With upfront presentations just around the corner, ABC has bolstered its Marvel announcements – of new show Marvel’s Agent Carter and a season renewal for Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. – by detailing the rest of its line-up decisions.
Castle will get a seventh season, Modern Family and The Middle get a sixth, while Once Upon A Time, Revenge and Scandal get a fourth. Resurrection and The Goldbergs join Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. in getting a second season, and giant network icon Grey’s Anatomy lands its eleventh season.
In new commissions, five dramas and two comedies have been announced. Heading up the dramatic category are:
• American Crime – starring Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, Richard Cabral, Caitlin Gerard, Benito Martinez and Penelope Ann Miller, this drama is written, directed and produced by John Ridley (12 Years A Slave). The story centres on the aftermath of an attack on a young couple in their home. The husband – a military veteran – is killed, while the wife is hospitalized, unconscious. As both families gather at her bedside, the net closes on four suspects, while racial tensions in the community threaten to boil over.
• The Whispers – Aliens use the world’s children to facilitate an invasion. This show stars Lily Rabe, Barry Sloane and Milo Ventimiglia.
• Forever – In a fresh spin on the usual crime-drama genre, Ioan Gruffudd stars as Dr. Henry Morgan. As a New York City Medical Examiner, he studies the dead to solve crimes – all the while holding secret the fact that he is really seeking an explanation for his own immortality. Judd Hirsch co-stars as his only confidante.
• How To Get Away With Murder – A suspenseful legal thriller in which Professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) gets involved with four law students enrolled in her class.
• Galavant – The union of screenwriter Dan Fogelman (Crazy Stupid Love) and Broadway musical guru Alan Menken yields a musical comedy fairytale, starring Joshua Sasse, Mallory Jansen and Timothy Omundson. In a tale of lost love, revenge and redemption, the hero Galavant will stop at nothing in his pursuit of happiness.
Joining the comedy ranks will be:
• Manhattan Love Story – A romantic comedy highlighting the differences between the male and female thought processes, seen through the interactions of a newly dating couple.
• Selfie – As a modern interpretation of My Fair Lady, this show sees Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan) seek the help of marketing guy Henry (John Cho) to re-vamp her reputation as being self-obsessed – moving beyond her vast online following, and into real-world connections.
There is a lot to be excited about in these new shows. We have Academy-Award winners and nominees in John Ridley and Viola Davis, we have interesting new angles on familiar genres, we have lots of strong female leads, and we have exactly zero zombies and vampires. It all makes for a very refreshing slate from ABC.
We will bring you more on each production as we have it, but in the meantime, head down to the comments section and let us know which shows you will be looking out for.
