Hours after NBC made decisions about most of its bubble comedy fare, ABC has passed on nearly all of its remaining pilots.
The Disney-backed broadcaster has been relaying dramas The wounded unit And Judgement as well as comedies Hold together (earlier To take off) And public defenders, tell sources The Hollywood Reporter. Only of the four drama and two comedy pilots ABC developed this season The good doctor spinoff, The good lawyerremains in the fray as Kaitlin Olson drama High potential was previously ordered to series.
Also stay on the bubble comedy Household economics (pending word on a fourth season) and The rookie spinoff, feds (pending word on season two). Sources say producers ABC Signature are expected to buy medical drama The wounded unit, which counts Ben McKenzie and Michelle Ortiz among the cast.
ABC representatives declined to comment.
The decisions come as options on the cast for pilots near their expiration date and as networks must decide whether to pay to renew the stars or pass altogether. NBC did the same thing earlier Friday when it canceled two of its three bubble comedies, Young Rock And Big crew.
From the bubble shows and pilots, the networks are taking a wait-and-see approach given Hollywood’s labor unrest. The writers’ strike enters its sixth week with no return to the negotiating table planned and the artists’ union has voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if talks with the studios and streamers fail. The longer a work stoppage lasts, the greater the impact will be on broadcast networks and their fall and mid-season schedules.
For its part, ABC has taken a realistic approach to its fall schedule and lined up all the unwritten fares – along with reruns of Abbot Elementary School as his only scripted series. This has led to less need for expensive home-grown scripts. So far, ABC has ordered only one new scripted series for the 2023-24 broadcast season, high potential, from executive producer Drew Goddard. Fox 911 will also move to ABC for the upcoming season.
Judgement was described as a high-stakes legal soap opera by writer Joey Falco and EP Melvin Mar with Sarah Shahi (Sex/Life) attached to star. Hold together was an ensemble comedy about parenting starring Ellie Kemper, Judy Greer and Michaela Conlin. Public defenders was a legal comedy starring Blackish alum Anthony Anderson. Judgement And Public defenders are also expected to be purchased by Disney’s 20th Television.
Household economics And The rookie: Feds stay on the bubble next to The CW’s All American: Homecoming, Gotham Knights And Superman & LoisFox is animated Potty trained And Welcome to Flatsch and that of NBC American car. Several broadcast pilots also continue to compete. Decisions on all of these – whether extending casting options or outright passes/cancellations – are expected to come by the end of the month as casting options expire.
