We’re currently knee-deep in blockbuster season, but ABC is already setting its sights on fall. After announcing the survivors of the great spring culling last month, the network’s now rolling out the premiere schedule for its newest offerings and latest Shark Tanks.
Like the other broadcast networks, ABC is keeping its cool and scheduling its season and series debuts for the actual fall instead of getting ahead of itself and plunking premieres down in August. After the 68th Emmy Awards on September 18, for example, you can look forward to dropping in on the fourth season of Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. just two days later. That same week will see the season premieres of The Goldbergs, Black-ish, and Modern Family.
But ABC’s also introducing some new blood with the Minnie Driver vehicle Speechless and the law-and-media drama Notorious on September 21 and 22, respectively. Kiefer Sutherland’s latest White House-adjacent series, Designated Survivor, bursts onto the Thursday night lineup on September 21 as well. Here’s the trailer; we assume he loses the glasses at some point to reveal the hardened, decidedly not nerdy interior. That, or he uses them to kill someone.
Restraint really appears to be the name of ABC’s fall game, because despite all the clamoring for more Hayley Atwell, the network is forcing fans to wait until October 3 to watch her lead the courtroom drama Conviction. Atwell’s traded the vintage hats of Agent Carter for the stilettos of Hayes Morrison, a lawyer and former First Daughter who lands a job the way everyone does these days—via blackmail. It’s hard to believe ABC wants to wait until October to kick-start the Hayes Morrison fandom, especially considering that gives everyone less than a month to put together their “disgraced lawyer” costumes for Halloween. But the network presumably knows what it’s doing.
You’ll find the rest of ABC’s fall schedule below.
Monday, September 12
8 p.m.: Dancing With The Stars season 23 premiere
Sunday, September 18
7 p.m.: 68th Emmy Awards Arrival Pre-Show (live from Los Angeles)
8 p.m.: 68th Emmy Awards (live from Los Angeles)
Tuesday, September 20
8 p.m.: Dancing With The Stars results show
10 p.m.: Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4 premiere
Wednesday, September 21
8 p.m.: The Goldbergs season 4 premiere
8:30 p.m.: Speechless series premiere
9 p.m.: Modern Family season 8 premiere
9:30 p.m.: Black-ish season 3 premiere
10 p.m.: Designated Survivor series premiere
Thursday, September 22
8 p.m.: Grey’s Anatomy season 13 premiere
9 p.m.: Notorious series premiere
10 p.m.: How to Get Away with Murder season 3 premiere
Friday, September 23
8 p.m.: Last Man Standing season 6 premiere
8:30 p.m.: Dr. Ken season 2 premiere
9 p.m.: Shark Tank season 8 premiere
Sunday, September 25
8 p.m.: Once Upon A Time season 6 premiere
9 p.m.: Secrets and Lies season 2 premiere
10 p.m.: Quantico season 2 premiere
Sunday, October 2
7 p.m.: America’s Funniest Home Videos season 27 premiere
Monday, October 3
10 p.m.: Conviction series premiere
Tuesday, October 11
8 p.m.: The Middle season 8 premiere
8:30 p.m.: American Housewife series premiere
9 p.m.: Fresh Off The Boat season 3 premiere
9:30 p.m.: The Real O’Neals season 2 premiere