ABC Adds Bachelor Spinoff to Unscripted-Heavy Fall Lineup

Writers strike or not, ABC thinks its fall schedule is “Golden.”

Ahead of parent company Disney’s upfront presentation this afternoon at New York’s North Javits Center, the broadcaster unveiled its new fall lineup. Though the company didn’t specifically mention the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike when revealing its upcoming series, ABC is going heavy on unscripted programming for the fall—with no original episodes of scripted series on the schedule—even adding a new Bachelor spinoff, The Golden Bachelor, to Monday nights.

Additionally, while Fox is poised to win the coveted adults 18-49 demo after losing the crown to NBC last year, the company claimed it was the No. 1 entertainment network among adults 18-49 for the fourth season in a row.

“We are proud to be home to beloved series and meaningful narratives that audiences continue to embrace, and we’re fortunate that our solid, stable roster continues to leverage the enormous success of our established hits, with originals airing every night of the week,” Craig Erwich, president, Disney Television Group, said in a statement about the schedule.

Per its unscripted-heavy lineup, ABC will get things moving with Dancing With the Stars making its broadcast return to Monday nights at 8 p.m. after airing exclusively on Disney+ last season. The reality competition show will make history as the first series to simulcast across both ABC and Disney+.

The Golden Bachelor will then premiere after Dancing With the Stars at 10 p.m.

Game shows, football and Abbott Elementary repeats

This new Bachelor spinoff focuses on singles in their golden years. According to ABC, in the series, “one hopeless romantic is given a second chance at love in the search for a partner with whom to share the sunset years of life.”

The broadcaster keeps unscripted going on Tuesday, with Celebrity Jeopardy! at 8 p.m. and two hours of Bachelor in Paradise coming after that.

Wednesday brings Season 2 of Judge Steve Harvey at 8 p.m., followed by two encore airings of Abbott Elementary and What Would You Do? making its return to primetime, reintroducing the hidden camera show to new audiences.

Game shows take over Thursday, with Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Press Your Luck and The $100,000 Pyramid. Then Friday remains the same as last year’s fall schedule, with Shark Tank at 8 p.m. and two hours of 20/20 airing after that.

College Football is back on Saturday night, and Sundays are focusing on families, with America’s Funniest Home Videos and three hours of movies from The Wonderful World of Disney.

According to ABC, the timing for previously announced renewals and pickups, including 9-1-1, Abbott Elementary, American Idol, The Bachelor, The Conners, The Good Doctor, Grey’s Anatomy, Not Dead Yet, The Rookie, Station 19 and Will Trent, will come at a later date—likely after the writers strike has been settled.

In addition, the company is picking up High Potential, starring Kaitlin Olson as a single mom with an exceptional mind and unconventional knack for solving crimes. Her unique skill leads to a partnership with a seasoned detective played by Daniel Sunjata. Again, the timing is coming at a later date.

Additionally, decisions are still coming for Home Economics and The Rookie: Feds. Several pilots are also in contention, including The Good Lawyer, The Hurt Unit, Judgement, Keeping it Together (FKA Drop-Off) and Public Defenders.

ABC is the only broadcaster so far that has avoided original scripted shows entirely on its fall schedule amid the uncertainty of a writers strike, which will delay production on all scripted entertainment series until it is settled. NBC programmed a fall lineup that included its usual slate of scripted shows and said that many of them will be able to air, even in the event of a prolonged strike. CBS also unveiled a traditional fall schedule containing its scripted series, while Fox did not announce an actual fall lineup. The CW will share its fall plans on Thursday.

ABC’s fall 2023-2024 schedule

(New programs in ALL CAPS, times are in ET)

MONDAY
8 p.m. — Dancing With the Stars
10 p.m. — THE GOLDEN BACHELOR

TUESDAY
8 p.m. — Celebrity Jeopardy!
9-11 p.m. — Bachelor in Paradise

WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. — Judge Steve Harvey
9 p.m. — Abbott Elementary (encore)
9:30 p.m. — Abbott Elementary (encore)
10 p.m. — What Would You Do?

THURSDAY
8 p.m. — Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
9 p.m. — Press Your Luck
10 p.m. — The $100,000 Pyramid

FRIDAY
8 p.m. — Shark Tank
9 p.m. — 20/20 (two hours)

SATURDAY
7:30 p.m. — College Football

SUNDAY
7 p.m. — America’s Funniest Home Videos
8-11 p.m. — The Wonderful World of Disney