After remaining quiet all spring, ABC monopolized the attentions of the nation's TV critics on Thursday (May 8) with an evening full of big announcements.
You can read about seven of the network's renewals here, as ABC extended its relationship with “Scandal,” “Grey's Anatomy,” “Modern Family” and more. Fortunately, despite all of these renewals, ABC still has a number of bubble shows waiting for news on Friday, which means more content.
And you can also read about ABC's renewal of “Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and pickup for “Marvel's Agent Carter” here.
But like the game show host says… That's not all!
In addition to “Marvel's Agent Carter,” ABC gave series orders to dramas “How To Get Away With Murder,” “American Crime,” “The Whispers” and “Forever.”
On the comedy side, “Black-ish,” “Manhattan Love Story” and “Selfie” earned series orders.
And on the musical comedy fairy tale front? Well, ABC only picked up one musical comedy fairy tale, “Galavant.”
Let's go through the shows, shall we?
DRAMA:
*** “How To Get Away With Murder” – There are only two things you need to know here: Shonda Rhimes is executive producing and Viola Davis is starring, playing a law professor involved in a murder plot. Peter Nowalk wrote the pilot, which co-stars Billy Brown, Alfred Enoch, Jack Falahee, Katie Findlay, Aja Naomi King, Matt McGorry, Karla Souza, Charlie Weber and Liza Weil.
[Davis becomes yet another African-American Oscar nominee fronting a new network drama, joining Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard (“Empire”), Octavia Spencer (“Red Band Society”) and Alfre Woodard (“State of Affairs”). I'm not going to call this “progress” or a “sea change” or anything like that. But I'm 100 percent certain that having Viola Davis on TV on a weekly basis is a good thing.]
*** “American Crime” – Written and directed by Oscar winner John Ridley (“12 Years a Slave”), this drama focuses on the aftermath of a home invasion in Modesto. Four suspects are arrested and the community is turned upside-down. The impressive cast includes Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, W. Earl Brown, Benito Martinez and Penelope Ann Miller.
*** “The Whispers” – Formerly known as “The Visitors,” this sci-fi drama was created by Soo Hugh and directed by Mark Romanek, with Steven Spielberg's Amblin TV team producing. The story is focused on the aftermath of an alien invasion in which Earth's children somehow end up helping the invaders. Or something to that effect. It's a bit confusing. Lily Rabe, Barry Sloane, Milo Ventimiglia, Derek Webster, Brianna Brown, Catalina Denis, Kylie Rogers and Kyle Harrison Breitkopf star.
*** “Forever” – Written by “Chuck” veteran Matt Miller and directed by Brad Anderson, “Forever” focuses on an immortal medical examiner, played by Ioan Gruffudd. The “New Amsterdam”-esque drama co-stars Alana De La Garza, Barbara Eve Harris, Joe David Moore and Judd Hirsch.
Check out a picture:
COMEDY:
*** “Black-ish” – Anthony Anderson plays a successful father raising his large family in an exclusive neighborhood in the suburbs. When he begins to worry that he has lost his cultural identity, he seeks help from his father (Laurence Fishburne) to tap back into his roots. Tracee Ellis Ross co-stars in “Black-ish,” which was created by Kenya Barris.
*** “Mahattan Love Story” – Jeff Lowell (“Spin City”) looks at the unfiltered thoughts of a newly dating couple. Analeigh Tipton, Jake McDorman and Kurt Fuller star.
*** “Selfie” – “Suburgatory” creator Emily Kapnek gets Shavian in this story of “Instafamous” Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan) who comes to the stunning realization that having 263,000 Twitter followers isn't the same as having real friends, so she seeks out marketing guru Henry (John Cho) to “rebrand” her. Julie Anne Robinson directed the pilot.
Check out a picture:
MUSICAL COMEDY FAIRY TALE:
*** “Galavant” – “The Neighbors” creator Dan Fogelman teams up with composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater for the once-upon-a-time story of hero, Galavant (Joshua Sasse), who lost the love of his life, Madalena (Mallory Jansen), to the evil King Richard (Timothy Omundson) and vows to get revenge and his happily ever after.
Anything there intrigue you?