to ones your family is going through as well.

While no show will ever be Roseanne, here are some from past and present times that could help fill a void for those looking to watch working class families. They are presented in no particular order.

Last Man Standing
Last Man Standing was a high-profile Tuesday premiere for ABC in 2011, but lost a good deal of its audience over its first season. It moved to Fridays at 8pm for its second, which would end up being the first of five seasons in that time slot. Its ratings stayed more or less steady as the league average kept declining, and its 6th season was actually the strongest-rated of them all.

Understandably, some were shocked when ABC canceled Last Man Standing in favor of Once Upon A Time. However, the show was not owned by ABC and while strong for Fridays, the A18-49 ratings were less impressive than the total viewership.

Last Man Standing stars Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, a religious and conservative sporting goods store director. He has a favorite daughter; the one who is a political conservative and likes to hunt. While he identifies as a conservative, Baxter is not too outspoken for or against President Trump.

At its heart, Last Man Standing is a family comedy that does not belittle either side of the political spectrum. While some media outlets made it sound like ABC was silencing Allen for being a conservative, the show was more likely not making enough money for them.

All 6 seasons of Last Man Standing are available with a Hulu subscription. Other options include downloading for $1.99/episode on iTunes, Google Play Store, YouTube, Vudu, or Amazon Video. It is currently syndicated on CMT, Hallmark Channel, and Freeform. The show will return for a 7th season this fall on FOX.

Raising Hope
Raising Hope was not a ratings hit. In fact, it more than likely wouldn't have made it four seasons had it not been for high-rated lead-ins early on as well as to fulfill syndication prospects. For this all to happen, the show had to have had internal support from FOX. They even gave viewers advanced notice that the fourth season would be its final one.

The basic background of Raising Hope's premise is that a young adult unexpectedly gets a woman pregnant who herself is given the death sentence after the birth of the child due to actually being a serial killer. As a result, the father of the child raises the child with the assistance of his traditional family.

The family depicted in Raising Hope is tight on money compared to those on many other shows, and having to raise an unexpected child certainly does not help their finances and their dream for more than they already have. The middle-aged parents work respectively as a maid and a struggling landscaper, neither of which are high-paying jobs. This family gets by through the means of each other more so than money.

Raising Hope does not tend to focus on politics, and the stars of the show are not outspoken conservatives like Roseanne Barr is. Instead, it focuses on the core values of family amidst financial troubles.

All 4 seasons of Raising Hope can be watched with a Hulu subscription. Other options include downloading for $1.99/episode on iTunes, Google Play Store, YouTube, Vudu, or Amazon Video.

Bob’s Burgers
Bob’s Burgers has been airing since 2011 and flew under the radar for the vast majority of the time. It hasn’t seen the ratings of staples The Simpsons and Family Guy much until this past season, and is often preempted in the fall in favor of a football post-game show. The show mixes the wackiness and randomness one would expect from an animated comedy with the struggle of being a working class family. Bob owns and operates a burger joint across from a popular Italian restaurant, and often does very little business outside of one loyal customer. His three kids, none of which are above the age of 13, work as his waiters. They actively avoid their landlord, as the restaurant isn’t giving them much money to live off of. They know that there’s a possibility they are one health inspection away from being shut down, and it doesn’t help that their inspector used to be engaged to Bob’s wife.

While Bob’s Burgers doesn’t talk about money a lot, it’s usually clear in episodes that the family does not have a lot of money. They work with and enjoy what they have, even if they can barely make a living off the restaurant.

Bob’s Burgers will air Sundays at 8:30pm this fall on FOX. It is available for digital download as well DVD for the first five seasons. It can also be viewed with a Hulu or Amazon Video subscription. Select episodes are online on TBS and Adult Swim’s websites, as it is syndicated on both networks.

Fresh Off The Boat
Roseanne (the show) made a controversial joke about ABC’s push for diversity in their family sitcoms through the deadpan delivery of the line “they’re just like us”. Fresh Off The Boat is indeed about a working class family, and is the first sitcom to star all Asian-Americans in roughly 25 years.

Fresh Off The Boat talks the most about their lack of money in earlier episodes. Like in Bob’s Burgers, the patriarch of the family owns and operates a family restaurant. Louis Huang moved his family out of Chinatown in D.C. to the white-dominated suburbs of Orlando so he could follow his dream of opening the restaurant. At first, the place has a lot of trouble drawing in customers, and has led to Louis having to lie to his wife about how it is doing so she does not get concerned about money. Even when the restaurant starts to do better, the Huangs are not said to be any better off their your average American working class family.

The show will return for a 5th season on ABC Fridays at 8pm this fall. In the mean time, previous episodes can be viewed with a Hulu or Amazon Video subscription or via digital download or Vudu. Select seasons are available on DVD, and some recent episodes are on ABC’s streaming app.

Speechless
Speechless is a comedy about an average American family with one major catch: their oldest son cannot talk or walk due to cerebral palsy. He communicates via a computer system and the translator assigned to him by the school he attends.

Right from the beginning of the trailer for this show, it’s clear that the family in Speechless is tight on money; a scene involves the mom speeding to a restaurant in time to use a coupon to eat breakfast.
Additionally, the school the child attends is not cheap; the family forces themselves to live in the cheapest house they can find in the general area. The father has a job working at an airport; they make ends meet, but aren’t the most well-off family either. Speechless is certainly not ABC’s first show about a working class family in this family comedy era, but it is well-received.

Speechless will return this fall on ABC in the Fridays at 8:30pm time slot, airing right after Fresh Off The Boat. Some episodes can be found on ABC’s website/app, and all can be found with a Hulu or Amazon Video subscription. Other options to watch include Vudu or digital download.

One Day At A Time
Before Roseanne Connor and co represented working class families on broadcast television, there was One Day At A Time. The show ran from 1975 to 1984 on CBS. At its core, it tackles the consequences of divorce and being a single parent with an average job. The issues tackled in the original series are still relevant today; Netflix picked up a new incarnation of the show with a different cast and has released 26 new episodes. Other topics, including sexuality and alcoholism, are
touched upon, and the reboot takes more of a dramatic spin. With a multi-camera setup and focus on a working class family, One Day At A Time can prove to be a solid watch for someone who wants more Roseanne; especially if Roseanne Connor wasn’t their favorite character.

F Is For Family
This lesser-known Netflix animated show takes place in the 1970s and centers around a family in a typical town trying to make ends meet. The patriarch of the family is a war veteran who works at an airport and hates it. He often complains about how he doesn’t make a lot of money, and is extremely protective of what he does make; he doesn’t like purchases being made behind his back. He has zero tolerance for his family at times because of it. The matriarch of the family starts out as a housewife, but later gets into the workforce after a company liked her idea for a new product. However, she has to put up with inappropriate advances and sexism within the company. None of the three kids are particularly smart or talented.

This is a different type of show in that it doesn’t always try to be hilarious, and there’s no moment at the end of an episode where the family makes up and gets along with one another after the conflict from earlier in the episode is solved. Sometimes, that conflict is not solved at all. If you are looking for a show that captures the mood of some working class families in the 1970s, but doesn’t always show a ton of heart or an artificially positive spin on things, you may be interested in this show. The animated nature allows the characters to be played by voice actors of different ages (and sometimes genders), but in general operates more like a traditional single-camera show.

F Is For Family is a Netflix exclusive, where it has aired 16 episodes and was recently renewed for a 3rd season.

King Of The Hill
While this show attracted audiences on both sides of the political spectrum and is said by some to unite the sides, the Hill family is largely a country-loving, God-praising conservative family from Texas. The patriarch is a salesman, and the matriarch is a barely-getting-by substitute teacher. The show focuses on the realism aspects, and trades in the wackiness that can often be found in an animated comedy with depictions of more realistic events. Like F Is For Family, it plays out more like a single-camera comedy that is animated for the sake of casting flexibility.

This is one of the few shows on this list where the family is not only working class, but also largely conservative. In this sense, the family operates like Roseanne. While they are definitely different shows, King Of The Hill takes a unique look into a conservative, working-class family in modern day America.

King Of The Hill can be viewed via digital download. A cheaper option would be watching it in syndication; it leads off Adult Swim’s nightly block at 8pm, and rotating episodes can also be viewed on their website/app.

A notable honorable mention to this article would be The Middle, which recently ended its run on ABC. The creators of the show got their start as writers on Roseanne, and the show features a working-class family and very often brings up their money issues. They seemingly long gave up on ever being rich and learn to be content with what they have. No politics are brought up in the show, though matriarch-player Patricia Heaton identifies as a conservative off the screen like Barr. The show is currently syndicated on the Hallmark Channel and Freeform, and airs in reruns for now Tuesdays 8-9pm on ABC. It can also be viewed via digital download. The reason it did not make the main list is its lack of a major streaming deal, meaning it’s difficult to just start from the beginning.

Another honorable mention is Superstore, which currently leads off NBC’s Thursday night lineup. The show does not center on a family, but it does center around characters who are working class. The majority of the characters are workers at a large chain retail store who are struggling to make ends meet. Main character Amy, for example, recently went though a divorce and is living off of her weekly paychecks to provide support for her child. The sitcom is yet another example of working class people being represented on television.

This is not to name every single show that features a working-class family. The main point here is that while many found comfort in Roseanne Connor’s voice, one that is not often depicted on television, there are still other options. I hope at least somebody found a suitable recommendation out of this.

ABC Eyes Spinoff of ’The Middle’

Photo: ABC

Roughly a week after the long-running sitcom aired its final episode, ABC is eyeing a spinoff of The Middle with Sue Heck (Eden Sher) as the protagonist. Per Deadline, the series may air during midseason and will take place a couple years after the events of The Middle series finale. The original series starred Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn, Eden Sher, Atticus Shaffer, and Charlie McDermott. The spinoff comes from Middle creators Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline. 

What do you think of this news? Would you watch this series? Leave your thoughts in the comments. 

The Middle S9E13 Review

Reverend TimTom appears in this week's episode of The Middle, helping Frankie figure out her third act of life. Also, Mike decides that the hole in the wall between the kids' bedrooms has to go, and Axl has issues with how much more money Lexi has than him.


S9E13 "Mommapalooza"

After seeing on television that after 50 people in Sweden prepare for death, Frankie decides it's time to get her third act started. She doesn't know what she wants to do, and ends up going to a life coach. Frankie then becomes a life coach for a short amount of time, which is really funny, especially when she gives a senior citizen playing bingo her business card. Reverend TimTom asks Frankie if she would like to sing with him, and she likes the idea. Later, she hears her kids talking bad about her performances with Reverend TimTom, and decides to quit, but Reverend TimTom then sings a song to the kids telling them to be nice to their mother. Frankie's appreciation of this song is entertaining, and I loved her narration at the end where she explains how her interest in singing with Reverend TimTom dwindled.

Because Sue and Brick have for some reason been arguing a lot, Mike tells them that they have to fix the wall between their bedrooms. Brick, however, ends up destroying the entire wall, as he was following the directions of a video that said it's easier if you make the edges of the hole straight. Sue comes up with a solution, using her poster boards from the things she ran for, but this isn't a lasting fix. It's funny in the end when Brick uses his ticks to not be blamed for the wall disaster.

Axl is struggling with the fact that Lexi wants to do things that cost a lot of money, but doesn't want her paying for everything. This story takes on the difference in class between the two, which hasn't really been explored much. Lexi keeps giving Axl money and things and making him think he got them by accident, but it's obvious that he knows what she's doing. In the end, Lexi discovers she is getting cut off by her parents since she is 21 now, and Axl offers to teach her the ways of being poor, which is a great way to conclude this story.


This wasn't the strongest episode, the Sue and Brick story only had a couple of funny moments, but I did really like how the Axl and Lexi story used differences already established about the characters, and how that story ended with a reverse in who is the expert.

Score: 7.5/10

What did you think of "Mommapalooza"? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Aging Comedies: How Some Characters Age Better Than Others

How dumb was Joey on Friends, or Kelso on That 70s Show, or Haley on Modern Family? Depending on where in the series you look, you might end up with a different answer. As sitcoms go on, many of them exaggerate certain character traits. Characters that are dumb or weird are the best examples of this. As Friends lost some of its creative energy as it went along, Joey got stupider, and Phoebe got more bizarre. Similarly, while I really enjoyed the earlier seasons of That 70s Show, the show got tired as it went on. At the same time, Kelso went from a character who was like a dumb teenage boy that many people knew to a guy who is so stupid that you have no clue how he made it this far in life.

The reason that I have been thinking about this a lot recently is because of Modern Family. If you have read many of my reviews of the show, which I began posting here with its seventh season, you know how I have been disappointed with the show in its later years. Season nine has been especially disappointing, and a lot of that comes back to that tendency that I pointed out. After season seven, the series abandoned the character growth it had been working on for Haley, and in the ninth season she has become dumber and more vain. For example, in this week's 200th episode, she stares at her phone, which is in selfie mode, while her siblings reflect on how easy it is to film yourself in this day and age. Almost everything she does this season either has to do with how much she cares about her looks and what people think about her, or it has to do with her lower intelligence level. Similarly, while the series had advanced Alex from how awkward and nerdy she was earlier in the series, going from the girl worried about kissing a boy in season two's "The Kiss" to someone more confident, who dates a few guys. However, in the latest episode, a quick scene shows her feeding some cats when she was supposedly on a date, something she apparently does routinely.

Many comedies do things similar to that, particularly with their supporting characters. While they focus on having the main character or characters grow, they let the other characters become less nuanced and interesting. However, some comedies remain dedicated to all of their characters. One solid example of this is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The series focuses on Jake, so obviously he is a character that has grown a lot from the start of the series to the fifth season that the show is currently in. But he isn't the only one. The most obvious example of this is Captain Holt. Like how he has changed Jake, Jake has changed him. He is still the kind of person that says things like that all music in English is rock music, but he is much more open to not being so by-the-book now. The mysterious and guarded Rosa seems like the type of character whose traits many sitcoms would exaggerate as the series goes on, but in recent episodes "99" and "Game Night" she opened up to her co-workers and friends about something very personal. She behaves in a way very true to her character about it, but it's obvious she isn't exactly the same as she was at the start of the series. Meanwhile, minor characters Hitchcock and Scully haven't grown since the start of the series, but their traits haven't been exaggerated either. The two are just as dumb and lazy as they always were.

My personal favorite example of a sitcom that develops its characters further as it goes on is The Middle. I particularly like to use this one to contrast with Modern Family, as they both began in the fall of 2009, and they are both family comedies. If you were to watch an episode from the first season of The Middle, and then watch one from the current ninth and final season, you would see that these characters really are the same people they have been since the beginning, though the kids in particular have really grown and changed as time went on. In the beginning, Axl was a lazy teenage boy who doesn't express his emotions, Sue was overlooked, unpopular, and couldn't make any group she tried out for, and Brick was a really strange kid who read and whispered to himself but didn't like interacting with others. Axl can still be lazy, Sue is still a dork and a klutz at times, and Brick is still weird, but now Axl generally puts more effort into things and expresses more often how he cares for the people he cares for, Sue isn't as awkward as she once was, helping Brad get a date in the latest episode, and she has been juggling some romantic interests recently, and Brick, at the start of this season, looked forward to an exciting sophomore year of high school, and thought that it might mean meeting girls who are interested in him.

When I get frustrated with a show like Modern Family, I try to remember how great it is that there are shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Middle that don't rely on characters playing stereotypes, but give many of their characters moments to learn and grow. What sitcoms have you been impressed with as they aged? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

ABC Announces Spring 2018 Schedule

ABC had their TCA today, and premiere dates were announced for six new series, Alex Inc, The Crossing, Deception, For the People, Splitting Up Together, and the currently untitled spin-off of Grey's Anatomy, as well as for the third season of Quantico. In addition to this news, it was revealed that the current seasons of Fresh Off the Boat and Speechless will now consist of 19 and 18 episodes respectively.

On Sundays, American Idol will begin airing on March 11, as previously announced, one week after the Oscars. It will air for two hours, beginning at 8:00. New police procedural Deception will air at 10:00 and premiere the same night.

On Mondays, American Idol will begin airing on March 12 at 8:00, taking over for The Bachelor. Once The Good Doctor concludes its first season, new sci-fi drama The Crossing will premiere at 10:00 on April 2. On April 30, the short run of the athletes edition of Dancing with the Stars will take over for American Idol, airing for two hours beginning at 8:00.

On Tuesdays, Shonda Rhimes-produced legal drama For the People will take over for Kevin (Probably) Saves the World in the 10:00 timeslot beginning March 13. As previously announced, the revival of Roseanne will premiere at 8:00 on March 27. The premiere will be a one-hour one, leading into an episode of Black-ish, which will launch the series premiere of new family comedy Splitting Up Together at 9:30. The Middle will move into its new 8:30 timeslot for its final episodes beginning April 3.

On Wednesdays, new family/workplace comedy Alex Inc. will premiere at 8:30 on March 28. It will be taking over for Speechless, which now has a 18-episode season.

On Thursdays, the new Grey's Anatomy spin-off will premiere on March 29 at 9:00. On this night, Scandal will move to the 10:00 timeslot that it used to air in for its final episodes. Once Scandal concludes, the third season of Quantico will premiere at 10:00 on April 26.

In addition to these spring dates, The Bachelor Winter Games will air against the Winter Olympics, airing for two hours at 8:00 for two weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning February 13.

What do you think of this news? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

In Memoriam: Emmy-Nominated Sitcom Star Jerry Van Dyke Dies at 86

Written Celebrating the Achievements of a Sitcom Legend by Bridger Cunningham.

And now, the sitcom world mourns another dynamic presence.  Actor Jerry Van Dyke, younger brother of fellow sitcom star Dick Van Dyke, passed away January 5, 2018 after a long ailment.  The accredited actor was born on July 27, 1931 and had been in declining health due to a road accident two years prior.  Van Dyke's resume typecast leaned toward outlandish laughs, bolstering an impressive resume of  sitcom roles.  Take a peek at his lengthy list of starring roles:

The Dick Van Dyke Show (1962-65) -- Stacey Petrie.
My Mother The Car (1965-66) -- Dave Crabtree
Accidental Family (1967-68) -- Jerry Webster
Headmaster (1970) -- Jerry Brownell
Love, American Style (1970-71) -- Various Roles
13 Queens Boulevard (1979) -- Steven Winters
Coach (1989-97) -- Luther Van Dam
Teen Angel (1997-98) -- Jerry Beauchamp
You Wish (1997-98) -- Grandpa Max
Yes, Dear (2001-05) -- Big Jimmy Hughes
The Middle (2010-15) -- Tag Spence

Notice a trend in naming conventions for Jerry's roles?  He had not one, but four self-titled roles!  That includes anthology comedy skits on Love, American Style. Van Dyke's prominent entertainment name became an attraction method producers used to draw viewers in with his marquee.  Sadly, it couldn't save these clunkers from the ax.  Van Dyke held a plethora of sitcom roles of varying success with the good (Coach), the bad (You Wish) and just plain ugh! (My Mother The Car).  Van Dyke took a hiatus from the television world in the 1970's and 1980's, opting to enjoy a career entertaining via the casino circuit, which he spoke fondly of for the remains of his career.

Following Coach, Van Dyke became typecast as the zany, entertaining grandfathers.  Most recently, he portrayed Frankie Heck's father, Tag, on The Middle via various guest appearances.  Van Dyke's ailing health evidently limited his appearances on the series, which announced its final season last summer.

Jerry Van Dyke enjoyed an enriched, diverse career in the entertainment industry.  He is survived by his 2nd wife of 40 years, Shirley, a daughter, Jeri Lynn and a son Ronald.  He was predeceased by daughter Kelly Ann Van Dyke in 1991 following her tragic suicide at age 33.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Van_Dyke

Is ABC Poised for a Rebound in 2018?

Written Wondering if a Lack of Creativity is the Key by Bridger Cunningham

It's been a rough two years for the alphabet network.  Coming up on its 70th anniversary in 2018, ABC has been saddled in 4th Place since early 2016 after FOX pushed past.  The 2016-17 season produced nary a successful drama, and its heralded sitcom block aged this and endured some erosion which took a toll on its newfound hits, American Housewife and Speechless.  Its Friday and Sunday rosters are in fractional shambles.  And to add insult to injured scheduling, durable favorites such as The Middle and Scandal bow out this Spring.  But there is promise on the horizon.

ABC seems to be following the trend of another fail first, soar second season, much like the 1987-88 season which the network continued to struggle in 3rd place until the winter and spring delivered hits.  As its Tuesday 8:00 sitcoms flourished that season with Who's The Boss and Growing Pains in a strong 5th/6th Place combo, ABC broke the two apart and moved Growing Pains to settle Wednesdays, opening the space up for 10th Place Wonder Years to make a successful debut.  ABC sampled other shows in the 8:30 timeslot, populating enough renewals to help the network tackle other problematic evenings such as Fridays.  The moves and risks ABC took, including shuffling its Friday block, helped the network shove its way past an ailing CBS into 2nd place.  Interestingly, CBS appears to be in the same ailing position this season, standing with one foot in the grave of aging shows and another on a banana peel of failed sitcoms such as Me, Myself & Ilene Cancellation and 9JKLet'sChangeTheChannel.  If ABC plays their cards right, they may be able to overtake FOX or CBS next fall.


ABC Entertainment Group President Channing Dugney is taking bold strokes with the 2017-18 calendar season.  Not by creative prowess, but rather resorting to reboots, revivals and comfort food people were familiar with in the past.  She is banking heavily on an American Idol revival, which has received considerable praise and criticism for its innovative judge roster, as well as returning too soon after the original series ended in 2016.  Dugney is positioning this risky puzzle piece on Sundays, which have not generated a hit since 2014 when Once Upon a Time and Revenge cornered the Sunday scripted market.  ABC's American Idol is undoubtedly never going to reach the ratings zenith the FOX version did in the 2000's, but perhaps could maintain a respectable 1.5 demographic average and become the next "hit" for ABC this spring.

Until March 12, viewers will have to watch favored reality TV franchises America's Funniest Home Videos and Shark Tank get saturated across the four-hour time block.  Over in the disintegrating Tuesday night schedule, things will be shaken up during the March scheduling as well.  Ever-middling Fresh Off the Boat ends its run early on March 20, opening the floodgates for Roseanne to make its return after a 21-year hiatus.  Already receiving favorable critical commentaries, the revival's light episode order received an additional episode, bringing the count to 9 episodes.  Are producers and the network gearing us for a full-season come 2018-19, or will they keep it to a limited episode delivery to keep the creativity fresh?  Either way, Roseanne is bound to make a splash on the tired Tuesdays, where series scoring a 1.3 18-49 Adult Demo Rating is considered "a hit."  Roseanne is sure to match or clear that threshold, considering the original series ranked between 2nd and 4th for its first 6 seasons.

No matter how people spew crass comments, Roseanne is just what the evening needs.  The Middle, current the evening's strongest player, is bowing out in May after 9 durable seasons.  Fresh Off The Boat delivers okay ratings, much like the 1987-88 season's players like Perfect Strangers and Mr. Belvedere.  Black-ish is doing alright at 9:00, facing fierce competition from This is Us.  Still, it often ranks 2nd or 3rd in its timeslot.  And The Mayor is a certain cancellation, leaving only new players Alex, Inc and Splitting Up Together as viable replacement options.  What does that leave the audience in 2018?  With Roseanne rubbing blue collar jokes on the soft evening, someone is bound to take fancy and tune back in.


And finally, the still-unnamed Grey's Anatomy Firehouse appears to be just what the network needs to repair the hole left by Sondaland success Scandal.  Though the series is delivering subpar ratings, often taking 3rd in its timeslot, Grey's Anatomy is still a sturdy 2nd in their space.  Only four seasons ago, Grey's 8:00 timeslot was a problematic space for the network since well into the 2000's.  Then TGIT came alight in 2014 when the series plugged the hole and paved the way for hits Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder taking the evening by storm.  Come late 2015, the fire cooled to middling embers, with the most recent seasons seeing HTGAWM delivering fractional.  Add the Grey's Anatomy: Firehouse Chili spinoff as it shall be temporarily known, and the network could have a temporary meal ticket to keep the TGIT franchise spicy.

With Grey's regularly delivering between 1.6-2.0 this 2017 season, that is a viable development bed for the fireman to pepper the evening with ratings which will not give us hot air.  ABC has a long way to go, but has ample puzzle pieces to assemble a great lineup.  Monday sensation The Good Doctor has performed above average with 1.6-2.4 ratings.  The network still has a plethora of sturdy sitcom performers strewn across Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Even ailing Designated Survivor is strong enough to plaster an undesired timeslot.  Fates are yet to be determined on aging fantasy franchises Marvel's Agents of SHIELD and Once Upon a Time, and the signs point to at least one being picked up to settle the decimated Friday lineup.  Hopefully, Channing Dugney will not make any rash moves like she did last season by cancelling Last Man Standing.  2018 could be ABC's oyster if they continue to shuck out hits and scheduling solutions.

ABC Schedule: Roseanne Premiere Date, The Middle to 8:30

ABC has announced a premiere date for the revival of Roseanne. Roseanne premieres March 27, and from there it will air Tuesdays at 8pm. Current 8pm time slot occupant The Middle will move to 8:30 starting April 3.

Fresh Off the Boat will conclude its fourth season on March 20.

What do you think of the news? Let us know in the comments below!

2017-18 Week 3 Sitcom Scorecard -- Initial Predictions Are Made For Renewals

Written Grateful Phoenix Powers Solar Calculators by Bridger Cunningham

After 2-4 showings of data, The Sitcom Scorecard has made its first predictions for sitcom renewal vs. cancellation, ranging from 20-100% renewal odds.  Criteria to evaluate the odds holds a delicate balance between Nielsen performance (the largest factor), In-House or Outsourced productions (large factor), scheduling needs, retention and episode counts to reach the syndication/streaming line (the smallest factor).  These calculations are subject to change, and most will change as the season progresses.

Sunday evening enjoyed generous helpings of FOX's favorite banquet, Football Inflation.  Bob's Burgers took the evening off due to tight scheduling, leaving the Simpsons to enjoy a healthy boost to a 2.2 demo, up 57% from last week's 1.4 entry.  This extreme boost also powered the show from an 11th Place tie in the Middle of the Pack to 5th Place the leading classification.  Ghosted matched last week's 1.4, retaining 63% of its rich lead-in (Son of Zorn retained 59% last year with a 1.6).  Family Guy ticked up a tenth to a 1.4, a disappointing gain considering the same showing last year garnered a 1.7.  And Last Man On Earth gained one tenth as well.  However, LMOE's rooting value is it is holding steady against an overall trend of network erosion.

CBS Mondays exhibited heavy losses on October 9 as The Big Bang Theory lost three tenths and landed at 2.9, down from last year's 3.5 registry for the 10th season's 3rd episode.  Shall we have a moment of silence?  Nahh....  The show is beyond healthy in its 11th season.  9JKL dropped two-tenths as well, landing at a dismal 1.4.  This is troubling, as the show is 36% lower than Kevin Can Wait's 2.2 in the same 8:30 timeslot on 10/10/2016.  9JKL retained 48% of TBBT's lead-in, whereas KCW heralded an impressive 63%.  Speaking of KCW, it delivered a disappointing 1.2, down one tenth from last week and down 14% from 2 Broke Girls' performance in the same 9:00 timeslot one year earlier.  Me, Myself & I dropped below the 1.0 line with a 0.9, matching The Odd Couple's same delivery in the 9:30 timeslot the year before.  Before declaring this show dead, please note MM&I's retention was 75% vs. TOC's 64%.

Tuesday October 10 delivered softer ratings for the six shows over ABC and FOX.  The Middle held strong with a 1.4, only shedding one tenth.  A pity this show is on its way out, as Fresh Off the Boat fell three tenths from last week's showing to a 1.1.  Blackish retained a modest portion of its debut rating with a 1.3, tying for 2nd place in its respective timeslot.  And The Mayor polled a 1.0, down 20% from its debut rating, though up 10% from last year's showing of The Real O'Neals' 0.9.  FOX remained screwed into 4th place for both of its showings as The Mick dropped a tenth to 0.8, and Brooklyn 99 made a mild bump a tenth with a 0.7.

ABC Wednesdays appear to be losing steam, with only American Housewife holding steady at 1.4 on October 10.  The Goldbergs (1.5) and Modern Family (1.8) each dropped a tenth, and Speechless' alarming freefall tied its series low 1.1 with a two-tenth drop.  A disappointment, as this is one of ABC's most lucrative timeslots.  Thursday, October 12 proved successful for NBC with slight losses.  Superstore ticked down to a 1.1, The Good Place posted a decent 1.2, Will and Grace retained 90% of their previous week's helpings with a 1.8 and Great News held steady at a 1.0.

THE NUMBERS ARE IN

Before breaking down the calculations, the first error of the season has occurred in the Sitcom Scorecard, as Bob's Burgers had a shiny green "RENEWED" label attached.  This has been stripped in place of a purple "TBD" label, as only one showing is available for data.  Also, Brooklyn 99's episode count was off by 2 episodes.  Noticeable changes from Week 2's scorecard is an accelerated need to amend the entry deltas in each classification.  Both Leading the Pack and The Middle of the Pack's entries were relaxed a tenth (1.45 for Leading, 1.20 for Middle) as averages dropped faster than anticipated.  Either way, TVRG is letting its cherry rip on a ripe sitcom season.

100% -- CERTAIN RENEWAL

Currently, Fresh Off The Boat resides alone in this category as it will hold 82+ episodes by May 2018.  It has been bashed and abused around the ABC schedule since 2015 with 7 timeslot changes and proved its sturdy value last spring as it retained its viewers while nearly all sitcoms suffered devastating spring ratings.  And The Middle's final season announcement leaves a demand for a replacement on ABC's newly established comedy evening.  FOTB is outsourced, but would ABC really ax a show this durable when The Mayor ranks below and Speechless is exhibiting a Nielsen drop?  Not impossible as Channing Dugney runs the network, but foolish and unlikely.

90% -- LIKELIER RENEWAL 

Superstore and Family Guy hold stronger promise for renewal than the next classifications as they are the 2nd-strongest performers in their respective stables.  Superstore will have 55+ episodes amassed in 2018, and Family Guy hits 300 episodes this season.  Five more showings of competitive ratings will earn these stronger links upgrades to 100% if they continue above their network bar.

80% -- LIKELY RENEWAL

Kevin Can Wait, American Housewife, Black-ish, The Good Place and Last Man on Earth are a necessity to keep their respective networks' schedules intact.  KCW has experienced appalling drops from the 2.3 premiere, but has outranked every CBS show not adjacent to The Big Bang Theory.  Unless KCW drops to a 0.9 by December, the show is likely to return in some form next season.  American Housewife is down from last season's run on Tuesdays.  But it stands as ABC's strongest yet to be renewed player.  Black-ish is also down, but valued as it stands as ABC's strong tentpole in the Tuesday 9:00 hour.  It is taking 2nd in its timeslot against This is Us, something worthy of writing home about.

The Good Place has returned to a strong season on NBC, and is also gaining mild exposure as the Will and Grace lead-in.  Unless the network decides to scale back to two showings of sitcoms per week (an unlikely odd, as NBC is embarrassed about losing its stranglehold on the evening), The Good Place is needed to command a strong(er) performance.  And Last Man on Earth ranks toward the bottom of the pack with what many networks still brandish as embarrassing ratings.  However, they reside on Sundays at 9:30 and have housed stable performances in-line with the last season.  LMOE will have 67 episodes by 2018, so why not keep a stable performer in play?  If the show ends, it will likely be due to a Nielsen drop or the writers deciding to retire the serialized premise.

Five more weeks of performances are needed to change these shows' renewal predictions.  Otherwise, these shows are counted as a likely guest seated in the networks' 2018-19 banquet.

70% -- LEANS RENEWAL 

ABC's Speechless and FOX's Ghosted rank in the same position in Nielsen performance and mid-comedy-block-scheduling thus far.  Both are capable of doing better, yet blend into their timeslot landscape.  Ghosted has mildly improved its predecessor Son of Zorn's performance as it narrowly retains more from its surrounding performers.  Yet a runaway hit would have pulled a 1.6 or higher out of the Simpsons' football-inflated 2.2.  Speechless has hit a creative lull in its 2nd season, down considerably from the 1.8-2.0 sensational ratings it enjoyed early in its run.  While surrounding supports Goldbergs and Modern Family are both down this season, Speechless is down further.  This week's stark drops are alarming, and continued losses or patterns below 1.2 may warrant a downgrade.  Ghosted and Speechless have yet to give warrant for cancellation.  Rather, a warrant seems to be in order for being moved to a less desired timeslot in 2018.

55% -- ON THE BUBBLE LEANING RENEWAL

Great News and The Mick both debuted mid-season in 2017.  The Mick is delivering under performance with 0.9 entries out of 1.1 and 1.2 lead-ins and taking 4th Place regularly.  Great News experienced an inauspicious late-season debut and was given a surprise renewal.  It currently retains half of the rich Will and Grace lead-in, leaving it an obvious underperformer.  ABC Freshman The Mayor debuted with two strikes against it, as it not only received the network's worst timeslot (Tuesday 9:30), but also mixed reviews from critics. However, these shows have pros and cons to evaluate:

PROS -- FOX Tuesdays have not delivered strong ratings for some time, and The Mick is improving the 9:00 hour from the season before.  It is generously overperforming Brooklyn 99 at 9:30.  B99 is likelier to get axed first and New Girl is finished in 2018, so would FOX can The Mick too?  Their schedule is still tenuous with Friday being problematic.  Over at NBC, they are desperate to revive sitcoms on Thursdays and have laid the perfect foundation.  NBC seems jettisoned on keeping all sitcoms on this evening and also fancies giving shows 13 episode runs.  W&G only airs 16 episodes this season, and Trial & Error needs a home.  Great News has earned a home through 2018 at the least, as NBC would scramble to locate a fit for its least-desired sitcom timeslot.  The Mayor is running a hair higher than The Real O'Neal's and has yet to plunge fractional.  Also, Speechless is tanking early in its Sophomore year and has become a fire spot for the network.  A 1.1 on Wednesday makes it weaker than any show pulling a 1.0 on Tuesday.

CONS -- The Mick is already seeing fractional deliveries in its Autumn numbers.  If FOX locates a winning drama, they could scrap the troubled evening and load comedies on Sundays.  Great News is the weakest comedy NBC has to offer and may be dispensed if space is needed.  And it will not take much to impeach The Mayor if it begins seeing 0.8 ratings regularly.  The campaigns are stacked against this cursed timeslot.

These shows have a season of performance to defend their renewal, so stay tuned, as they still have promise.

45% -- ON THE BUBBLE LEANING CANCELLATION

Unlike the previous classification, this phylum holds less promise for higher performance.

CBS currently claims sole ownership of this losing category with freshman comedies 9JKL and Me, Myself & I.  9JKLosingMyNielsens has squandered its rich TBBT lead-in, only retaining 48% of its performance only 2 episodes in.  These figures performed under last season's failure The Great Indoors and descend downward toward The Millers' appalling Autumn 2014 performance of similar measures.  It is also down 37% from last season's 3rd showing of post-TBBT lucrative KCW (1.4 vs. 2.2).  Me, Myself & Ilene Cancellation is already dropping into sub-1 territory with a 0.9 three weeks into its run, in line with The Odd Couple's 3rd episode in the Monday 9:30 timeslot.  The promising factor for MM&I is it retained 75% of the 1.2 KCW rating, whereas TOC only retained 64% of 2 Broke Girls' 1.4 showing.

The big test for these struggling sitcoms will come on Monday, October 30 when KCW leads the evening at 8:00.  If MM&I matches or outperforms 9JKL, it will be spared.  If it deflates further, it could be the choice to get axed.  Superior Donuts and Man With a Plan did not hit the 0.9 measure until late into Spring, and CBS may be willing to compromise Superior Donuts giving that benchmark vs. one of the newbies.  Also, Man With a Plan needs an anchor and can suffice in either the 8:30 or 9:00 timeslot.  October's performance will shine greater light on which show is stronger, and November will have fates determined if the shows continue to deflate lead-ins.

Another burgeoning question is would CBS consider a mid-October swap of timeslots to test each show's weights?  Stranger things have happened in CBS scheduling.

20% -- LIKELY CANCELLATION

Brooklyn 99 made the fast descent to this season's first endangered show, thanks to pitiful performances of fractional viewings in line with damaging Spring Doldrums numbers.  It is down 35% from last year's performance (0.67 vs. 1.03 for the season's first 3 episodes' data), and outlived its syndication goal.  And sadly, it has already matched last year's lowest sitcom, Making History's average.  Many may argue This Is Us's meta performance is harming the show, but competitors ABC and CBS manage to register showings above the 1.0 mark.  TVRG's Summer Project of profiling Historic Ratings sets a stark reminder that networks reserve the right to cancel shows in the Fall, even if they are a veteran.  CBS axed Rhoda in December 1978 midway through its 5th season, ABC fired Mr. Belvedere in December 1989 midway through its 6th season, and NBC tore down Veronica's closet in December 2000, 81 episodes into the 4th season.  Could the same fate befall B99?  If it dips to regular airings at 0.4 and 0.5, FOX may be prompted to give this show an early hook and showcase reruns or other ventures.

5% -- CERTAIN CANCELLATION

No shows have entered this last rites classification before slapped with the red CANCELLED label.  Keep an eye out though, as B99 is treading close if its average drops below 0.60.

FATES DETERMINED

This category traverses a greater bounty early in the season, as 7 shows have already had their fates determined vs. 2 in 2016.  RENEWED are ABC's The Goldbergs and Modern Family, CBS' The Big Bang Theory, FOX's unkillable Simpsons and NBC's Will and Grace revival.  And viewers shall bid ABC's The Middle and FOX's New Girl after 9 and 7 glorious years adieu after graceful runs as the 2017-18 is their FINAL SEASON.

EARLY RENEWAL PREDICTIONS

Predictions for pre-March renewals leave NBC's Superstore and The Good Place as mid-season champions.

Top 3 Songs From The Middle

In honor of The Middle's upcoming 9th and final season, here are the top three songs from the show so far, as ranked by me.

Honorable Mention: Magical Trashcan Kiss by Axl and the Axe Men
Sue's girlfriend and Axl's mutual friend, Darrin, was also a member in Axl's "band". He wrote this song about his kiss with Sue by a trashcan. The song was so bad that it got hilariously negative reactions by those listening, except Sue of course.

Episode: Season 4, Episode 16, "Winners and Losers"
Rating: 2.3 A18-49, 8.27 million viewers, 109% of the league average

#3: The Middle by Jimmy Eat World

The song from the episode that started it all. This is arguably the song that fits the tone of the show more than any other. It was played at the end of the pilot episode and did a nice job complementing the tone of the overall pilot. If The Middle had an opening theme song, it would almost certainly be this one.

Episode: Season 1, Episode 1, "Pilot"
Rating: 2.6 A18-49, 8.71 million viewers, 93% of the league average

#2: More Than A Feeling by Boston

Mike Heck isn't exactly known to be the most talkative or expressive person. He showed a completely different side of him, though, when he was in a car by himself singing along to More Than A Feeling by Boston. The rest of the Hecks are awkwardly sitting in the car next to him at a stoplight. After denying multiple times that it was him singing in the car, eventually he admits that Sue's college process has been stressing him out. The episode ends with a reprise of the song with Frankie singing along with him.

Episode: Season 6, Episode 17, "The Waiting Game"
Rating: 1.9 A18-49, 7.34 million viewers, 113% of the league average

#1: Beautiful World by The Chevin

One of the best things about The Middle is its continuity. When Sue and Darrin begin their public romance at a prom, Beautiful World by The Chevin plays. While the relationship is more successful than any of her past ones, in a future episode Darrin prematurely asks her to marry him, leading to a bittersweet breakup and another playing of this song. It's a song that the vast majority of viewers likely would have never heard had it not been played in the episodes, yet one that is very fitting for two of the most memorable moments of the entire series. I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up again in the final season. It was the first song I thought of when I heard the news that it's ending.

Episode #1: Season 5, Episode 17, "The Walk"
Rating: 1.9 A18-49, 7.28 million viewers, 101% of the league average

Episode #2: Season 6, Episode 14, "The Answer"
Rating: 2.2 A18-49, 7.70 million viewers, 131% of the league average

The Middle To End After 9 Seasons

Per Entertainment Weekly, The Middle will be ending after its upcoming ninth season on ABC. It appears to be a creative decision, meaning the show will not be shopped. You can click here for its Season 8 ratings.

What do you think of this news? Let us know in the comments below.

The Middle Renewed by ABC for Season 9

ABC has renewed their Tuesday anchor The Middle for a ninth season. The series has done well in the slot since its move from Wednesdays, helping to successfully launch new series American Housewife. The Middle has averaged a 1.6 over the course of this season, and this was a correct prediction for the TV Ratings Guide.

Are you excited for more of The Middle? Let us know in the comments below!

ABC: The Winners and Losers

Welcome to the first edition of "The Winners and Losers", where I take a look back at ABC's 2015-16 television season and access which shows were the biggest winners and which shows could have done better.

WINNERS

Grey's Anatomy
After years of trouble in the Thursday at 8pm time slot, ABC saw its second straight season of success there with Grey's Anatomy. It's currently ABC's #2 scripted show, averaging a 2.23 A18-49 rating, and is down just over 6% year-to-year--less than almost every other show on broadcast. It's skewing slightly older this season, as shown by the fact that it's lost less than 2% of its total viewers. It's been clear for a while that when this ends, it'll be a Shonda decision and not a Mouse decision.

The Bachelor
The Bachelor is perhaps the show on broadcast television people most love-to-hate, because for all the people who complain about the show, it's still UP (0.31%) year-to-year, which is something no other ABC show can say. It averaged a 2.36, making it ABC's #2 show and #1 non-scripted show. Not bad for a bridge series airing its 19th cycle.

The Little Comedies That Could
Rounding out the winners list for ABC are "the little comedies that could". I'm referring to The Middle, The Goldbergs, and Last Man Standing, all of which were by and large marginal renewals that some questioned when they made it into a second season. The Middle and The Goldbergs have blossomed into hits, with both doing better in ratings relative to other shows than ever before. The Goldbergs is currently averaging a 2.03, down less than 7% year-to-year and remaining ABC's #2 comedy and #4 scripted show. The Middle is just a tad behind it at a 1.91, down a little over 4%. It's ABC's #3 comedy and #5 scripted show overall, showing how strong ABC's comedy department is compared to dramas this season. In fact, in recent days The Goldbergs and The Middle have been ABC's #3 and #4 shows due to Scandal's recent ratings collapse.

Meanwhile, Last Man Standing is still chugging along on Fridays with a 1.21 A18-49 average, a rating that neither of the Tuesday comedies can say. Down less than 5% year-to-year, this show would be an obvious renewal if it wasn't for Tim Allen's contract. Most expect a renewal like always though. Last Man Standing has the 2nd-healthiest year-to-year trend in ABC's scripted department, behind only The Middle.

LOSERS

Bridge Season
Bridge season for ABC is still more of an experiment that is a great idea that hasn't been executed properly--kind of like The Muppets. American Crime was ABC's highest-rated bridge show this season--and oh yeah, it's #20 in the scripted department of 25. At least it gets critical attention, something Marvel's Agent Carter (0.79, down 47%), Galavant (0.63, down 52%), and My Diet is Better Than Yours (0.65) can't say.

The Muppets
It's a bit deceiving that The Muppets is currently ranked #11 on ABC's scripted ratings chart. It had everything going for it: a well-received pilot presentation, promos that got everyone excited, a new girlfriend for Kermit, bringing a Disney brand to ABC, finding a way to bring new life into Tuesday, guest stars, and the list goes on. It premiered to a 2.9 A18-49 demo. The problem was that not many people were particularly compelled by the pilot episode. Because that 2.9 turned into a 2.0 for the second episode, and by the time they hit the fourth episode it was at a paltry 1.3 rating. Not exactly the rating anyone was expecting, leaving Fresh Off The Boat to fend for itself and spend a second straight season making do with a not-so-ideal situation. Since this show was really supposed to succeed and ABC spent so much money promoting it, they decided to switch show runners and retool it, and even slightly upgraded it to the 8:30 time slot, which only sent it into fractional territory for its final six episodes. There has been talk that it will return for a second season, possibly in a Galavant-like role, but don't be fooled if it does; this was a giant ratings loss for ABC and if it returns will be because they're The Muppets, and are owned by Disney.

Tuesday at 10
What ABC has aired Tuesday at 10pm this season and two seasons ago make last season's Forever actually look good. A total of five weeks have been devoted to scripted programming in the time slot before they got replaced by equally low rated, yet cheaper, reality filler. I don't think anything has ever gotten a rating that wasn't fractional there this season. Even Beyond the Tank, which was holding almost all of Shark Tank in its three-week event last May was hitting consistent 0.5s in the time slot. The sad part is that the competition isn't overly intimidating; Chicago Fire does well for a 10pm show but Limitless shouldn't be something that you're afraid to counter-program against.

Paul Lee
Paul Lee's time at ABC had its ups and downs. They had a great season last year, but there has been some slippage this season. Reportedly his vision for the network wasn't in line with Ben Sherwood's, who wants more procedurals to Lee's serials. Time will tell if bridge season is kept, but Paul Lee's term came to an abrupt end in the eyes of the public a couple months ago. I do think that his bridge season idea was a great idea and hope to see it continue in some capacity.

The Future of the Night: ABC Wednesday

Welcome to a segment I call "The Future of the Night". The format is I take a look at a night on the network's schedule, see what could use improvement, and come up with scenarios which could potentially solve it. First, I present a short argument as to why it could work, then play Devil's Advocate with my reasoning, and then present the bottom line. Enjoy, and fee free to leave your opinions by leaving a comment!
____________________________
There is just so much that ABC could potentially do to Tuesday that I had to extend it to another edition, in counterpart to coverage of ABC Wednesday. If you recall, Option 1 presented for ABC Tuesday was to move a comedy from Wednesday to Tuesday to help out Fresh Off The Boat. Which one, if any, should move? Check out the options. This time, in no particular order.

Option 1: Move The Middle to Tuesday, The Goldbergs to 8pm
Why It Will Work: The Middle is about to enter its 8th season, and ABC needs to prepare for a future without it. Fresh Off The Boat could highly benefit from its compatibility.

Why It Won't: Though it airs in a tougher time slot, The Middle still has been the lowest-rated Wednesday comedy as of late. Apply declines for both the league average and for moving to Tuesday,

and will it really help out Fresh Off The Boat? It would also require an overhaul that sees The Goldbergs moving to Wednesday at 8pm to launch an unknown player, which could flop.

Bottom Line: ABC may need to go outside of the box and try a Wednesday comedy on Tuesday. But is The Middle actually it? I tend to think not, especially considering off all comedies to move, moving The Middle would cause the most disruption to the schedule.

Option 2: Move The Goldbergs to Tuesday, New Comedy After The Middle
Why It Will Work: The Goldbergs is a stronger show now than in its 1st season and is perhaps the most compatible of them all with Fresh Off The Boat. It will also be less moves for veteran shows if The Goldbergs moves instead of The Middle.

Why It Won't: The Goldbergs could very well be a time slot hit (I don't count the Wednesday at 8 highly-promoted special as an indicator) and could crumble on Tuesdays. That doesn't help FOTB, leaves a hole on the Wednesday schedule, and makes it less desirable to cable channels interested in picking it up for syndication.

Bottom Line: The Goldbergs may be an integral part in the future of Wednesdays without The Middle or Modern Family. It might be a solid idea for it to stay put for now.

Option 3: Switch Modern Family and Fresh Off The Boat, New Comedy After Modern Family
Why It Will Work: Modern Family is perhaps the least compatible of all the ABC Wednesday comedies + FOTB. FOTB is very compatible with a Goldbergs lead-in (80s/90s family comedies, respectively) and just as much with Blackish (assimilation family comedy). It would be able to grow with a Goldbergs lead-in, yet Goldbergs wouldn't have to change time slots to provide it. Modern Family and a new comedy can lead off a revamped Tuesday night.

Why It Won't: Will ABC really be willing to move their #1 show? It's a risk that may not be worth
taking when it could crumble. It'll make it too expensive to even continue to a ninth season, and no favors would have been given to the show it was supposed to launch.

Bottom Line: Switching Modern Family and Fresh Off The Boat will actually be less schedule overhaul than moving The Middle, while Blackish gets to stay steady at 9:30pm to lead into what is most likely to be a new show at 10pm. The Wednesday average will drop, but the median probably won't, and Tuesday will most likely have a much stronger hour. Finally, ABC would have found 3 of 4 shows needed in a future on Wednesday without its two oldies-but-goodies.

Option 4: Move Blackish to Tuesday, New Comedy After Modern Family
Why It Will Work: Blackish and Fresh Off The Boat, being family assimilation comedies, would fit well together. It would allow for a slightly stronger comedy hour on Tuesday, while allowing Modern Family to launch another show before it's too late.

Why It Won't: Blackish will be the first ABC Studios sitcom to make it to syndication in like forever. The last thing ABC wants is its prized possession to stumble along to syndication and not get as good a deal as it could have. Plus, the new post-Modern Family comedy is not a surefire success and could be a poor lead-in to a potential new show at 10pm. At the end of the year you're left with two aging sitcoms, one or two holes, and The Goldbergs.

Bottom Line: This is the option I have advocated the most throughout the season. After all, ABC repeated Blackish on Tuesday for the entirety of last summer and it did decently.

Option 5: Stay Steady
Why It Will Work: Wednesday is one of ABC's best nights right now, if not the best night. Let's keep The Middle, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, and Blackish together for another season, and while we're at it let's also renew Nashville. For the comedy block, why fix what isn't broken, and for Nashville, if given a 5th season then schedule stability could make its ratings at least predictable.

Why It Won't: Nashville is already fractional, and if they renew it then why would they keep it on what's otherwise most definitely their best day? Also, Tuesday will continue to struggling without some outside help.

Bottom Line: I'm a little hesitant about breaking up Wednesday at all, especially the comedy block. ABC has bigger problems, and it's not clear whether or not ABC should move anything to help solve them.

Which option do you think is the best? Are there any other somewhat-plausible options that I didn't cover? Let me know in the comments below!

ABC Renew/Cancel Watch: The Goldbergs is Still Certain to be Renewed

You talked, I listened. We've talked a lot about The Muppets, Fresh Off The Boat, Nashville, Last Man Standing, Quantico, Dr.Ken...but some ABC shows have gone largely ignored in the analysis below the table. Today, I'm going to start including more shows, especially considering there wasn't enough data this week to warrant moving any shows anywhere. And also enjoy my Black Friday themed labels.

Out of Stock	100% Off	80% Off	50% Off	20% Off	0% Off
Wicked City	Blood & Oil	Castle	Fresh Off The Boat	Last Man Standing	Grey’s Anatomy
		The Muppets	Nashville	Quantico	Scandal
					The Middle
					The Goldbergs
					Modern Family
					Blackish
					Once Upon a Time
					Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
					How to Get Away with Murder
					Dr Ken

Why is The Goldbergs "Certain to be Renewed"?

In the past couple years, The Goldbergs went from a mediocre-rated show with less-than-stellar reviews to one of ABC's most reliable, critically-acclaimed shows. It also ranks #4 in the A18-49 demo for all of ABC, and #2 for comedy. In addition, it is in its third season and is only one away
from entering syndication. If I were ABC Family--er, Freeform--I would consider picking it up and airing it alongside The Middle and Last Man Standing. If it gets lucky, it could also go bigger.

Why is The Middle "Certain to be Renewed"?

The Middle is just as reliable as The Goldbergs, just has been doing so for many more years. It has proven to stand the test of time and is ABC's #3 comedy in the A18-49 demo. In addition to the fact that The Middle can always be counted on to lead a night and provide consistency, the cast is already locked in for another season, so it's not like contractual negotiations will break the show. So, The Hecks will be seeing you next year.

Why is Blackish "Certain to be Renewed"?

Even though Blackish is ABC's #4 comedy despite having the best lead-in they could provide, Blackish is still hanging in there at high 1s, and more importantly is the sole ABC Wednesday comedy that is in-house produced. The production company hasn't gotten a comedy to syndication to ages, and they'll finally be able to get one with Blackish. It also did surprisingly well when Modern Family was a rerun (then again Empire was also out of the equation). I think it should move to Tuesday and enjoy a run of mid to high 1s.

Why is Castle "Likely to be Canceled"?

Castle right now has one of the worst averages on ABC, and in addition is in its eight season. It's had a great run, but has lost a lot of viewers over the last couple seasons that due to its serialized nature won't be able to get back. Additionally, contracts I believe are on a year-to-year basis, and it may be getting too expensive. Time to let Dancing with the Stars launch a new show for the first time in eight seasons. After all, only Scandal provides a better lead-in for ABC to a 10pm show.

There you go! Hope you enjoyed my predictions and analysis, and feel free to leave your own in the comments below.