ABC 2021-22 Schedule: ‘Big Sky’ On Thursday & Comedy Block In Fall, ‘Black-Ish’ Farewell In Midseason

Nellie Andreeva
·6 min read
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After the success of The Bachelorette, delayed by the pandemic, as a Tuesday 8 PM anchor last fall, the ABC reality series will be back in the time slot this coming fall with the second of two 2021 cycles. Among the few changes on the ABC schedule from last fall is the move of breakout freshman drama Big Sky to the network’s high-flying Thursday lineup. There, it will succeed canceled Rebel in the 10 p.m. hour, following ABC’s highest-rated scripted series Grey’s Anatomy, which again has spinoff Station 19 as a lead-in.

Here is ABC’s fall 2021 schedule, which features two new series, comedy The Wonder Years and drama Queens, followed by a brief analysis and descriptions of all of ABC’s new scripted series for next season

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ABC FALL 2021 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE)

MONDAY
8 PM — Dancing with the Stars
10 PM – The Good Doctor

TUESDAY
8 PM — The Bachelorette
10 PM — QUEENS

WEDNESDAY
8 PM — The Goldbergs
8:30 PM — THE WONDER YEARS
9 PM — The Conners
9:30 PM — Home Economics (new time)
10 PM — A Million Little Things

THURSDAY
8 PM — Station 19
9 PM — Grey’s Anatomy
10 PM — Big Sky

FRIDAY
8 PM — Shark Tank
9 PM — 20/20 (two hours)

SATURDAY
8 PM — Saturday Night Football

SUNDAY
7 PM — America’s Funniest Home Videos
8 PM — Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
9 PM — Supermarket Sweep
10 PM — The Rookie

The new Wonder Years reboot has been paired with ABC veteran The Goldbergs for a period-themed 8-9 p.m. comedy block on Wednesdays. Freshman Home Economics, which launched in the 8:30 p.m. slot this midseason, will relocate to 9:30 p.m., behind The Conners. Missing from ABC’s fall comedy lineup is veteran Black-ish, whose eighth and final season will premiere in midseason.

New female-driven drama Queens has been slotted behind The Bachelorette. The unscripted standout among ABC’s 2020-21 additions, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, which launched during the Thursday dramas’ hiatus, has earned a permanent slot on the schedule on Sundays, paired with returning Supermarket Sweep, which will slide an hour to 9 p.m.

NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

DRAMA

QUEENS

Estranged and out-of-touch, four women in their 40s reunite for a chance to recapture their fame and regain the swagger they had as the Nasty Bitches – their ’90s group that made them legends in the hip-hop world. “Queens” stars Eve as Brianna aka Professor Sex, Naturi Naughton as Jill aka Da Thrill, Nadine Velazquez as Valeria aka Butter Pecan, Taylor Selé as Eric Jones, Pepi Sonuga as Lil Muffin and Brandy as Naomi aka Xplicit Lyrics. Zahir McGhee, Sabrina Wind and Tim Story are executive producers. The series is produced by ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios. The pilot episode is written by Zahir McGhee and directed by Tim Story. Follow “Queens” (#QueensABC) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT (Midseason)

“Women of the Movement” tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley, who in 1955 risks her life to find justice after her son Emmett is brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South. Unwilling to let Emmett’s murder disappear from the headlines, Mamie chooses to bear her pain on the world stage, emerging as an activist for justice and igniting the Civil Rights movement as we know it today. The limited series stars Adrienne Warren as Mamie Till-Mobley, Tonya Pinkins as Alma, Cedric Joe as Emmett Till, Ray Fisher as Gene Mobley, Glynn Turman as Mose Wright, Chris Coy as J.W. Milam, Carter Jenkins as Roy Bryant and Julia McDermott as Carolyn Bryant. “Women of the Movement” is produced by Kapital Entertainment. Marissa Jo Cerar serves as executive producer and showrunner. Executive producers are Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor and Michael Lohmann (Kapital Entertainment), Jay-Z, Jay Brown and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith (Roc Nation), Will Smith and James Lassiter (Overbrook), Rosanna Grace (Serendipity Group Inc.), Alex Foster and John Powers Middleton (Middleton Media Group), David Clark (Mazo Partners) and Gina Prince-Bythewood. The first episode is written by Marissa Jo Cerar and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Follow “Women of the Movement” (#WomenOfTheMovement) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

COMEDY

THE WONDER YEARS

Inspired by the beloved award-winning series of the same name, “The Wonder Years” is a coming-of-age story set in the late 1960s that takes a nostalgic look at a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama, through the point of view of imaginative 12-year-old Dean. With the wisdom of his adult years, Dean’s hopeful and humorous recollections show how his family found their “wonder years” in a turbulent time. “The Wonder Years” stars Don Cheadle, narrating the series as adult Dean Williams, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Dean Williams, Dulé Hill as Bill Williams, Saycon Sengbloh as Lillian Williams, Laura Kariuki as Kim Williams, Julian Lerner as Brad Hitman, Amari O’Neil as Cory Long and Milan Ray as Keisa Clemmons. Saladin Patterson serves as writer and executive producer. Lee Daniels and Marc Velez of Lee Daniels Entertainment also executive produce along with original series star Fred Savage. The series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios. The pilot episode is written by Saladin Patterson and directed by Fred Savage. Follow “The Wonder Years” (#TheWonderYears) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (Midseason)

In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible educators may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
“Abbott Elementary” stars Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues, Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard. Quinta Brunson serves as writer and executive producer alongside Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker of Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios. The pilot episode is written by Quinta Brunson and directed by Randall Einhorn. Follow “Abbott Elementary” (#AbbottElementary) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

MAGGIE (Midseason)

Based on the short film by Tim Curcio, “Maggie” follows a young woman trying to cope with life as a psychic. Maggie regularly sees the future of her friends, parents, clients and random strangers on the street, but when she suddenly sees a glimpse of her own future, Maggie is forced to start living in her own present. The series stars Rebecca Rittenhouse as Maggie, David Del Rio as Ben, Nichole Sakura as Louise, Angelique Cabral as Amy, Leonardo Nam as Dave, Ray Ford as Angel, Chloe Bridges as Jessie, Kerri Kenney as Maria and Chris Elliott as Jack. “Maggie” is written and executive produced by Justin Adler and Maggie Mull. Evan Hayes and Jeff Morton also serve as executive producers. The series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios. The pilot episode is written by Justin Adler and Maggie Mull, and directed by Natalia Anderson. Follow “Maggie” (#MaggieABC) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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