By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --ABC is adding a fourth drama next season from its favorite producer, Shonda Rhimes, and bringing the Muppets to prime time in a series with both adult and kid appeal, the network said Tuesday.
Shondaland production company’s fraud investigation drama “The Catch,” starring Mireille Enos, is one of 10 new series for ABC’s 2015-16 schedule.
Rhimes’ other series for ABC are “Scandal,” ‘’How to Get Away with Murder” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” which is returning for its 12th season without the dearly departed Dr. McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey).
“The Muppets” is a mockumentary style comedy — in the manner of “The Office” and “Modern Family” — that looks at the famed puppets’ personal lives.
“It’s a grownup Muppets,” said ABC Entertainment Group president Paul Lee.
ABC is extending the emphasis on diversity that brought “black-ish” and “Fresh Off the Boat” to its schedule last season.
Both comedies were renewed for next season and will be joined by the new “Dr. Ken,” starring Ken Jeong of “Community” and “The Hangover” as a brilliant doctor with a poor bedside manner.
The major broadcast networks are unveiling their new season line-ups to advertisers in New York this week.
WHAT’S NEW
ABC’s freshman slate will include six dramas and four comedies. Sharing network space with the Muppets is the drama “Wicked City,” which aims to capitalize on L.A. history with such cases as a 1982 murder set in the “rock ‘n’ roll, cocaine-infused revelry of the Sunset Strip,” as ABC put it. On the comedy front, there’s a remake of the 1989 John Candy movie “Uncle Buck,” with Mike Epps in the role of an irresponsible cutup.
WHAT’S GONE
The network is bidding farewell to canceled dramas “Forever” and “Resurrection” and the Latino family comedy “Cristela,” which was part of the network’s move toward diversity last season.
HOT TOPIC
“The Real O’Neals,” a comedy that drew criticism from religious and conservative groups even before ABC announced it would be airing, is described as a “fresh take” on a seemingly ideal Catholic family whose lives are upended when a son comes out as gay. The lightning rod: Among its executive producers is Dan Savage, a gay rights activist who writes a blunt sex advice column.
LATHER UP
ABC, which doesn’t shy away from over-the-top dramas (again, it is Rhimes’ stomping ground) is adding what Lee called two “big, muscular” soap operas to its schedule. One is “Of Kings and Prophets,” which continues the recent TV trend of using the good book as a source and which will offer “all the intrigue and sex and power struggles of the real Bible. … It’s truly the original dynastic soap opera,” Lee said. The other is “Oil,” set in the booming North Dakota oil fields and with an ensemble cast including Don Johnson and Delroy Lindo.
THESPIAN POWER
ABC is calling on the talents of respected actors including Joan Allen, who stars in “The Family,” about the mysterious reappearance of a politician’s son who vanished a decade before. British TV and film actor Ray Winstone will play King Saul in “Of Kings and Prophets,” while “The Catch” star Enos made a splash in “The Killing.”
MORNING SYNERGY
ESPN is making moves in the morning designed to bask in the glow of ABC’s top-rated “Good Morning America,” its corporate cousin.
The network said Tuesday it is speeding up its morning “Sportscenter” to fit the pace of the time of day, and will work to share personnel and stories with “GMA.” ESPN2’s morning talk show “Mike & Mike” will move next year from its Connecticut studio to the same Times Square building where “GMA” originates in New York.
Not surprisingly, ESPN executives were quick to tell advertisers that it will sell ad packages that include all three shows.
BIG BILL
The free-spending days when CBS hired The Who and Turner Networks brought in The Eagles to entertain at its advertising presentations are over. But Univision echoed those days Tuesday, when it booked Bill Clinton to open its show and Ricky Martin to close it.
RUNDOWN OF NEW SHOWS
New series given the go-ahead for next season on ABC:
“OF KINGS AND PROPHETS” — A biblical drama described as being about “a battle-weary king, a powerful and resentful prophet and a resourceful young shepherd on a collision course with destiny.” On ABC’s fall schedule for Sundays.
“OIL” — A drama, starring Don Johnson, about a young couple who try to take part in an oil boom in North Dakota, only to be preyed upon by a ruthless tycoon. On ABC’s fall schedule for Sundays.
“QUANTICO” — A drama about a group of young recruits at the FBI’s Quantico base that happens to include the suspect in a terror attack. On ABC’s fall schedule for Tuesdays.
“DR. KEN” — Sitcom that’s a starring vehicle for Ken Jeong of “Community” and “The Hangover.” Jeong, a former doctor in real life, plays a physician with no bedside manner. On the fall schedule for Fridays.
“THE MUPPETS” — Yes, about everyone’s favorite puppets. This is an adult-oriented comedy, structured as a mock-documentary, about the Muppets’ personal lives. On the network’s fall schedule for Tuesday.
“THE CATCH” — From the busy production house run by Shonda Rhimes, a thriller about a fraud investigator about to become a victim of fraud perpetrated by her fiance. Rhimes already produces ABC’s Thursday schedule of “Grey’s Anatomy,” ‘’Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder.” For midseason.
“THE REAL O’NEALS” — A sitcom about a Catholic family whose lives take an unexpected turn when a teenage son comes out as gay. The series, because of the involvement of outspoken sex columnist Dan Savage, was the subject of a protest by conservative groups this spring who urged ABC not to pick it up. The network has ordered it for midseason.
“THE FAMILY — A drama about the return of a politician’s young son who was presumed dead after going missing a decade ago. But suspicions emerge about whether the man is who he says he is. For midseason.
“WICKED CITY” — A drama set in the cocaine and rock ‘n’ roll-fueled Sunset Strip on Los Angeles in the 1980s, centered on a murder case. For midseason.
“UNCLE BUCK” — Based on the movie, the comedy stars Mike Epps as an unconventional nanny. For midseason.
AP Television Writer David Bauder contributed to this report
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More