The imminent spring is literally a time for renewal at ABC, as the network has just picked up more than a dozen of its shows for another season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The move is a surprising one in its breadth and timing, as THR notes that ABC isn’t known for acting preemptively on such matters. But that was presumably before Channing Dungey moved up from ABC Studios’ drama department to become the network’s entertainment president.
From her new corner office (we assume ABC doesn’t have an open-office plan, but we could be wrong), Dungey has given renewals to 15 shows, including Once Upon A Time (which we covered earlier), Scandal, Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., How To Get Away With Murder, Black-ish, and Quantico. Also living to twirl, quip, pitch or skeeve another season are Dancing With The Stars, Grey’s Anatomy, Shark Tank, and The Bachelor, as well as sitcoms Modern Family, The Middle, The Goldbergs, and Fresh Off The Boat. Oh, and you’ll still be able to marvel at people’s disastrous home movies as America’s Funniest Home Videos was also renewed.
In related news, the ABC shows Castle, Galavant, Nashville, The Muppets, Marvel’s Agent Carter, Dr. Ken, and Last Man Standing are huddling together in the figurative cold, hoping the network will open the door to let them back into the studio to begin production anew. Things look especially grim for Agent Carter, as Hayley Atwell has already signed on to lead a different kind of crimefighting drama for ABC.