Faced with eight new series to schedule (and four more waiting in the wings), ABC has done what any sensible broadcast network would do: Declare ever-competitive Tuesday nights a loss and fill the whole three hours with new programming. Everything else goes where you might expect (new comedies after established hits on Wednesdays; new dramas protected by veterans), but Tuesday marks a brave new world for ABC, headed by Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. in a bold attempt to knock NCIS out of the timeslot throne it’s owned for five years. Also bold: Doing what Fox refused to do with American Idol and The X Factor by paring a cooling reality franchise down to one night; Extreme Makeover: Tuesday Edition is only possible thanks to the elimination of the Dancing With The Stars results show.
The schedule follows. New shows are in bold and all caps.
Mondays
8 p.m.: Dancing With The Stars
10 p.m.: Castle
Tuesdays
8:00 p.m.: MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
9 p.m.: THE GOLDBERGS
9:30 p.m.: TROPHY WIFE
10 p.m.: LUCKY 7
Wednesdays
8 p.m.: The Middle
8:30 p.m.: BACK IN THE GAME
9 p.m.: Modern Family
9:30 p.m.: SUPER FUN NIGHT
10 p.m.: Nashville
Thursdays
8 p.m.: ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND
9 p.m.: Grey's Anatomy
10 p.m.: Scandal
Fridays
8 p.m.: Last Man Standing
8:30 p.m.: The Neighbors
9 p.m.: Shark Tank
10 p.m.: 20/20
Saturdays
8 p.m.: Saturday Night College Football
Sundays
7 p.m.: America's Funniest Home Videos
8 p.m.: Once Upon A Time
9 p.m.: Revenge
10 p.m.: BETRAYAL
Currently unscheduled: Suburgatory, MIND GAMES, KILlER WOMEN, MIXOLOGY, and THE QUEST
We will return with full analysis later in the day; until then, discuss the lineup and/or whether or not that was Luke Cage in the S.H.I.E.L.D. trailer.