The network, which saw its prime-time fortunes flag this season with no real new hits, announced that it will present at least 12 new series next season: five comedies and seven dramas. As has been ABC’s penchant in recent years, the shows tend to appeal to women, which is consistent with the network’s current roster, with holdover hits like “Modern Family,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal.”
ABC also showed affection for projects that have some connection to its parent company, the Walt Disney Company, with two new dramas.
One is “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” which beyond being a test of keyboard dexterity makes a show out of a Disney property from Marvel comics that involves daring special law-enforcement agents. The big name associated with the show is the creator, Joss Whedon (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer”).
ABC will try a spinoff of “Once Upon a Time” with “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” showing a lack of concern about a drop in ratings for the original. The new show takes Alice, the White Rabbit and others down the rabbit hole for new adventures. John Lithgow is the White Rabbit.
In “Resurrection,” ABC will go for a little scare with a show about an 8-year-old boy who apparently comes back from the dead.
The network will try a cop show with a woman in the leading role in “Killer Women,” about a tough young female Texas Ranger.
And it will go with a psychological crime drama in “Mind Games,” about two brothers who head a firm that uses psychological manipulation to solve problems. Christian Slater will here try again to find a hit TV series.
Soapy mystery has worked well for ABC in the past two seasons, so it will go back to the well with “Betrayal,” about a young woman, married to a prosecutor, who begins an affair with a defense attorney — and guess who wind up opposing each other in a murder trial?
“Lucky 7” is a comedy-drama about what happens to a crew of co-workers at a gas station when they win a lottery prize.
The hot comic Rebel Wilson appears in “Super Fun Night,” about a young woman on the rise in her career and romantic life who still tries to share Friday nights with her girlfriends. It is produced by Conan O’Brien’s company.
James Caan is in “Back in the Game,” playing an ex-ballplayer who gets roped into coaching the Little League team of his grandson and friends, all of whom stink at baseball.
“Trophy Wife” stars Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”), who is on his third wife but harassed by the previous two.
In “The Goldbergs,” created by Adam Goldberg, a child named Adam spends his ’80s childhood driving his family crazy by videotaping everything in their lives. Jeff Garlin (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) plays the father.
“Mixology” takes place supposedly all in one night in a single bar in Manhattan with a group of young people pairing up.
Some threatened shows survived on ABC, including “Nashville,” but some did not, including “Body of Proof” and “Happy Endings,” which may find a happy landing on the USA Network. Still up in the air: the fate of the comedy “The Neighbors.”
Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/business/media/abc-introduces-12-new-series-for-next-season.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
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