May 18, 2021
by Carla Hay
ABC officially announced the lineup of the network’s shows for the 2021-2022 TV season. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the network’s upfront presentation, which traditionally takes place at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in New York City, was cancelled this year. Instead, the announcement was made online. Most of the existing shows had previously been announced as renewed. However, the upfront presentation made it official that “American Housewife,” “For Life,” “Mixed-ish,” “Call Your Mother” and “Rebel” have been cancelled.
New scripted shows include the drama “Queens” and the comedies “Abbott Elementary,” “Maggie” and a reboot of “The Wonder Years.” Some of the stars of the new shows are familiar to TV audiences. “Queens” co-stars Brandy and Eve, who first shot to fame as music artists, also have experience starring in TV shows. Brandy famously starred in the 1990s sitcom “Moesha,” while Eve headlined her self-titled sitcom from 2003 to 2006, as well as co-hosted “The Talk” from 2017 to 2020. “Queens” star Naturi Naughton is an alum of the drama series “Power.” “Abbott Elementary” co-star Tayler James Williams is best-known for starring in the sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris,” while Sheryl Lee Ralph is an alum of several TV series, including “It’s a Living” and “Moesha.” “The Wonder Years” co-star Dulé Hill is also known for co-starring in the “Psych” franchise.
The premiere dates will be announced at a later time. ABC has renewed the following shows: “Black-ish” (for its eighth and final season), “The Conners,” “The Goldbergs,” “The Good Doctor,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Station 19,” “A Million Little Things,” “Home Economics,” “The Rookie,” “20/20,” “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “American Idol,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Shark Tank,” “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” “Supermarket Sweep,” “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.”
The following is an excerpt from an ABC press release:
ABC FALL 2021 SCHEDULE
All times listed are Eastern/Pacific Time.
MONDAY
8-10 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
10-11 p.m. “The Good Doctor”
TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. “The Bachelorette”
10-11 p.m. “Queens”
WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 p.m. “The Goldbergs”
8:30-9 p.m. “The Wonder Years”
9:30-10 p.m. “The Conners”
9:30-10 p.m. “Home Economics”
10-11 p.m. “A Million Little Things”
THURSDAY
8-9 P.M. “Station 19”
9-10 P.M. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10-11 P.M. “Big Sky”
FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. “Shark Tank”
9-11 p.m. “20/20”
SATURDAY
8 p.m. “Saturday Night Football”
SUNDAY
7-8 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8-9 p.m. “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune”
9-10 p.m. “Supermarket Sweep”
10-11 p.m. “The Rookie”
NEW DRAMA SERIES
“QUEENS”
Estranged and out of touch, four women in their 40s reunite for a chance to recapture their fame and regain the swagger they had as the Nasty Bitches – their ’90s group that made them legends in the hip-hop world.
Zahir McGhee, Sabrina Wind and Tim Story are executive producers. The series is produced by ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios. The pilot episode is written by Zahir McGhee and directed by Tim Story.
Cast: Eve as Brianna aka Professor Sex, Naturi Naughton as Jill aka Da Thrill, Nadine Velazquez as Valeria aka Butter Pecan, Taylor Selé as Eric Jones, Pepi Sonuga as Lil Muffin and Brandy as Naomi aka Xplicit Lyrics.
NEW COMEDY SERIES
“ABBOTT ELEMENTARY”
In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers—and a slightly tone-deaf principal—are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do, even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
Quinta Brunson serves as writer and executive producer alongside Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker of Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios. The pilot episode is written by Quinta Brunson and directed by Randall Einhorn.
Cast: Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues, Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard.
“MAGGIE”
Based on the short film “Maggie” by Tim Curcio, “Maggie” follows a young woman trying to cope with life as a psychic. Maggie regularly sees the fate of her friends, parents, clients and random strangers on the street, but when she suddenly sees a glimpse of her own future, Maggie is forced to start living in her own present.
“Maggie” is written and executive produced by Justin Adler and Maggie Mull. Evan Hayes and Jeff Morton also serve as executive producers. The series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios. The pilot episode is written by Maggie Mull and Justin Adler, and directed by Natalia Anderson.
Cast: Rebecca Rittenhouse as Maggie, David Del Rio as Ben, Nichole Sakura as Louise, Angelique Cabral as Amy, Leonardo Nam as Dave, Ray Ford as Angel, Chloe Bridges as Jessie, Kerri Kenney as Maria and Chris Elliott as Jack.
“THE WONDER YEARS”
Inspired by the beloved award-winning series of the same name, “The Wonder Years” is a coming-of-age story set in the late 1960s that takes a nostalgic look at a black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama, through the point of view of imaginative 12-year-old Dean. With the wisdom of his adult years, Dean’s hopeful and humorous recollections show how his family found their “wonder years” in a turbulent time.
Saladin Patterson serves as writer and executive producer. Lee Daniels and Marc Velez of Lee Daniels Entertainment also executive produce along with original series star, Fred Savage. The series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios. The pilot episode is written by Saladin Patterson and directed by Fred Savage.
Cast: Don Cheadle, narrating the series as Adult Dean Williams, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Dean Williams, Dulé Hill as Bill Williams, Saycon Sengbloh as Lillian Williams, Laura Kariuki as Kim Williams, Julian Lerner as Brad Hitman, Amari O’Neil as Cory Long and Milan Ray as Keisa Clemmons.