The ongoing WGA writers’ strike caused many networks to pivot their 2023-2024 fall schedules to reality-based programming. However, ABC made a surprising move by putting Abbott Elementary on its schedule, and the Emmy-winning comedy will be the only scripted show for the fall season for the network. After making the unexpected move, one of the network’s chiefs explained why the sitcom will be the only scripted show airing during the TV season.
Due to a writer's strike, fans of the ABC workplace comedy will have to settle for re-runs in September rather than expect new episodes. Despite this setback, the show has been lucrative for the network, receiving critical acclaim and awards-season recognition over the last two seasons. Its presence on the fall schedule will hold significant meaning, according to Senior VP of Content Strategy and Scheduling Ari Goldman, as he told THR:
ABC has built such a behavior of viewing, and it’s hard to establish new behaviors. With linear viewing in this day and age, people are watching the way they want to. That said, there was still a remaining behavior on Wednesday nights for ABC’s comedies. … Keeping that presence of comedy that’s been built for over a decade on ABC was important. Abbott Elementary is a defining show in this landscape. I don’t think there’s a more critically acclaimed series in all of television, inclusive of streaming. Having that on the air as a representation of our brand, in a time period that has a behavior, reunited with the lead-in it had in season one and in the surroundings of another hopefully fruitful Emmy season, was a no-brainer for us.
Goldman laid out the perfect case for Abbott Elementary’s placement on ABC’s fall lineup. The mockumentary’s relatable characters and workplace scenarios make it the best representation of the network’s scripted shows amongst a sea of unscripted shows like The Golden Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars. Hopefully, the comedy series will keep audiences’ attention as they wait for traditional comedies and dramas to return.
According to Ari Goldman, viewers should expect to wait way longer than usual for new seasons of their favorite shows to return to air. He estimates that it could take up to two to three months to get ABC shows back on TV. However, Goldman noted to THR that the network's Wednesday night comedy lineup is the most feasible to air first. This means that fans of sitcoms like Abbott Elementary and The Conners may see new episodes not long after the strike ends.
Fans will have to wait a bit longer to see what’s next for Gregory and Janine’s relationship after Abbott Elementary’s Season 2 finale. Writing on Season 3 had begun before the writers’ strike went into effect, according to Emmy winner Quinta Brunson. While viewers wait for more Abbott, you can catch up on the teacher-centric comedy through an active Hulu subscription.
