The TV schedule for Wednesday, January 15, is getting tweaked, impacting multiple shows across networks, including ABC’s primetime lineup of Shifting Gears, Abbott Elementary season 4 and Celebrity Jeopardy! season 3. All of these shows are still airing new episodes as was previously expected, but they’re going to be a little bit delayed as ABC will air special coverage of President Joe Biden’s farewell address to the nation.
Starting at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, ABC, along with the other major broadcast TV networks and cable news networks, is going to air live coverage of President Biden’s speech. According to TV Guide, ABC has blocked out 20 minutes for the address, after which ABC is expected to begin its primetime schedule as previously announced.
That means that Shifting Gears is expected to air at 8:20 pm ET/7:20 pm CT, followed by the latest episode of Abbott Elementary at 8:50 pm ET/7:50 pm CT and then a new round of Celebrity Jeopardy! at 9:22 pm ET/8:22 pm CT. There is the possibility that the speech runs long, so these times could be off by a few minutes, but ultimately ABC’s primetime lineup should air following President Biden’s address. The speech is not expected to have any impact on the shows’ airtime for viewers outside of Eastern and Central time zones.
This marks the second episode of Shifting Gears, the new ABC sitcom starring Tim Allen and Kat Dennings as an estranged father and daughter that must try to reconnect as they are forced to live under the same roof again. In the January 15 episode, titled “Accomodations,” Allen’s Matt joins Riley (Dennings) at her son’s high school open house, where Matt becomes unsettled by the "accommodations" made for his grandson’s anxiety.
Abbott Elementary appears to be back to normal after its crossover episode last week with the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia cast. This week, Janine must rethink her lesson plans after her class performs poorly on a practice test, while Jacob struggles to engage a disinterested student. Plus, Mr. Johnson must train a new custodian sent by the district.
Finally, the second game in the Celebrity Jeopardy! season 3 tournament takes place tonight, with Happy's Place actress Melissa Peterman, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Nobody Wants This star Jackie Tohn as tonight’s players.
If you miss any or all of tonight’s new episodes on ABC, all will be available to stream on-demand on Hulu starting tomorrow, January 16.
