ABC announces new schedule including ‘The Bachelorette’ return – Entertainment Weekly

ABC announced changes Thursday to its original schedule, moving up Black-ish to a fall premiere instead of midseason, and pushing back the debut of the new comedy Call Your Mother.

ABC announced its schedule for the 2020-2021 season Wednesday, including the return of The Bachelorette and the revival of classic game show Supermarket Sweep hosted by Leslie Jones.

As has become commonplace with schedules for next season, there are no premiere dates as most productions are still halted due to the coronavirus pandemic (see the full schedule below). ABC even avoided using the word “fall.” Dates will be added once production resumes and the network knows for sure when it can get its shows back on the air.

The schedule otherwise isn’t a radical change from the network’s usual lineup. But season 16 of The Bachelorette with Clare Crawley, which was delayed from its traditional summer airing, will be airing in-season, which is a switch. Also, Supermarket Sweep, where teams use their grocery shopping skills and knowledge of merchandise to win big cash prizes, is coming to Sunday nights.

There are also one new show on the lineup: The drama Big Sky from TV veteran David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies) starring Katheryn Winnick and Kylie Bunbury is a thriller based on the series of books by C.J. Box.

Perhaps the biggest change is what’s not here: Modern Family, which recently completed its final season. The Connors will take over its longtime Wednesday night slot.

There’s been some speculation that next season could be the final year for another ABC anchor series, Grey’s Anatomy, as Ellen Pompeo’s contract ends at the end of the show’s 17th season, but the show’s fate has not yet been decided.

New seasons of American Idol, The Bachelor, For Life and mixed-ish will air at some point during the season’s second wave of programming.

ABC previously announced black-ish was also coming midseason, but on Thursday updated the below schedule to bring the acclaimed comedy back sooner. “black-ish has a long-standing history of shining a light on current events and honoring Black voices through the lens of the Johnson family,” said Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment. “After speaking with [creator Kenya Barris] and our creative partners, we decided it was important to tell these meaningful stories during this moment in time, so we are adjusting our premiere schedule and are committed to doing whatever it takes to bring this series back as soon as we possibly can. Following recent monumental events, it’s imperative that the dialogue continues and empowers viewers to raise their voices, and there is no other show that does that like black-ish.”

The full schedule:

MONDAY

8 p.m. Dancing With the Stars

10 p.m. The Good Doctor

TUESDAY

8 p.m. The Bachelorette

10:00 p.m. Big Sky (NEW SERIES)

WEDNESDAY

8 p.m. The Goldbergs

8:30 p.m. black-ish

9 p.m. The Conners (NEW DATE/TIME)

9:30 p.m.  American Housewife

10:00 p.m. Stumptown

THURSDAY

8 p.m. Station 19

9 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy

10 p.m. A Million Little Things

FRIDAY

8 p.m. Shark Tank

9 p.m. 20/20 (TWO HOURS)

SATURDAY

8 p.m. Saturday Night Football

SUNDAY

7 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos

8 p.m. Supermarket Sweep (NEW SERIES)

9 p.m. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (NEW DATE/TIME)

10 p.m. The Rookie

*This article has been updated to include ABC’s announcement that Black-ish will now return in the fall and not midseason, as revealed in the original schedule, resulting in the new comedy Call Your Mother being pushed to midseason.

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