‘The Wonder Years’, ‘Queens’, ‘Maggie’ & ‘Abbott Elementary’ Picked Up To Series At ABC

Nellie Andreeva and Peter White
·4 min read
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Four days before ABC’s upfront presentation, the network has made its first new scripted series pickups for the 2021-22 season, with nods to music-themed drama Queens and comedies The Wonder Years, Maggie and Abbott Elementary.

Queens, headlined by Brandy, Eve, Naturi Naughton, Nadine Velazquez and Pepi Sonuga, and the Wonder Years reboot, from Saladin Patterson, the original series’ Fred Savage and Lee Daniels, emerged as frontrunners at the script stage and remained strong during casting, production as well as screening and testing of the finished pilots.

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Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary also was an early standout, while Maggie Mull and Justin Adler’s Maggie, headlined by Rebecca Rittenhouse, proved a textbook dark horse, staying largely under the radar until a very strong showing during screenings.

ABC has already passed on a number of pilots, including comedy Adopted, and expect more pilot passes this afternoon, while some pilots will remain in active consideration for midseason. The network last month passed on its straight-to-series multi-camera comedy starring Kelsey Grammer and Alec Baldwin after seeing the pilot episode.

2021-22 ABC New Series

Here are details about ABC’s newly picked up series for 2021-22:

Abbott Elementary

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 public servants 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.

It 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.

Maggie

Based on the short film of the same name, by Tim Curcio, Maggie follows a young woman trying to cope with life as a psychic. Maggie regularly sees the fate 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 Maggie Mull and Justin Adler, and directed by Natalia Anderson.

New Scripted Series On Network TV For 2020-21: Photo Gallery

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.

The Wonder Years

Inspired by the classic series of the same name, The Wonder Years is a coming of age story set in the late 1960’s 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, Dule 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.

2021-22 ABC New Series

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