The 2023-2024 network television lineup is taking shape, with ABC revealing a completely strike-proof schedule for the fall. The move pushes scripted series like The Good Doctor, Grey’s Anatomy and ABC-newcomer 9-1-1 to midseason in favor of unscripted fare like Dancing with the Stars and new series The Golden Bachelor.
ABC announced its fall 2023 lineup of shows on Tuesday, May 19, and scripted series were noticeably absent from the roster. The move is designed to carry the network through to midseason.
Even without scripted series, ABC's lineup is robust, with perennial favorites leading the charge. Dancing with the Stars will return to anchor Monday nights, followed by the premiere of The Golden Bachelor at 10 pm. The Golden Bachelor will feature older contestants looking for love in their retirement years.
The rest of ABC's lineup is a mix of popular game shows like Celebrity Jeopardy!, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Press Your Luck and The $100,000 Pyramid — the latter three making up the network’s entire Thursday night roster — along with veteran hits like Bachelor in Paradise, 20/20, Shark Tank and America's Funniest Home Videos. What Would You Do?, the popular hidden camera series, is back after a three-year break.
Repeat episodes of Abbott Elementary will air on Wednesdays following Judge Steve Harvey, and Sunday nights will be anchored by The Wonderful World of Disney.
ABC also has six Monday Night Football games throughout the NFL season, and Saturdays will be dedicated to the network's Saturday Night College Football programming.
As of this writing, no premiere dates have been set for ABC's unscripted fall lineup. There's enough flexibility with the unscripted shows to make changes should the Writer's Guild of America and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers come to an agreement to allow for production to resume.
At this point, however, ABC is making long-term plans, pushing its scripted lineup to later in the season. That means shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The Rookie, Abbott Elementary, The Conners and newcomer 9-1-1 will likely appear in the midseason.
All of the networks have been planning for the fall TV season a bit differently amid the ongoing writers strike. NBC's fall lineup features a healthy mix of scripted and unscripted series while CBS is moving forward with a schedule that isn't much different from the norm. We're still waiting to learn more about the Fox schedule, but they are also relying heavily on unscripted.
